News

Three Rivers Health and Indiana-based Beacon Health System have signed a Letter of Intent to have Three Rivers Health join Beacon Health System in the spring of 2021, pending final approvals. Dave Shannon, president/CEO of Three Rivers Health, a 60-bed facility, said the situation was an opportunity to grow through careful alignment with partners of high integrity, who share a …

A Three Rivers resident will succeed Aaron Miller as 59th District State Representative. Republican Steve Carra topped Democratic challenger Amy East and write-in candidate Jack Coleman. Carra captured about two-thirds of the 27,000 votes cast in St. Joseph County for the two-year term.

A former Three Rivers City Commission member will represent the municipality and two adjacent townships as St. Joseph County District 1 commissioner. Jared Hoffmaster comfortably held off Andrew George to claim the two-year seat. The position, which is being vacated by Allen Balog, also includes representation of Flowerfield and Lockport townships. Hoffmaster collected about 1,400 more votes than George. No-party-affiliation …

Three positions in two townships featured contested races. In Mendon Township, longtime incumbent Mike Kline defeated challenger Gregory Allen in a race for supervisor. Kline won by a margin of 68 percent to 31 percent and will serve four additional years as Mendon Township’s supervisor. In Lockport Township, Christy Trammell captured nearly 59 percent of the vote for township clerk. …

Three Rivers Community Schools chose four people from a field of six candidates to its board of education. Newcomers Melissa Bliss and Ben Karle will join incumbents Julia Awe and Anne Riopel to six-year terms on the board. Meanwhile, incumbent Fred Barclay was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election to White Pigeon Community Schools Board of Education. Instead, Jeff Baechler …

A White Pigeon man died last week after the bicycle he was riding was struck by a vehicle in Constantine Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said Timothy Slabuagh, 35, died at the scene of the collision. The incident occurred around 5 a.m. Friday in the area of Riverside Drive and Blue School Road. The pickup was driven by 20-year-old Hunter McKenzie …

During their executive committee meeting last week, St. Joseph County commissioners heard that Sue Eickhoff, judicial secretary for judge Jeff Middleton, is retiring in late January. Court administrator Tab Wedge said Middleton will need to move forward and begin finding a replacement, a process that should start sooner than later. At least a month of training with Eickhoff would be …

Bethel Baptist Church in Three Rivers is offering free rides to polling places Tuesday. Dubbed “Souls to the Polls,” the free-ride program is available noon to 6 p.m. and transportation can be arranged by calling 757-894-8996. Facemask compliance will be required and CDC guidelines will be observed. Meanwhile, the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority is also offering free transportation to …

St. Joseph County undersheriff Jason Bingaman last week explained details of a service-agreement renewal with Canteen Food Service. During Wednesday’s St. Joseph County Executive Committee meeting, Bingaman said the company provides food for jail inmates and the proposed agreement is nearly identical to the most recent contract. He said per-meal cost is $1.61 if the jail population is 114 or …

A few personnel matters were addressed this week by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. During their executive committee meeting Wednesday, commissioners first heard from Friend of the Court Bill Thistlethwaite. He reminded them of his impending March retirement to cap off a career that spanned more than 30 years in St. Joseph County. Thistlethwaite said he and deputy …