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A bill that would affect auto parts at Michigan repair shops is getting different treatment in the House and Senate. The Senate version would force repair shops to use parts from original manufacturers. But the House scrapped that requirement when it approved the bill Tuesday, 86-23. An amendment by Republican Rep. Pete Pettalia of Presque Isle would allow vehicle owners …

The Michigan House narrowly approved a bill that would erase a state requirement ensuring every morel mushroom found in the wild is inspected by a mushroom expert. The House approved the bill Tuesday by a 57-52 vote. Republican Rep. Triston Cole sponsored the bill and says current law infringes “upon an individual’s livelihood” and gets in the way of wild …

Monday was Memorial Day, a day to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. There were several parades in St. Joseph County, which, hopefully, many of you attended. The parades, by tradition, or respect, were silent, which means that you shouldn’t have heard any sirens. In Three Rivers and Mendon, there was an honor guard …

Three Rivers-area resident Roxanne Grochoske was sentenced last week on a charge of animal cruelty. Grochoske, 43, was sentenced in St. Joseph County Circuit Court by Judge Paul Stutesman to 18 months of probation, a $100 fine and community service of 150 hours. She was also assigned to two days in jail but given credit for time served. Stutesman also …

A St. Joseph County commissioner has proposed an efficiency study related to the county’s road commission be conducted. Don Eaton during a recent commission meeting said the concept would involve a short-term committee to participate in the potential study. He said areas such as the road commission’s budget, operations, efficiencies and roads would be prudent starting points for the analysis. …

Lockport Township has appointed an interim supervisor. Paul Bungart will serve in the capacity until the November election. He fills the void left by Ray Signorello, who decided last month to step down due to work-related commitments. Bungart had served on the township board as treasurer for more than 27 years before he gave up the post in 2014. Bungart …

Searchers have recovered the body of a man who drowned while trying to rescue his 15-year-old son in a lake northeast of Kalamazoo. Danyelle Phillips jumped into Gull Lake on Saturday. Another person grabbed his son and got the boy back to a boat, but the 39-year-old Phillips disappeared. The sheriff’s office says his body was recovered Sunday night. Relatives …

The April unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by four-tenths 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 3.4 percent April unemployment rate was less than March’s 3.8 percent. April’s unemployment rate was eight-tenths of a percent less than the same month …

The World Health Organization and its partners are marking World No-Tobacco Day Tuesday, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is joining WHO, and thousands of organizations and individuals around the globe in an effort to raise awareness about the health harms caused by …

A 32-year-old Union City man was arrested last week on alcohol-related charges in Branch County. State police said a trooper attempted to pull over a driver at 11 p.m. Thursday on Athens Road, near Mendon Road, in Sherwood Township for an equipment violation. The driver, a 32-year-old Union City man, continued driving north on Athens Road and a subsequent road …