State Rep. Steve Carra, a member of the House Transportation Committee, shared with fellow committee members his plan to require long-term contracts for road construction and maintenance, which could increase road quality and save taxpayer dollars. Carra said any strategy needs to include building more durable roads in the first place. By pairing construction with long-term maintenance, Carra said his …

Several people were appointed or renewed to various boards, following action Tuesday by St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Eric Shafer and Dan Czajkowski were reappointed to the Board of Public Works; Kathy Humphreys to the Building Authority Board; Lon Huffman, Edward Bell and Joe Woodin to the Planning Commission. Meanwhile, Cathi Abbs, Rick Shaffer and Tracey Parker will continue …

Community members in Sturgis have a plan for an extreme-weather shelter this winter to accommodate its homeless population. The group consists of individual residents, church groups and The Salvation Army. The process began in 2019, when the city of Sturgis opened a warming shelter at Sturges-Young Center for the Arts. The plan is to have a shelter at The Salvation …

Beth Ann Salisbury of Three Rivers passed away on Saturday, December 4, 2021, at the age of 71. She was born on March 13, 1950, in Grand Rapids, the daughter of William and Anna (Cochran) Wood. The Salisbury family is being assisted by Avink, McCowen & Secord in Schoolcraft.

David Richard Hovda, age 54, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on November 30, 2021. David was born in Kalamazoo, and attended Portage Public Schools. In his youth, he ran cross-country and spent much of his time outdoors. David will be remembered for his compassion and drive to help others that began early in his …

Craig L. Witwer, age 70, of Jones, passed away on Sunday, December 5, 2021 at Three Rivers Health. Craig was born in Elkhart on September 5, 1951, a son of Howard and Lorraine (Black) Witwer. He graduated from Elkhart Central High School in 1970. On June 6, 1970, he married Jessie Eby at Porter Baptist Church. Craig was a dog …

Lois M. Warner, age 93, of Shipshewana, and a former longtime Sturgis resident, passed away early Tuesday morning December 7, 2021 at Miller’s Merry Manor Nursing Home in LaGrange. She was born March 29, 1928 near Angola, daughter of the late Kenneth and Gladys (Keller) West. When Lois was 8 years old the family moved to Sturgis where she was …

A ban on Pride flags in classrooms at Three Rivers Community Schools has been lifted until further notice. The decision to allow the display of such flags was made during Monday’s four-hour Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education meeting. Following a closed session lasting more than two hours, board members agreed to allow flags to be hung in classrooms, …

St. Joseph County Transportation Authority Director Allen Balog said nearly two dozen people took advantage of the agency’s “Free Ride Home” program a few weeks ago. The service, provided over a six-hour period the night of Nov. 24, drew 19 riders, Balog said. He noted the free service was available to people coming from locations and going to locations in …

Hydro, a European-based company, has committed to construction of a new, state-of-the-art aluminum recycling plant in Cass County. The plant will produce 120,000 tons of aluminum extrusion ingot per year. Hydro will be able to recycle up to 40,000 tons of post-consumer scrap at the new facility while delivering high-quality aluminum capable of meeting automotive requirements. Construction is set to …