Roland L. Oldenberg Jr., age 44, of Sturgis, passed away unexpectedly March 17, 2014, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. He was born Sept. 9, 1969, in Three Rivers, a son of the late Roland L. and Susan (Warner) Oldenberg. Roland had been a St. Joseph County resident his entire life. On Sept. 3, 1993, he married Nancy Miller in …

The list of candidates for superintendent of Colon Community Schools has been trimmed to three, following action by the district’s board of education Monday. Board president Ernie Baker said the finalists are: Victor Bungi of Gladstone, curriculum and instruction supervisor for the Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District in the Upper Peninsula; Drew Bordner, Richland, director of curriculum and instruction for Gull …

A 70-year resident of Three Rivers has been selected as the recipient of the 2014 “Bruce C. Snook Citizen of the Year.” The honor is bestowed by the Three Rivers Lions Club. Jerry Wright, who was 8-years-old when his family moved to Three Rivers, was named the Citizen of the Year, which is newly named this honor in honor the …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners and human resources director Elishia Arver have reached an employment agreement that will see the 5 1/2-year employee remain in her current position. The deal was made official during Tuesday’s board of commissioners meeting. Arver had turned in her letter of resignation earlier this month to county administrator Pat Yoder. Arver said she …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency’s Board of Health has released its “Certificates of Excellence” in food service for the year 2013. The 97 recipients in the three-county region represent food establishments that were able to meet stringent criteria during the year. The 32 St. Joseph County locations that received Certificates of Excellence included schools in Burr Oak, Centreville, Colon, …

A classmate of mine recently sent me a quote that really set me to thinking. It’s really sad that the quote has come to be a reality, and we should all give it some serious thought. Albert Einstein said, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” It seems …

Richard Lee “Dick” Shingledecker, age 70, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 17, 2014 following a brief illness. He was born on December 27, 1943 in Three Rivers, the son of Forrest and Dorothy (Nedham) Shingledecker. Dick graduated from Three Rivers High School with the Class of 1963. He worked with his father at the Shingledecker Dairy …

Frank Jenkins Wright Jr., age 59, Kalamazoo, formerly of Three Rivers, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at his home. He was born on September 23, 1954 in St. Louis, Missouri the son of the late Frank Sr. and Bertha Mae White. Frank was an avid sports fan and excelled at basketball and tennis. He coached youth sports …

A pair of seniors from the Three Rivers Lady Cats basketball team received special honors from the Michigan Associated Press. Teagan Reeves and Linsey Masnari were recognized, as Reeves was named to the Class B all-state basketball team, while Masnari made the honorable-mention list. Reeves, who will attend Western Michigan University in the fall and play volleyball and basketball, scored …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is looking to fill a full-time position following a retirement and two resignations. County commissioners earlier this month approved a request to fill the position to help offset the resignation of road patrol officer Dru Carney. In addition, patrol officer Terry Baker has resigned and Pete VanCamp retired Friday. In other personnel news at …