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A 71-year-old St. Clair County man died Monday after a petroleum pumping station he was working on blew up in Cass County’s Calvin Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called shortly before 4 p.m. to the 19000 block of Bulhand Road in response to an explosion reported by neighbors. The neighbors told authorities the force of the explosion shook …

Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education has filled a vacancy on its seven-member panel. John McDonough was sworn in at the board’s Jan. 29 special meeting. He fills a seat made available with the departure of Ben Karle, who announced in early January his intent to step down from the board. McDonough, former St. Joseph County prosecutor, was one …

The race for Branch County sheriff is now a three-person contest. Branch County Sheriff’s Department Captain Fred Blankenship, who also serves as jail administrator, and Coldwater Police Department School Resource Officer Robin Swartz recently announced their intent to pursue the four-year position. Current Sheriff John Pollack is retiring at the end of the year. Swartz was a member of the …

A 38-year career-scoring mark at Colon High School was broken last week. Senior Reese Williams scored 24 points in Friday’s home game against Burr Oak, making her the school’s all-time leading basketball scorer, boys or girls. She surpassed the 1,528-point mark set in 1986 by Tracie Craver-Somerset. Williams’ two dozen points in the game put her at 1,532 points with …

The city of Three Rivers is seeking to fill several vacancies that currently exist on a number of its commissions and committees. Open positions are being experienced on the city’s Board of Appeals, Board of Review, Historic District Commission, Housing Cooperation, Planning Commission and the River Country Recreational Authority. Multiple seats are available to the city’s Airport Advisory Board, Industrial …

Vicksburg municipal officials last week conducted their first meeting inside their new village hall. Led by village president Tim Frisbie, the council assembled Jan. 29 for the first time at its North Richardson Street location. The council over the years previously met in a variety of locations due to its former village hall being too small to conduct meetings. Vicksburg …

St. Joseph County United Way is hosting a new 50/50 raffle. Tickets for the Valentine’s Day-themed raffle are $5 each or five for $20. They are available at the agency’s Centreville-based office, over the phone at 467-9099, and at the United Way’s temporary storefront in downtown Sturgis. In addition, tickets will be available at special events, including the Feb. 23 …

Three Rivers Police are leading an investigation into a bank robbery that occurred over the weekend. Chief Scott Boling said two black men robbed the Sturgis Bank at 115 North Main Street shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday. A K-9 unit was brought to the scene, and a scent was picked up and followed to a nearby parking lot. Investigators said …

Metal pieces of a Michigan icon are being offered for sale. The Mackinac Bridge Authority is selling 5-by-11-inch pieces of metal grating for $20 each. Bridge director Kim Nowack said the metal grating featured on the inside lanes toward the center of the bridge used to go to scrap until officials became aware of the public’s interest in owning pieces …

In past columns, I’ve mentioned a few household hints. I even listed other uses for coffee filters other than the normal use of filtering the coffee in your coffee maker. Dryer sheets also have other uses than making your clothes smell nice after removing them from your dryer. If you normally throw away those dryer sheets after each load, you …