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About $5 million in cash and college scholarships will be given away in lottery-style drawings aimed at raising Michigan’s COVID-19 vaccination rate, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday. The incentive program features a $2 million jackpot, a $1 million prize and 30 daily drawings of $50,000 for residents ages 18 and older who have received at least one shot. Vaccinated residents …

President Joe Biden stayed mum on policy during a Saturday trip to Michigan, focusing instead on cherries — and cherry pie and cherry ice cream — and voters who were mask-free as coronavirus restrictions have eased. It had all the hallmarks of a campaign stop that he couldn’t make last year. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer greeted Biden when he arrived …

Members of the Three Rivers Health Authority Board voted earlier this week to support a member-substitution agreement with Beacon Health System. The step is one of many necessary for the proposed partnership between Three Rivers Health and the Indiana-based health system. The potential agreement now awaits approval by the Three Rivers Health Board of Directors, as well as the blessings …

St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department and Covered Bridge Healthcare are proposing an agreement regarding the use of a vacant county building. During their executive committee meeting Wednesday, county commissioners fielded input from Sheriff Mark Lillywhite and CBH director Rick Shaffer. Lillywhite said the proposed agreement centers on the former parks and recreation department headquarters, south of the county’s central dispatch …

A 2021 Three Rivers High School graduate received statewide recognition this week for her softball prowess. Coming off a record-setting season, Kali Heivilin was named Gatorade’s Michigan Softball Player of the Year. Heivilin made a name for herself by slamming a state-record 29 home runs during the 2021 season. She finished her COVID-shortened varsity career with 66 homers, seven short …

The first graduate of Amanda’s House, a women’s transition home in Three Rivers, was recognized during a celebration Tuesday. Carissa Kerschner, 24, completed the program requirements during her 12-month stay at Amanda’s House. She and her 7-year-old daughter will be moving to an apartment and a fresh start await Kerschner. A surprise Tuesday was the gift of a car, provided …

A notable increase in vandalism has prompted St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation officials to beef up security at many of its parks. Agency director Jaymes MacDonald said the situation has been ongoing for more than a year but spiked in recent months. So much so, in fact, MacDonald has had to pull money from his budget to secure high-resolution …

A Three Rivers-area resident has been recommended to serve on a county board. During their executive committee meeting Wednesday, county commissioners appeared to support the appointment of Elizabeth Roberts to the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board of St. Joseph County. Roberts, a South Fisher Lake Road resident in Lockport Township, was tapped to replace a board member …

Stephen Todd was nominated by the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency and Area Agency on Aging for the “Michigan Aging & Adult Services Agency’s 2021 Senior Citizen of the Year” award. The award is given to an older adult whose community has been enhanced through their active engagement, volunteerism and selfless acts of service to others. They are often the …

Zac Weckel has been named information and referral specialist for Disability Network of Southwest Michigan. Weckel said he has the important goal of reaching as many people as possible in order to serve individuals with disabilities and their families. He said the agency’s services include information and referral, independent living, transitions, peer support, and education and advocacy. It serves people with …