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A Branch County residence was destroyed by fire this week. Bronson Fire officials said the department was called shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday to the 300 block of West Barnhart Road in Batavia Township. Chief Scott Wilber said a ranch house was ablaze when fire personnel arrived to the scene. He said windy conditions made battling the blaze difficult and, …

Concealed Pistol License applications to the county clerk’s office were at an eight-year high in 2020. St. Joseph County Clerk Lindsay Oswald shared various information with county commissioners during their executive committee meeting Wednesday, when she presented her annual report for the period covering 2019 and 2020. The number of CPL applications was one figure that stood out. In 2020, …

St. Joseph County commissioners appear to be in favor of honoring county clerk Lindsay Oswald’s request for an exemption to the county’s hiring freeze. Oswald told commissioners during their executive committee meeting Wednesday she is in need of a deputy clerk due to being short staffed. Furthermore, she said there’s a strong chance she’ll be down a staff member for …

The COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 has been identified in a Hillsdale County COVID-positive resident. The individual has been in isolation since initial diagnosis, according to health officer Rebecca Burns. Variant identification is learned after further testing of the initial specimen called sequencing. The COVID-19 virus, as expected with a coronavirus, has changed over the past year. The variant originated in the …

Permanently returning to in-person board meetings spurred a lengthy discussion during Wednesday’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners executive committee meeting. The board plans to meet in person Tuesday next week for the first time since last fall. In order to maintain the option of meeting electronically, however, commissioners must approve a state of emergency resolution. Such a measure gives …

Pfizer is expected to start building a new pharmaceutical production facility in Kalamazoo County. The drugmaker broke ground Wednesday on the multi-story, 420,000-square-foot building on Pfizer’s global manufacturing campus in Portage, MLive.com reported. It is expected to bring 450 new jobs to the area. The $465 million facility is expected to be in operation in 2025, according to Pfizer. The …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday doubled Michigan’s daily COVID-19 vaccination goal to 100,000 shots. She cited continuous week-over-week increases in vaccine allotments the state is receiving and an expanded number of providers who can administer doses. She called vaccinations safe, effective and essential to getting the country back to normal. “These new, higher vaccine targets are a testament to what …

I am Jaylin .   Look at me.  I am ready for adoption!  I need to be kept busy with a job or lots of exercise.  I may be a little shy at first but once I warm up, all I want is attention!  I think I am about a year old and will need my spay surgery.  If you’re interested …

Officials with the St. Joseph County United Way are looking for vendors interested in being a part of the upcoming Yards, Barns and Brews event. It runs 2 to 8 p.m. May 7 and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 8 at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds. Yards, Barns and Brews also affords local groups and businesses the opportunity to …

Abbott’s Magic Get-Together in Colon is planning a return in 2021, but event organizer Greg Bordner said things will be a bit different. Bordner, president of Abbott’s Magic, said seating to the four nightly showcase presentations will be limited to 500 people, about half of the normal capacity. In an effort to maintain the same group of attendees nightly, Bordner …