A fundraising effort to construct a memorial pavilion shelter is being spearheaded by the St. Joseph County Grange Fair. The memorial is to honor Jerry Waltke, Fair Board president in 2021 and a 13-year Fair Board director. Before that, Waltke had been involved in the fair for decades. He passed away unexpectedly in November. Fair officials said his granddaughter, Brynleigh …

The Division of Health Sciences at Glen Oaks Community College has announced two new nursing faculty members: Melissa Blair and Lisa Cripe. Blair, a Coldwater resident, worked as an emergency room nurse for 15 years and is the owner of Premier Health Education LLC, which provides health education, such as CPR classes, to the community. Cripe, a Sturgis resident, is …

A Sturgis woman was sentenced this week to two years in prison for a drug-related offense. Taja Rogers, 28, could have been ordered probation only had she not skipped a court date for her sentencing to a charge of methamphetamine earlier this year. St. Joseph Circuit Judge Paul Stutesman, however, said in light of her missed court date March 17, …

Centreville Public Schools is moving forward with a plan to consider installation of HVAC systems at its elementary and jr./sr. high buildings. Board of education members Monday authorized architect/engineer firm TowerPinkster to proceed with plans centering on a scope of work. Board president Jeff Troyer said TowerPinkster has blueprints of both buildings and will proceed with developing plans. Eventually, it …

Three Rivers Police Department is working with Michigan State Police Southwest Enforcement Team to investigate a residential explosion over the weekend. Three Rivers Chief Scott Boling said police and firefighters were called around 11:45 p.m. Sunday to a location in the 1500 block of Eighth Street in response to a structure fire. Upon further review, however, firefighters discovered an explosion …

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has announced a human case of Influenza A in the state. MDHHS and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development are urging prospective fairgoers in St. Joseph and Hillsdale counties to take precautions where swine may be exhibited. The case was confirmed Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

Consumers Energy corrected a power outage Monday morning impacting a portion of St. Joseph County. Company officials said an area from Centreville east to Colon Township, and south to an area north of Sturgis, was impacted by the outage. The outage affected more than 1,300 customers. The cause has not been identified. Company officials said they expected to have the …

A Marcellus man died last week in a two-vehicle collision in Cass County’s Marcellus Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday to Marcellus Highway, near the intersection of Burlington Road. Investigators said it appears 37-year-old James Dunkleberger was traveling west on Marcellus Highway and his vehicle crossed the centerline. His vehicle collided head-on with …

Alcohol is believed to be a factor in a single-car crash in which a vehicle collided into a Three Rivers building over the weekend. According to Three Rivers Police, officers were called at 3 a.m. Saturday to a downtown store on North Main Street. Officers located a Dodge Charger lodged in the building that houses PinUp Salon. The driver and …

Covered Bridge Healthcare of St. Joseph County Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Sturgis resident Stacy Linihan as its new chief executive officer. The search committee reviewed more than 60 resumes and interviewed six candidates. In the end, Linihan was offered a two-year contract, which she accepted last week. Linihan has been with Covered Bridge Healthcare since its …