Gary Lee Kirtley, Sr., age 75, of Sturgis, passed away Wednesday afternoon, September 8, 2021 at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo due to complication of COVID pneumonia. His son, Michael, was with him at the end, holding him until he passed peacefully. He was born September 19, 1945 in Detroit, son of the late Earl Lee and Susanna Ora (Koch) …

Alan “Al” L. Hahn, age 66, of Huntington, IN passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, September 5, 2021. Alan was born on February 15, 1955 in Sturgis, the son of Ruth Hahn. He attended Sturgis High School and married the love of his life Cindy Sprowl on July 9, 1994 in Traverse City. After high school Alan started his 40 year …

Carla Behrens, age 95, of Sturgis, passed away peacefully Tuesday morning September 7, 2021 at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. Carla was born November 12, 1925 in Berlin, Germany to the late Walter and Helene (Wohlert) Richter. Her family moved to Frankfurt, Germany shortly after she was born. Carla started her career in Journalism in 1943 at the Frankfurt Volksblatt. …

St. Joseph County officials have agreed to tap into the expertise of a consulting firm for assistance with how to spend nearly $12 million. Commissioners on Tuesday approved a request from county administrator Teresa Doehring to seek help with the county’s handling of federal money it will receive through the American Rescue Plan. Lansing-based Public Sector Consultants was recommended by …

Members of the Constantine Village Council have approved a two-year contract for Dan Thayer to serve as chief of police. Thayer, a retired state trooper with 25 years of experience, had been employed part-time as an officer with the Constantine agency. Mark Honeysett currently serves as chief of police and village manager. He will step down as police chief when …

New coronavirus cases rose in Michigan in the week ending Sept. 5, up 15.8 percent, as 16,254 cases were reported. St. Joseph County reported 123 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 119 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has confirmed 6,777 cases and 104 deaths. Cases fell in 23 counties, …

The community is invited to join Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services at a candle-light vigil next month. The annual vigil is staged to remember those who lost their lives to domestic violence, and to stand in solidarity with survivors and their children. This Year’s theme for the vigil is “Remember My Name.” It will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 …

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has released its annual deer hunting preview just ahead of the deer hunting seasons, which begin Sept. 11. Overall, conditions are looking excellent for the upcoming seasons, and deer hunters can expect hunting to be as good or better than last year. Hunters who have viewed the 2021 Hunting Digest may have noticed a …

The state issued updated guidance Wednesday to help Michigan schools and local health departments navigate whether asymptomatic students who have been exposed to a coronavirus-infected student should quarantine at home or stay in school. A change: Unvaccinated but masked students who were less than 3 feet from a COVID-positive student for at least 15 minutes can remain in school but …

Martha (Marty) E. Craig Farber, age 90, of Sturgis, died, Sunday, September 5, 2021, at Thurston Woods Villages in Sturgis. She was born on August 15, 1931, in Ligonier to John D. and Irene (Price) Emerson. Martha was a graduate of Grand Ledge High School in 1949. She furthered her education at Purdue University graduating in 1953. She did her …