The Three Rivers City Commission has authorized improvement of the St. Joseph River crossing manhole just south of Broadway Street. The action came Tuesday evening (May 21st) when the commission awarded the work to the low bidder on the project, Northern Construction Services Corp (NCSC), at a cost of $9,100. The manhole was the source [...]

House began debate on bipartisan H.R. 3 to allow construction of job-creating Keystone XL pipeline – similar legislation was needed 40 years ago to achieve construction of the Trans-Alaska pipeline WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, delivered the following remarks Wednesday afternoon (May 22) on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, [...]

Editor’s Note:  The following news release was provided by the committee to Keep Michigan Wolves Protected, 5859 W. Saginaw Hwy. #273, Lansing, MI 48917.  Information from the Michigan Secretary of State regarding the wolf hunt referendum follows the news release as does a link to an earlier River Country Journal story on the subject based on a [...]

(Coldwater, MI) - The week before Memorial Day (May 20–26, 2013) is Recreational Water Illness and Injury (RWII) Prevention Week. Every year, thousands of Americans get sick with recreational water illnesses (RWIs), which are caused by germs found in places where we swim. The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency wants to remind swimmers and pool owners [...]

The Department of Natural Resources has announced a new section of its website that will help inexperienced anglers find great spots to go fishing in Michigan. The Family Friendly Fishing Waters section of the website will connect interested individuals with local fishing opportunities. The Family Friendly Fishing Waters website can be found at www.michigan.gov/fishing and [...]

Natural gas-fueled power plant key to clean, affordable and reliable energy in region State Rep. Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton, chair of the Michigan House Energy and Technology Committee, on Friday (May 17) hosted legislators for a tour of the 1,100-megawatt Covert Generating Facility near Covert. “The Covert Generating Facility is an excellent example of a clean, [...]

The Department of Natural Resources reminds everyone the annual Summer Free Fishing Weekend is scheduled for Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9. On that weekend, everyone – residents and non-residents alike – can fish without a license, though all other fishing regulations still apply. Michigan has been celebrating the Summer Free Fishing Weekend annually [...]

A Michigan-related story in Friday’s (May 17) edition of The New York Times makes for interesting reading and leaves me wondering about the viability and sustainability of our economy and way of life.  And the issues involved extend beyond our country; they are worldwide in scope. A lead-in to the story says, “Refining Canada’s petroleum-soaked [...]

The Sturgis Downtown Development Authority (DDA) will  host ‘Blooms and Tunes’ from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday (May 18th). Get the planting season started right by visiting area vendors in the downtown area.  There will also be live music by County Line, Josh Stutsman and Bethany Brown. Also on Saturday, the Friends of [...]

Michigan state forest land is currently battling two invasive forest pests that have the potential to significantly change the forest composition and further reduce the diversity of tree species that have historically made up the state forest system. Beech bark disease (BBD) was detected in Michigan forests in 2000. It has been present throughout the [...]

More than 40 people attended the Meek’s Mill Garden Club (MMGC) annual plant auction, held Tuesday (May 14) at Constantine Middle School. The school wood shop class donated several large items to be auctioned off. Guest Annie Richmond bought a planter-bench. A business meeting followed the auction. The Michigan Garden Council presented the club with [...]

Asian carp threaten Great Lakes, which support millions of U.S. jobs and billions of dollars of economic activity each year WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, joined a bipartisan group of Members of Congress from Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin in requesting that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee prioritize the protection of the [...]

After recent ‘introductory sessions’, the newly-formed River Country Resilience Circle has announced the schedule for upcoming sessions regarding the group and the concepts related to it. The meetings will be held at Grassroots Solutions at 57239 North Main Street, # 4 in Three Rivers.  The location is in the same building with State Farm Insurance [...]

COVERT TOWNSHIP, MI – Following a tour of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant with Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Kristine Svinicki, Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, issued the following statement: “We believe the source of the May 5 leak has been found,” said Upton, who serves as Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “A thorough [...]

Upton joined by U.S. Senators Levin and Stabenow in letter to federal agency KALAMAZOO, MI – Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, with U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow sent a letter last week strongly urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to complete the “total removal of all PCB contaminated materials from the Allied [...]

The Fabius Township Board has appointed Carol Donnelly to the Fabius Township Environmental and Wetlands Protection Committee. The action came during the board’s May meeting last week (May 8) in response to a unanimous recommendation from the committee for her appointment to fill an open seat on the body. In reporting the committee’s recommendation, Committee [...]

Saturday (May 11) was ‘planting day’ at Triple Ripple Community Gardens, a project located behind the old Huss School in Three Rivers. Volunteers were busy during the midday hours launching the 2013 growing season at the garden site that occupies about a half-acre of the four-acre Huss School site. During an interview with the River [...]

HUGE may well be an appropriate word to use in describing the turnout of volunteers for ‘Community Pride Day’ in Three Rivers. Weed pulling, mulching, litter pickup, parking lot cleanup, painting and pond cleaning were among the many tasks tackled by the host of volunteers, city employees and city officials who joined together Saturday morning [...]

The birds, plants and history of Kalamazoo’s Asylum Lake Preserve will be showcased at a public event from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the preserve’s Parkview Avenue entrance. For more on the story from WMU News, click here.