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A former Sturgis Citizen of the Year and one-time city commission member has passed away. Jo Ellen Oster, 64, passed Tuesday following a bout with cancer. The 1998 Sturgis Citizen of the Year, Oster served at different times as a city commissioner, member of the Downtown Development Authority and the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce. Her late husband, John, is the …

Kalamazoo Public Schools graduates will have the option to attend 15 private colleges in the state with their tuition paid for through the Kalamazoo Promise next year. The scholarship program has guaranteed full tuition payment for all public universities and community colleges in Michigan for the past eight years. The Kalamazoo Promise is teaming up with the Michigan College Alliance …

Nearly 200-thousand Michigan residents will benefit from the recently expanded “Pay As You Earn” repayment plan for federal student loans, according to a report released by the White House. President Barack Obama signed an executive memorandum on Monday expanding eligibility for the program to borrowers with loans made prior to 2011. A report from the White House Council of Economic …

With heavy hearts, members of the Mendon Community Schools Board of Education Tuesday laid off three teachers. A fourth teacher has voluntarily agreed to switch her employment status from full-time to part-time. The move came despite testimonials from more than 30 people who lamented the situation and loss of quality staff members. Barring a significant change in student enrollment or …

Three Rivers Community Schools didn’t have to look far to find a new high school principal. The board of education this week selected Carrie Balk, a seven-year employee with the district. Balk, 35, previously taught language arts and social studies at Hamilton High School before joining the Three Rivers High School staff to teach social studies. She has served as …

The annual Sturgis Relay for Life fundraiser last weekend raised nearly $40,000 for the American Cancer Society. The 24-hour, uninterrupted walk started at noon Friday at Sturgis High School’s track. The top three groups in terms of funds raised were Burr Oak Tool and the Beta Sigma Phi team, which both raised $5,000. Morgan Olson was third with a team …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has announced the return of Project FRESH. The nutrition-education and supplemental-food program is offered through the agency in conjunction with Michigan State University Extension Services. Project FRESH puts fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables into the hands of young families who qualify for Women, Infants and Children assistance. Participants receive 10, $2 coupons that …

In case you haven’t heard, Water Festival is happening this week. Thursday through Saturday, June 12 through 14. All the details have been published in this newspaper, so I won’t take the time to bore you with all the details. From the parade Thursday evening to the final firework lighting up the sky Saturday night, Three Rivers will be alive …

Seven Centreville Public Schools teachers will be issued layoff notices, following action taken Monday by the district’s board of education. After nearly three hours and comments from about three dozen people, the seven-member board cut high school health, agriculture education and junior high language arts positions, and at the elementary level, art, first and second grades, and two fourth-grade positions. …

A 25-year-old White Pigeon High School graduate made the first cut of 20 candidates in Sunday’s Miss USA pageant. But, Mekayla Diehl was not in the group of the Top 10 finalists. Diehl, who grew up in the community of Union in Cass County, was representing Indiana, as she lives in Bristol. An Albion College graduate, Diehl had been in …