News

Here are some important highlights from the MSU Extension field crops team this week. IPM BREAKFASTS · Many wheat fields are very dry, probably should have been watered before the boot stage to fill the soil profile—some fields need as much as 4” of water in the profile—but now is not an ideal time to water in order to avoid …

Several garages and vehicles were entered and items stolen between evening hours Wednesday and early morning Thursday in Park Township. State police said numerous calls were fielded regarding the breaking-and-entering incidents. They occurred on the north end of Fishers Lake in the vicinity of Thompson Lane. Unlocked garages and vehicles were entered and a variety of valuables taken. State police …

The St. Joseph County United Way has announced details regarding its annual golf outing fundraiser. The scramble starts at 10 a.m. June 10 at Sauganash Golf Club, on Lutz Road in Three Rivers. Cost is $65 per person or $260 for a foursome. The fee includes cart, 18 holes of golf, lunch and prizes. Tee sponsorships are available for $100 …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has issued a media release regarding food-handling measures for picnic meals. Warmer weather provides a perfect environment for bacteria and other pathogens in food to multiply rapidly and cause foodborne illness, agency officials said. According to Paul Andriacchi, Environmental Health Director for the tri-county agency, many summer recipes call for preparing perishable foods such …

The father of a 14-year-old girl shot in the head during a deadly rampage in southwestern Michigan says the U.S. must realize it has a gun violence epidemic. The remarks from Gene Kopf came at a Thursday rally at Bronson Park in Kalamazoo that was part of the Wear Orange campaign. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports he says of the gun …

A business in Mottville Township was broken in to Wednesday morning. State police said the breaking-and-entering incident occurred between 1:30 and 6 a.m. at Fresh Solution Farms, on Blue School Road. An unknown amount of cash was taken from vending machines. The business is offering a cash reward for information leading to the conviction of the suspect.

Three Rivers police this week arrested a man with a loaded gun after he was involved in a fight at a convenience store. Officers were called at 9:30 p.m. Monday to an area near East Michigan Avenue and Wood Street in response to a report of a fight involving a loaded gun. The suspect fled the scene on foot but …

A 28-year-old Three Rivers man was arrested for a number of offenses following a traffic violation early Monday near Mendon. Three Rivers police said the stop was initiated at Portage Avenue near Hoffman Street after a vehicle was observed traveling 60 mph in a 25 mph zone. The driver failed to stop and was apprehended after his vehicle was involved …

Step Up St. Joseph County celebrated National Teen Pregnancy-Prevention Month by highlighting the county’s dramatic decrease in teen birth rates. According to Rebecca Burns, Health Officer for the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency and member of the Step Up St. Joseph County initiative, enormous progress in reducing teen pregnancy has been made. During 2014, 62 St. Joseph County teenage girls …

Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an operating unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for its first solar power plant in Michigan, on a 35-acre site just east of Watervliet. The Watervliet Solar Power Plant will have more than 50,000 solar panels and generate up to 4.6 megawatts of emission-free energy. The facility is expected to …