News

The Branch-Hillsdale-St Joseph Community Health Agency is receiving support from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in its investigation of a nursing care facility’s water system that tested positive for Legionella bacteria contamination. The case was made public last week. Health officials said there was one confirmed case of Legionellosis associated with the facility, which is not being identified until …

An Ypsilanti woman was injured Sunday morning at 5:45 in a single vehicle crash on M-60 just west of Jones near Timberlane Drive. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Katharine Aris, age 50, was driving a semi-tractor trailer rig eastbound when her vehicle crashed on the south side of the road, spilling approximately 100 gallons of fuel and oil. …

New Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is urging lawmakers to let absentee ballots be counted before Election Day and to make other changes following the passage of a ballot initiative that expanded voting options in Michigan. The Democrat says the number of absentee ballots is expected to increase significantly now that people can vote absentee for any reason. She wants …

Girl’s Basketball: Edwardsburg 56,  Three Rivers 42 Mendon 45,  Decatur 26 Centreville 61,  Constantine 48

A busy intersection in Colon Township will soon become a four-way stop. Members of the St. Joseph County Road Commission this week approved a plan to add stop signs on Colon Road at the Farrand Road intersection. Commissioners agreed the measure was necessary in advance of bridge work on M-66, just north of the M-86 intersection that leads east into …

Three people were reappointed this week to St. Joseph County’s Agricultural Preservation Board. County commissioners on Tuesday renewed the three-year terms of Mendon Township resident Larry Rice and Sturgis-area resident John Fair. Commissioner representative Dan Czajkowski of White Pigeon was also reappointed, though his term is for a one-year period. In a separate move, commissioners agreed to name Angie Price, …

Mendon Township Board of Trustees has postponed for at least a month whether to approve a potential ordinance regarding solar panels. The five-member board agreed Tuesday to continue reviewing the proposed ordinance that was recommended by its planning commission last week. The township board concurred it will revisit the issue at its April meeting. If approved, the ordinance could pave …

St. Joseph County Finance Director Angie Steinman was welcomed by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners, as Tuesday marked her first time sitting in on the twice-a-month county commission meetings. A Dowagiac native and current resident, Steinman formerly served as finance director of Cass County before she was offered the job in St. Joseph County. Her first day was …

An investigation is underway by health officials regarding a case of legionella, said Yvonne Atwood, disease prevention director at Branch Hillsdale St Joseph Community Health Agency. An Allegan County man who was a resident at a Three Rivers nursing care facility later was confirmed positive for the bacterial pathogen, which causes a pneumonia-type illness often called legionnaires’ disease. It produces …

Sturgis city commissioners will conduct a work session prior to their March 13 city commission meeting to discuss the possibility of a truck route around Sturgis. Representatives from the St. Joseph County Road Commission, Sherman Township and St. Joseph County Commission have been invited to take part. A bypass was considered about 10 years ago, but was not financially feasible for …