Three positions in two townships featured contested races. In Mendon Township, longtime incumbent Mike Kline defeated challenger Gregory Allen in a race for supervisor. Kline won by a margin of 68 percent to 31 percent and will serve four additional years as Mendon Township’s supervisor. In Lockport Township, Christy Trammell captured nearly 59 percent of the vote for township clerk. …

Three Rivers Community Schools chose four people from a field of six candidates to its board of education. Newcomers Melissa Bliss and Ben Karle will join incumbents Julia Awe and Anne Riopel to six-year terms on the board. Meanwhile, incumbent Fred Barclay was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election to White Pigeon Community Schools Board of Education. Instead, Jeff Baechler …

Francis J. “Frank” Kruszka, age 84, of Colon, died Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 at his home. He was born in Bronson, MI on March 15, 1936 the son of Frank and Rose (Wotta) Kruszka. He graduated from Bronson High School in 1954. He went on to Western Michigan University on a baseball scholarship where he was a pitcher that won …

Billy Russell Mangold, age 71, of Three Rivers, passed away Monday, November 2, 2020. He was born September 24, 1949 in Forrest City, Ark., the son of Alva Lee and Eugenia (Coleman) Mangold. Billy served his country in the Army 82nd Airborne division, where he guarded the White House during Vietnam. He later spent 48 years driving forklift in the …

Gregory Lee King, age 65, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday, October 31, 2020 at his home. He was born June 5, 1955 in LaGrange, son of the late John M. and Doris J. (Marks) King. Greg resided his whole life in the Sturgis and Burr Oak area and was a graduate of Burr Oak High School with the class of …

Minnie Francis George, age 83, of Three Rivers and formerly of Paw Paw, passed away Thursday, October 29, 2020 at Edgewood Health & Rehabilitation. She was born October 22, 1937 in Little Paint, Ky., the daughter of Eddie and Mary C. (Craft) George. Minnie was a homemaker who had a green thumb. She enjoyed gardening, outside activities and picking blueberries, …

Vincent B. Klein, age 56, died Monday, Nov. 2, 2020 at his home following a long bout with cancer. He was born in Three Rivers the son of Vincent E. and Henrietta (Pluester) Klein and was a lifetime resident of Wakeshma Township, and member of St. Edward Catholic Church in Mendon. He graduated from Colon High School in 1982. He …

Ervin F. Mishler, age 93, of Sturgis, went to be with his Lord and Savior Friday afternoon, Oct. 23, 2020, at his home, with his family at his side. He was born Feb. 20, 1927, in LaGrange, a son of the late Fred and Mary (Schrock) Mishler. Ervin resided in Sturgis for more than 75 years, his early life being …

I mentioned in last week’s column that I would share some of the worst traffic jams in the world. Perhaps the traffic jams we are experiencing here in Three Rivers might not seem so bad. Please note that this information is about forty years old, yet traffic jams will always be around: Britain has the distinction of boasting two separate …

Gerald James Hines, age 84, of Three Rivers passed away on Saturday, October 31, 2020. He was born on May 16, 1936 in Connersville, IN to the late Frank James and Lillian (Coby) Hines. On September 12, 1958 he was united in marriage to Barbara (Smith) Hines. They lived their married life in the Three Rivers area. Gerald served his …