Recent Posts

Nottawa invited to apply for Distinguished School status

Nottawa Community School has been nominated by the Michigan Department of Education to apply for 2017 Title I “Distinguished School” status. Title I is a federal program providing funding to local school districts to improve the academic achievement of disadvantaged students. The National Title I Association gives the distinguished status to Title I funded schools that demonstrate strengths, including team …

Read More »

Minor injuries in Mottville crash

Minor injuries were reported following a two-vehicle accident last week in Mottville Township. Sheriff’s deputies said a car driven by 28-year-old Justin Papesh of Dowagiac was heading north on U.S. 131 at 5:40 a.m. Tuesday, when it crossed the centerline, according to authorities. His vehicle struck a southbound car driven by Elias Faraeas, 36, of Sturgis. The head-on crash occurred …

Read More »

Sturgis reappointments mayor and vice mayor

Sturgis city commissioners have reappointed Robert Hile mayor and Jon Good vice- mayor at a recent organizational meeting. Hile, who has served on the commission for 6 1/ 2 years, was named mayor last year after serving five years as vice-mayor. Following a unanimous vote, Hile expressed his gratitude to the board. He is an agent for Ayres Insurance. Meanwhile, Good …

Read More »

County commission makes reappointments

Four reappointments to the St. Joseph County Planning Commission were made by the county commission last week. Returning to the planning commission to serve three-year terms are Gregg Dohm of Sturgis, Three Rivers-area residents Robert Horton and Rick Shaffer, and county commission board representative Kathy Pangle, a Mendon resident. Their terms begin Jan. 1.

Read More »

Vaccine waiver rates up in Michigan for school-age children

Vaccine waiver rates for school-age children have increased slightly in Michigan. The Detroit News reports that Department of Health and Human Services data shows 3.2 percent of kindergartners and seventh-graders received immunization waivers in 2016 compared to 3.1 percent the year before. The immunization rate was 4.8 percent in 2014. Since 2015, the state has required parents to attend educational …

Read More »

Indiana man reunited with dog 2 months after it vanished

An Indiana man who thought he’d never see his dog again after it vanished in September has been reunited with the pooch, which was 200 miles away in central Michigan. Gene Valdez of Elkhart, spent two months periodically checking a local animal shelter for his Brittney Spaniel, Rock. But then his nephew contacted the Cass County Humane Society, located about …

Read More »

Red substance poured on Kalamazoo’s Fountain of the Pioneers

A Kalamazoo fountain that features a European settler with a weapon in his hand towering over a Native American has been vandalized with what appeared to be red paint. The substance was poured onto the settler and something resembling a hatchet was thrust into the top of the Fountain of the Pioneers in Kalamazoo’s Bronson Park. City workers discovered the …

Read More »

County commissioners approve hiring freeze

St. Joseph County’s board of commissioners Tuesday approved a resolution calling for a hiring freeze. The mandate affects general-fund positions and takes effect immediately, according to commission chairman Allen Balog. He said it will remain in place as long as necessary and will be reviewed for continuation annually during the board’s budget process. In addition, the county is offering for …

Read More »

Jail Ministry held banquet

The 27th annual Jail Ministry Banquet took place recently, an event staged through the Correctional Chaplaincy Corporation of St. Joseph County under the direction of Chaplain Jake Schwartz. The meal was provided by several area churches and prepared by parishioners of Calvary Chapel. The annual pie auction added several hundred dollars to the total raised for the annual benefit, which …

Read More »

Sturgis receives grant for road reconstruction

The city of Sturgis has received a $375,000 state grant for reconstruction of North Lakeview Avenue from U.S. 12 to the railroad tracks. In addition, Sturgis City Commission members recently heard about proposed options to widen the 25-foot road, expanding it to at least 27 feet. At 27 feet, the road would meet minimum requirements to be considered a major street. …

Read More »