John Dobberteen will head the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners for the second consecutive year. The unanimous decision was made Tuesday at the commission’s first assembly of 2014. The meeting had been postponed one week due to inclement weather Jan. 7. Dobberteen, whose jurisdiction covers the city of Sturgis and Fawn River Township, is starting his 16th year on …

A mail carrier has been charged with deserting her job after hundreds of pieces of mail were left on Detroit streets before Christmas. Agents who interviewed Anntina Thigpen say she felt overwhelmed a few weeks before Christmas. Postal Service employees on Dec. 17 began recovering mail on Appoline Street in Detroit. The discoveries lasted for days as snow melted. There …

Students at White Pigeon Middle/High School were dismissed for the day at 11:30 a.m. Monday after a gas leak was reported by a faculty member. Superintendent Ron Drzewicki said the odor was brought to his attention around 10 a.m. Drzewicki said he called SEMCO energy after it was determined the source of the smell was from the school’s boiler room. …

Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo recently announced that it is limiting visitor access as a precaution against spreading the flu. The Michigan Department of Community Health has been warning about a rise in reported flu cases, including some severe cases of H1N1 that have left patients on life support. Borgess now says that visitors other than siblings have to be 12 …

Last week was sort of a flashback to 1978. I was working at O’Hare Airport in Chicago, and was living in Schaumburg at the time. The airport was closed, and I couldn’t get out of my subdivision anyway. It was a memorable experience, and one I didn’t care to experience anytime in the future. Last week was another one of …

My name is Shadow and I was a Pet of the Week back in September. I was a little kitten at that time. Now, I am a beautiful, silky black cat, still waiting for a good home. I am a male with short, black fur, about 9 months old now. I love to be with people and play with toys. …

A residence in the city of Sturgis was burglarized Sunday. According to Sturgis Police, the owner of a house in the 1100 block of Greenlawn Street reported the back door to the residence was forced open. The residence was ransacked, and two cameras, jewelry and a large sum of money were stolen. Police said they were told the incident likely …

James Maurice Pauli, 80, of Three Rivers, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013 at Rose Arbor Hospice of Kalamazoo. James was born in Three Rivers on Oct. 20, 1933 the son of James M. and Maxine (Barbieri) Pauli. James served in the Korean Conflict until his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army. He was a resident of Three Rivers …

William Claude Thomas, age 79, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away Sunday morning, Jan. 12, 2014, at his home. He was born in Sharpsburg, Ky., son of the late Claude and Etta Haney Thomas. Bill resided in Sturgis since 1991 coming from Bronson. On Oct. 31, 1958, he married Janet Marie Rumsey in Angola, Ind. For over 20 years, he was …

Glen Oaks Community College’s Board of Trustees has reached an agreement with a new president. During a special meeting Monday, the board and David Devier (agreed to a two-year contract. Terms of the contract include a $150,000 annual salary, plus an allowance for a car and phone. He begins the job Monday. Chosen from a group of three finalists, the …