News

HART — For the most part, the frost fans didn’t work, which made Michael DeRuiter and his crew’s weekend all-nighter a fruitless one. Still, the Oceana County apple and cherry grower ventured out May 9 to his orchards. What he found following the freeze event were black-and-brown pistils. Oceana County grower Michael DeRuiter holds a dead cherry bud, a victim of …

A longtime member of the Three Rivers Community Schools family announced last week he is leaving the district. In a letter emailed to parents and the school district, Bryan VanToll said he wished to thank the community for its support of Three Rivers High School and its middle school band programs over the past 11 years. VanToll went on to …

A Branch County business was burglarized last week. Michigan State Police troopers were called shortly before 1 a.m. May 3 to Rick’s Party Store on Angola Road in Coldwater Township. Investigators said three suspects wearing dark clothing and jeans used forced entry to break in through the front door. Troopers said the suspects stole bottles of liquor, and several packs …

The St. Joseph County Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect wishes to remind the public that it is a partner of the organization Cribs For Kids. As a result, the CA/N Council is able to help anyone in need of a safe sleeping place for their baby. Its partnership with Cribs For Kids allows the council to …

A flatbed trailer was stolen last week from a location in White Pigeon Township. Michigan State Police troopers were called to the 20000 block of Dickinson Road to investigate the incident. The victim told authorities the incident occurred sometime last week, though it is not known which day specifically the theft occurred. The trailer is a 2011 Kaufman flat bed, …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday that she wants 450,000 Michiganders to be tested for the coronavirus this month, an average of nearly 15,000 a day, a critical goal because social-distancing cannot go on indefinitely until a vaccine is developed. Testing is on the rise. Tests first surpassed 10,000 in a day less than two weeks ago and stayed above that …

Another local community festival is taking the year off, as officials from the Bronson Polish Festival announced last week the 2020 event is canceled. Polish Festival committee member Candy Cox said the decision was agonizing but there were too many safety concerns to acknowledge. Cox said financial considerations also played a part in the decision, as some businesses that usually …

A “$20 for $20” gift card promotion benefiting locally owned, small businesses in Three Rivers sold out in less than eight minutes Friday. Organized by the Three Rivers Area Community Foundation, the promotion started at noon Friday. In all, 45 businesses participated, according to Melissa Bliss, executive director of the foundation. She explained that the program was set up to …

Fire officials in Sturgis said a Thursday evening blaze appears to be arson. Deputy police chief Ryan Banaszak said the incident was reported around 5:30 p.m. and took placed in the 300 block of West Jean Street. First-arriving fire personnel said they found flames coming from an upper-level apartment. The fire was contained to one area. No one was injured, …

It’s Spring, the sun is shining, the grass is growing, we want to get together with family and friends and shake off the long cold winter. But this year we are advised that we are “Safer at Home”, so this isn’t like any normal Spring. The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency asks that all residents in Branch, Hillsdale, and St. …