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February’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by one-tenth of a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 6.8 percent February unemployment rate was more than January’s 6.9 percent. February’s unemployment rate was 1.3 percent less than the same month one year earlier, …

A 15-year-old student has been charged with arson following an incident last week at Sturgis High School. According to Sturgis police, a paper-towel dispenser was intentionally set on fire in a bathroom shortly before 1:30 p.m. Friday. Fire crews arrived to find a moderate amount of smoke but no fire. With the aid of school-security video, district officials and law-enforcement …

Three Rivers Health now has two certified application counselors on site to assist residents in applying for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Its counselors can help people understand, apply online and enroll for health coverage through the Marketplace. They are available to answer questions and be a resource for the community. CEO William Russell said the Certified Application Counselors …

The Three Rivers Department of Public Services has announced it is ending its suggested water-trickle notice. Most of the water services that were frozen over the winter months have now thawed, and frost is out of the ground in most areas, DPS officials said. The suggested measure was noted a month ago.

Results of a needs-assessment questionnaire, distributed jointly by Sturgis Hospital and Three Rivers Health, have been released. The fifth of five fields focuses on maternal and infant health. According to the St. Joseph County 2012 Community Health Needs Assessment, issues associated with teen pregnancies, teen births and poor birth outcomes ranked in the top five health concerns. More than half …

Authorities say the body of a woman has been found in a northwestern Indiana lake near where they conducted a January search for a missing Michigan doctor. Indiana State Police say a fisherman on Lake Charles in the town of Porter reported something suspicious Sunday morning. They say divers helped recover a female body dressed in dark clothing. Police say …

Kalamazoo policed say a 13-year-old Kalamazoo boy was shot after leaving a party on the city’s south side. The shooting happened about 11:40 p.m. Saturday. The Department of Public Safety says the boy was shot in the back. It reports that the boy told investigators he was walking when he heard a gunshot and realized he’d been hit. The department …

A Michigan farm group says the state’s harsh winter has damaged some fruit trees and vineyards. The Michigan Farm Bureau says the late thaw is finally allowing fruit farmers to assess damage from the cold and heavy snow. Horticulture and forestry specialist Ken Nye says there’s going to be some bud damage and also “potential damage to the wood.” Michigan …

The Three Rivers Police Department would like to thank the public for its help in response to a voluntary missing person. Eighteen-year-old Zachary Allen Kelley has been located in Georgia, safe with a family member. According to a Three Rivers Police media report, Kelley was last seen by his parents Tuesday. He had spent the night at a family member’s …

Sturgis firefighters were called to a home in the 300 block of South Fourth Street just after 7 p.m. Wednesday for a kitchen fire. Fire personnel arrived to find the homeowner with a garden hose spraying water through the back door of the home. Fire crews entered the structure and extinguished the fire. Officials said the house sustained considerable smoke …