News

Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce has announced details related to “Christmas Around Town” 2020. The annual celebration will begin at 6 p.m. Nov. 27 with the tree-lighting ceremony in downtown Three Rivers. The following day, Nov. 28, is Small-Business Saturday and the city will celebrate with Santa Claus coming to town, a Storybook Stroll, carriage rides and Christmas balloon …

Midwest Energy & Communications plans to thank local veterans and their families by providing a free Thanksgiving meal. The offer will take place 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 17. Packaged meals will be served via curbside pickup at MEC’s headquarters parking lot, at 60590 Decatur Road in Cassopolis. Patty Nowlin, vice president of corporate communications at MEC, said the …

Michigan State Police has awarded St. Joseph County an $80,000 grant. Secured in partnership with Covered Bridge Health, the funding will go toward jail-diversion services. The grant was officially accepted by commissioners Tuesday. County grant writer James Hissong said the grant’s intent is to continue some services that Community Mental Health had been piloting in the jail. Its grant was …

In-person learning will be discontinued through the end of next week for students in Centreville Public Schools. The decision was made during a special board of education meeting Monday, when superintendent Stephanie Lemmer said 160 students were under quarantine. The large number easily warranted the drastic step, district officials concurred. Lemmer said as of Monday evening, the district had nine …

An Indiana man was injured in a one-vehicle accident last weekend in Colon Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies were called shortly before 7:30 a.m. Saturday to the area of Burr Oak Road and West Palmer Lake Road in response to an accident with injuries. The driver of the vehicle, Craig Holman, 39, of Angola, had to be extricated from …

A free COVID-19 drive-thru test is available today in Sturgis. Offered by the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, tests will be administered 1 to 5:30 p.m. at Maplecrest Plaza, 1555 E. Chicago Road. Testing is available to Michigan residents on a first-come, first-served basis. A driver’s license or state ID is required. Cost of the testing is being covered by …

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. …