St. Joseph County officials are expected to debate whether to back a petition that supports high school athletes and their right to play winter sports. With the exception of bowling and swimming, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has imposed a moratorium on winter sports until Feb. 21. Commissioner Jared Hoffmaster broached the subject during the county commission’s executive committee meeting Wednesday. He …

Highland Ventures LTD will begin to liquidate and close its 250 remaining Family Video locations throughout the U. S. by mid-February. The last remaining locations in St. Joseph County already had closed. The Sturgis and Three Rivers Family Video stores shuttered almost six months ago. In November, as Sturgis and Three Rivers closed its stores, Family Video launched a #savethevideostore …

Jeffery Lynn Johnson, age 79, passed peacefully to Heaven on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. He has been reunited with his wife of 52 years, Diana Marie Johnson, whom he lost 4 years prior. He was a resident of Centreville, along with his two sons, William Michael and Jeffery Charles. Jeffery was born January 25, 1942 and grew up in and …

Barbara Julaine Reisterer, age 73, of Lawton, died Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 at White Oaks Assisted Living Center. She was born in Vicksburg on Feb. 28, 1947 the daughter of Joseph and Bertha (Moessen) Stermer. She was a 1965 graduate of Vicksburg High School and lifetime resident of Southwest Michigan. She worked at Meijer where she met her husband, Thomas …

James L. VanAken, Sr., (“Jim,” “Bumbles”), age 62, of Constantine, passed away on Monday, January 25, 2021 at Three Rivers Health. Jim was born on April 26, 1958 in Sturgis, a son of Richard and Barbara (Wakefield) VanAken. He graduated from Constantine High School in 1976 and went on to learn the mechanics trade. In 1979, he married Penny Casselman …

St. Joseph County commissioners are poised to modify one of their meeting schedules beginning in February. The matter was raised at their executive committee meeting Wednesday. Commissioner Jared Hoffmaster, who joined the five-member board earlier this month, advised commissioners he has a work-related conflict with the second of the commission’s two monthly executive committee meetings. Executive committee meetings are at …

Midwest Energy & Communications has announced it is now accepting applications for its 2021 scholarship program. High school seniors whose families receive monthly service from MEC at their primary residence are invited to apply for one of the four $1,000 college scholarships. Scholarship applications must be submitted by March 15, and awards will be announced in April. Selection for the …

Students and families looking for help paying for college are encouraged to register for a Virtual College Financial Aid Night, provided by Treasury’s MI Student Aid team. Sessions will be available 6:30 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday during the month of February. Participants will be able to gather information on financial-aid topics such as FAFSA application information, federal and …

Graduating high school seniors and current college students from St. Joseph County are now able to access Sturgis Area Community Foundation’s online scholarship application. With one online application, students may access more than 45 scholarship opportunities. The foundation awarded more than $100,000 in college scholarships last year and has provided more than $1 million in local awards since the start …

Alcohol or drugs are possible factors in a two-vehicle crash Monday in Colon Township. Sheriff’s deputies said a car driven by a 53-year-old Kalamazoo woman was northbound on M-66 when it rear-ended a farm implement being pulled behind a tractor. The collision occurred around 6:30 p.m. near Marvin Road. The woman was transported to Bronson Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening …