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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 …

Dental clinics to serve Medicaid and uninsured patients are expected to open in Sturgis and Coldwater by the end of September after approval of an inter-local contract Thursday. The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency board has approved a recommended agreement with non-profit My Community Dental Centers. Health Officer Rebecca Burns said it will fill a much-needed service in both communities, …

As part of GreenStone Farm Credit Services’ commitment to youth in agriculture, the cooperative recently awarded $40,000 in scholarships to 22 incoming college freshmen through the association’s scholarship program. Two area students were among the recipients of the scholarships. Loren King, currently homeschooled, plans to attend Michigan State University to pursue a dual degree in foreign agribusiness management and biosystems …

Sturgis Public Schools will once again offer a summer meal program. It will run June 13 through Aug. 19, except for the week of July 4. Free meals will be made available to ages 18 and under, or up to age 26 for people who are enrolled in an educational program for the mentally or physically disabled, if the program …