Mitchel B. Paul, age 82, passed away on Thursday, July 2, 2020, at Rose Arbor Hospice in Kalamazoo. Mitch was born Nov. 29, 1937, in Coldwater, a son of Leo and Maybelle (Taylor) Paul. On Aug. 22, 1959, he married the love of his life, Patricia (Warkoczeski) Paul, and together they lived in Sturgis for 40 years, eventually relocating to …

Hundreds of people spent the holiday in swimsuits but no masks at a lake in southwestern Michigan, a turnout that disappointed authorities who warn that the coronavirus remains a threat. The virus “doesn’t discriminate,” said Danielle Persky of the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department. “The goal right now is to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and when we’re not doing …

Bradley S. Smith, age 58, of Colon, passed away Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at Three Rivers Health. Bradley was born on January 20, 1962 in Sturgis, a son to Howard and Patricia (Henderson) Smith Bradley is survived by his mother Patricia Smith of Sturgis, Sister Melody Sprowl of Kalamazoo, brothers: Mitchell and Marvin Smith of Sturgis, a niece Sarah Robinson, …

Elvera I. Fager, age 93, of Colon, passed away Saturday, June 27, 2020 at Heartland Healthcare of Three Rivers. Elvera was born August 23, 1926 in Westminster, Ohio. A daughter to the late Dewey and Esther (Vance) Carpenter. She is survived by sons: Terry Matson of Three Rivers, Ronald Fager of Indianapolis, and William Matson of Florida. Cremation has taken …

A man was fatally struck by a boat while swimming in a western Michigan lake over the weekend, police said. The man was hit Sunday afternoon on Gull Lake near Kalamazoo. The man was brought to shore for lifesaving measures but was pronounced dead from his injuries at the scene, according to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office. The boat operator …

Phyllis Kosakowski passed away Monday, June 29, 2020 at Rose Arbor Hospice center. A mass has taken place here and burial will take place in her home town of Stephenson, Michigan. Arrangements by Schipper Funeral Home.

Last week I bragged a little about the state of Michigan. If you are thinking about taking the family on a short vacation, Michigan has a lot to offer. Day trips are easy to find, or if you’d like to stretch that time away into a week or two, that’s also possible, and you don’t have to leave the state. …

Stanley Delton Bell, age 61, of Three Rivers, passed away Tuesday, June 30, 2020. He was born in Sturgis on March 1, 1959 to Delton and Phyllis Bell. He loved fishing and his grandkids most. His father and a brother, Clay Bell, preceded him in death. He is survived by five children, Melissa Bell, Delton Bell, Amelia Parker, Amanda Bell …

Amelia Lower, age 88, of Burr Oak, passed away early Thursday morning July 2, 2020 at Fairview Nursing and Rehabilitation in Centreville. She was born November 15, 1931 in Custer, Michigan daughter of the late Segurd and Hazel (Rhodes) Hanson. Mrs. Lower was a graduate of Custer High School with the class of 1950 and furthered her education at the …

A toll road maintenance worker has died after being struck by an SUV in northern Indiana. Ronald Smith, age 61, was in front of his truck about 1:50 p.m. Thursday sweeping debris from the right shoulder of the toll road in St. Joseph County when the SUV sideswiped the truck and hit him, according to state police. The SUV then …