Recent Posts

Out and About – Week of October 26th

We are now well into the last quarter of 2015. Two months from today, Christmas 2015 will be in the history books. The last quarter of each year is usually the busiest, partially due to the upcoming holidays. Looking first at the current month of October, you’ll notice that Halloween is this Saturday. That one special day when we all …

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Magic show benefits Colon Food Pantry

A benefit magic show last weekend will help the Colon Food Pantry stretch its inventory as a season of high need approaches. A five-act magic show Saturday at Colon Elementary School entertained a crowd of about 60 people, whose price of admission was a donation of a non-perishable food item or cash. In many cases, cash as well as food …

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Unemployment rate down

The September 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 3.7 percent September unemployment rate was less than August’s 3.8 percent. Also, September’s unemployment rate was 1.4 percent less than the same month one …

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Hazardous waste collection numbers down

Overall numbers were down at Saturday’s collection of household hazardous waste and electronics items compared to last fall’s event. Nonetheless, organizers are still calling the four-hour event a success because so many items were disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. Pat Kulikowski, secretary of the St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee, said the following amounts were collected Saturday: 1,500 …

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Compliance checks result in five arrests

Investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics assisted the Michigan Department of Corrections in parole and probation compliance checks last week. In all, nine residences were searched Thursday, resulting in five arrests. Officials said arrests were made in Three Rivers, Constantine and Sturgis. Charges include possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, delivery of a controlled substance, maintaining a drug …

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TRAM gives out coats

Three Rivers Area Mentoring officials on Saturday staged the agency’s ninth annual Coat Giveaway event to children and adults in need of warmer attire. 230 coats were donated to TRAM and more than half were given away during the two-hour event. Leftover coats and other clothing items were turned over to the Random Acts of Kindness Club at Three Rivers …

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I&M Breaks Ground on Solar Facility, Announces IM Solar Program

Indiana Michigan Power broke ground today (October 26, 2015) on its second solar generation facility and also launched IM Solar, a program that enables Indiana customers to use local solar power without the expense of installing their own system. The Twin Branch Solar Facility, northeast of Mishawaka in a commercial/industrial area, will have nearly 29,000 solar panels and a generation …

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Changes made after 2 state police dogs died in patrol car

The windows on certain Michigan State Police cars automatically roll down in high temperatures, one of the key changes after two dogs died of heat stroke in Livingston County in 2013, the department said. Michigan State Police publicly confirmed the deaths this week — more than two years later — in response to a WDIV-TV report about a lawsuit related …

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K-Wings winless in four games to start the season

The Kalamazoo Wings are winless in their first four games of the season. After dropping a 5-2 decision to the Toledo Walleye at home on Friday night, the K-Wings found themselves on the short end of a 4-1 loss to the Cincinnati Cyclones on Saturday night. On Friday, the K-Wings received goals from Tyler Shattock and Alex Mallet. The Walleye …

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Sheriff’s department overseeing animal control

St. Joseph County’s animal control director position is being overseen by the sheriff’s department while a search for a successor to Tom Miller continues. Two matters related to animal control took place during Tuesday’s county commission meeting. First, commissioners endorsed a request to fill the position of animal control officer/facility supervisor. Later, it was announced that longtime employee Brooke Bingaman …

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