News

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is being forced to rescind last week’s public-health order requiring that employers, educational institutions and persons in Branch, Hillsdale and St. Joseph counties quarantine after a close-contact exposure with a person infected with COVID-19 – or face a loss of approximately $1 million in state budget funding. The order was rescinded as of Thursday …

Michigan State Police troopers are investigating a stolen truck on a trailer from a location in Mendon Township. The incident occurred between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators said suspects stole a pickup and the trailer it was sitting on from a location in the 27000 block of M-60. The truck is a 2001 Ford F250, red on …

The job of chief of police in Three Rivers has been posted and city officials are hoping for a strong pool of candidates. City manager Joe Bippus said Chief Tom Bringman had made clear several months ago he would be retiring in November. Now, a Michigan-based search firm called The CAUTION Group has been tapped to recruit Bringman’s replacement. The …

Indiana Michigan Power said work is continuing on routine maintenance at the Constantine Hydroelectric Plant. The company two weeks ago lowered the level of the St. Joseph River in advance of the task. The level will remain at the lower level until early October, if weather conditions permit. The water level upstream of the facility was to be lowered by …

Colon Caring Kitchen has discontinued its free weekly meals due to a lack of volunteer workers to prepare and serve food. The organization plans to turn its focus to help residents who have a “critical” food emergency or require other types of assistance. Caring Kitchen has alerted local churches regarding the change. The CCK board continues to accept donations to assist …

Enrollment at Centreville Public Schools is slightly less than projected, but the district maintains a considerably high number of out-of-district students. Superintendent Stephanie Lemmer provided an enrollment update during the board’s regularly scheduled meeting Monday. A week before the school year started, Lemmer said she expected enrollment to be at 880 students. As of Monday, the district is at 871 …

Volunteers are being sought by an agency that intends to plant 50 trees in Sturgis next month. ReLeaf Michigan, a non-profit tree organization, is partnering with the city of Sturgis, the St. Joseph River Basin Commission and others for the task. It will take place 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 16 at Sturgis Memorial Garden Cemetery. Volunteers are asked …

A representative from Three Rivers Fire brought local publicity to the agency after winning Saturday’s pie-eating contest at the St. Joseph County Grange Fair. Firefighter/paramedic Travis McGahn downed a 9-inch chocolate pie in under seven minutes to claim first place. Firefighters on behalf of eight county departments stepped in with the goal of securing the pie-pan trophy for the next …

New coronavirus cases increased 7.3 percent in Michigan for the week ending Sept. 26, as the state added 23,008 cases. The previous week, the state confirmed 21,442 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. St. Joseph County reported 215 cases and four deaths connected with the virus. A week earlier, it had confirmed 199 cases and two deaths. Since the …

August’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by two-tenths of a percent from July. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget was released last week. It showed St. Joseph County’s unemployment rate fell from 5.1 percent in July to 4.9 percent in August. The rate was 6.6 percent 12 months earlier. Meanwhile, Cass …