News

A fundraising effort is underway to purchase automated CPR machines for all EMS departments in St. Joseph County. Spearheaded by Jeff Brazo, a member of the Burr Oak Community Fire and Rescue Board, the fundraiser goal is $200,000 by Sept. 1. Brazo said automatic CPR machines can aid responders in performing consistent and effective CPR with fewer staff on site …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency’s Board of Health has approved the selection of Karen Luparello as their next medical director. Lauren Vogel will be stepping down from the position effective September 30. Luparello is a board-certified ophthalmologist, specializing in pediatrics and is affiliated with Hillsdale Hospital. She received her medical degree from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and has …

The St. Joseph County Human Resources Commission has released an updated list of “free stores” in the area. There are five locations in and around St. Joseph County. In Athens, the Pass It Forward Shop is on Factoryville Road, though it is closed for the summer. Meanwhile, in St. Joseph County, the Centreville Free Store – Building Hope – is …

The annual Mackinac Bridge Walk is back for 2021, and the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) has updated a video explaining the options people have for participating in this beloved event. Based on the success of the 2018 and 2019 events, the MBA will again start the 2021 Annual Bridge Walk from both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, which eliminates the …

A 9-year-old boy died Thursday after being shot in Kalamazoo, authorities said. The child was pronounced dead at a Kalamazoo hospital on Thursday afternoon, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief Vernon Coakley said. The child’s name and the circumstances leading to the shooting were not immediately released. Representatives from Pastors on Patrol, the Northside Ministerial Alliance and the NAACP were …

Republican lawmakers voted Thursday to stop a $300 weekly federal supplement that is added to unemployed workers’ benefits in Michigan, though the measure is expected to be vetoed when it reaches Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The GOP-controlled Senate passed the bill on party lines, 19-16, after making a change to the measure that cleared the House last week. It would …

State Senate Republicans who investigated Michigan’s 2020 presidential election for months concluded there was no widespread or systemic fraud and urged the state attorney general to consider probing people who have made baseless allegations about the results in Antrim County to raise money or publicity “for their own ends.” The GOP-led state Senate Oversight Committee said in a 55-page report released Wednesday …

Constantine Village Manager Mark Honeysett provided an update on a recent force-main break of a sewage pipeline from the village to the waste treatment plant in Three Rivers. Addressing village council members during their meeting Monday, Honeysett said he was made aware of the incident June 13 from Doug Humbert, engineer at the Three Rivers plant. Humbert had reported the …

Constantine Village Trustee Joe Faulkner submitted a letter of resignation from the council this week. During Monday’s village council meeting, Faulkner said state law prohibits anyone involved in marijuana services from serving on a municipal board. Faulkner is a co-owner of Rainbow Farms, a pro-marijuana campground in Vandalia. Faulkner has served six months of a two-year term. In addition, Jason …

Sturgis Area Community Foundation has announced its 2021 scholarship award recipients. The foundation is scheduled to award $161,500 in educational scholarships this fall to 77 students representing high schools in St. Joseph and Branch counties. This year’s class of scholarship recipients represents a mix of aspiring two-year, four-year and trade school students with a diverse set of goals and aspirations …