Riverside Church in Three Rivers held a Prayer Drive last week, stopping at several sites to pray for the community. Pastor Paul Booko said the event started outside Riverside, where those who gathered prayed for their neighborhood and neighborhoods throughout St. Joseph County. Booko said it was important to spread prayers throughout the county. In addition, participants sang “God of …

Susan Elaine (Waters) Smetana, age 78, of Three Rivers, went home to be with her Lord Sunday, August 29, 2021. Susan was born in Three Rivers on September 10, 1942, the daughter of Marion L. ‟Muddy‟ and Ethel C. ‟Et‟ (Wright) Waters. She attended grade school at Hoppin Elementary in Three Rivers and graduated from Three Rivers High School in …

Mary Ellen Balch, age 67, of Centreville, passed away Monday, August 30, 2021 at her home. She was born June 19, 1954 in Detroit, daughter of the late Howard Paul and June Mary (Cicotte) Reardon. Mary resided in Centreville since 1989 coming from Detroit. She was a homemaker and enjoyed going to the casinos, playing Bingo, cards and dice. She …

State Sen. Kim LaSata last week joined local leaders and emergency management officials on a tour of St. Joseph County, as they continue work to determine the scope of damage and where resources could be used most efficiently. LaSata drafted a request for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to declare a state of emergency for the area. The governor has since granted that request, making …

Thanks to funding from Centreville Athletic Boosters and the district’s board of education, the high school’s football scoreboard and its two gymnasium scoreboards were replaced last week. Athletic director Jill Peterson said the new scoreboards cost almost $50,000 and the expense was split evenly between the two sources. The previous football scoreboard had been in place since the stadium opened …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have secured a $13 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration for 51 rural hospitals in Michigan to support COVID-19 testing and mitigation. Sturgis Hospital and Three Rivers Health are among the recipients. Rural hospitals with fewer than 50 staff members will be able to use the funds for testing equipment, personnel, …

Jean Esther Stephenson, age 95, of Mendon, died Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021 at Bowman Place in Three Rivers where she had resided the past two years. She was born in Three Rivers on May 18, 1926 the daughter of Glenn G. and Alma O. (Richmond) Baldwin. Jean graduated from Three Rivers High School with the class of 1942 and later …

Cindy Sue Plucinski, age 74, of Coldwater, formerly of Sturgis, died peacefully on Thursday, August 26, 2021. She was born June 12, 1947.  She married Richard Plucinski May 14, 1977.  After only fourteen years of marriage, he preceded her in death. Mrs. Plucinski will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband in Oak Lawn Cemetery in Sturgis. Arrangements have …

It appears the PBS-produced documentary about the St. Joseph River, which premiered over the weekend, was a hit. More than 80 people assembled Saturday inside the barn at Covered Bridge Farm County Park to check out an advance screening of the hour-long program, which featured a number of river-related landmarks and points of interest in St. Joseph County. Over the …

The Center for Disease Control has issued an addendum to the standing order for COVID in regards to third-dose vaccinations and individual eligibility. According to the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, this addendum applies to individuals with a compromised immune system and who have completed vaccination using either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.  Those who received Johnson & Johnson are …