Trudy C. Robinson Breiding, age 64, of LaGrange, and a longtime resident of the Sturgis area passed away Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at the Life Care Center of LaGrange. She was born March 14, 1956 in Sturgis, daughter of the late Harry Earl and Cohleen (Price) Robinson. Trudy resided in the Sturgis area her whole life and was a graduate …

Frank James Nowak, age 84, of Colon, and formerly of Hammond, passed away on Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at Crown Point Christian Village. Frank was born in Hammond, Indiana on June 17, 1936, a son of the late Lillian Nowak. Frank attended Hammond High/Tech. On April 9, 1993 Frank married Judith Stuller in South Bend. She would precede him in …

On Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, Paul Lucas, loving husband and father to five children, passed away peacefully age 83. Those who knew him would say he was a tough, caring, passionate and funny member of his family and community. He served on the school board at Constantine Public Schools for more than a decade and went on to serve at …

Mary Mable (Teadt) Kirby, age 78, of Sturgis, died at Rose Arbor Hospice in Kalamazoo, on Thursday, November 26, 2020. Mary was born in Sturgis, to Alfred and Ruth (Walters) Teadt on May 2, 1942. They preceded her in death. She attended Hiberly Country School, and then transferred to Centreville High School, from which she graduated in 1960. On August …

John Charles McClellan “Big John,” age 60, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 due to a semi accident in Orangeburg County, South Carolina. Big John was born December 28, 1959 in Lagrange County, Indiana and later adopted by Charles and Dorothy (Marquardt) McClellan. For a brief time he lived in Alabama, then moved back home to Indiana where …

It appears St. Joseph County’s contract with Western Michigan University for medical examiner services will be renewed. During their executive committee meeting Wednesday, county commissioners recommended continuing their contract with Western’s medical school. County clerk Lindsay Oswald said a request for qualifications and proposals was sent through the Michigan Association of Medical Examiners, as well as to a few individuals …

The city of Sturgis and the Sturgis Downtown Development Authority are postponing a trio of traditional holiday events due to the spike in COVID-19 cases, and the new Michigan Department of Health and Human Services restrictions. Because of the spike, the city is canceling Christmas in the City activities that typically take place in Free Church Park. The DDA is …

A few loose ends were addressed during Wednesday’s St. Joseph County Executive Committee meeting. Commissioners recommended acceptance of a Community Corrections Grant Agreement for 2021. It is almost $114,000 and awarded through the Michigan Department of Corrections. Also, commissioners approved setting a public hearing for the county’s 2021 proposed budget. The hearing will be conducted during their meeting Tuesday. Finally, …

The issue of appointments to various boards and committees evolved into a lengthy discussion by county commissioners during their executive committee meeting Wednesday. The process of recommending appointments and re-appointments to different boards and committees was explored following an issue raised by commissioner Ken Malone, who asked why candidates are interviewed for some panels but not others. The recommendations before …

The superintendent of Three Rivers Community Schools has received a rating of “effective” by the district’s board of education. Third-year superintendent Ron Moag received results of the annual evaluation last week. Standards for the evaluation come from practices recommended by the Michigan Association of School Boards and takes into account several aspects of the superintendent’s job. Moag’s cumulative score placed …