I have reported in the recent past about some of the successes of Glen Oaks Community College in serving our region’s students and communities. Here I will provide greater detail concerning the breadth and depth of the good work being carried out. The previous reports outlined the significant numbers of dual enrollment and early middle students the college is serving.  …

Larry W. Merritt, 64, of Middlebury, passed away on Monday, June 26, 2017 at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Ft. Wayne. He was born in Dowagiac on February 19, 1953, a son of Ernie and Zelma (Jackson) Merritt. Larry graduated from Constantine High School in 1971, where he attended school with his wife Patti (Filbrandt). After reuniting in 2010 on …

Where are all the volunteers? Most fun events are made possible by using volunteers. The same can be said for assistance in a disaster. Without volunteers, a lot of things would never get done. A perfect example would be the recent Three Rivers Water Festival. Without the many volunteers, Water Festival would never have happened. Without volunteers, the local food …

A Burr Oak man was arrested after leading authorities on a pursuit last week. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were aware of two cars racing through Sturgis around 6 p.m. Friday. Central dispatch received a call around 7:30 p.m. concerning a suspicious vehicle in the vicinity of Burr Oak and Deer Park roads. The vehicle fit …

Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke said the name of the 6-year-old boy who died last week after being partially run over by a skid loader was Holden High of Dowagiac. High died Wednesday afternoon in Volinia Township, where he was helping with a landscape project. Investigators said High and two teenagers were riding in the bucket of the skid loader …

Members of the White Pigeon Collaboration Team are pursuing a number of grant opportunities to help cover the cost of a sidewalk from downtown to U.S. 131. During last week’s monthly meeting, the group of community activists learned the project’s cost would be $29,000. A core of volunteers from cement businesses has offered to spend Saturdays on the project. Meanwhile, …

Two people were arrested on drug-related offenses following a traffic stop last week in Burr Oak Township. Sheriff’s deputies pulled over a car around 11:30 p.m. Friday on Spaid Road, near Lafaytte Road. A passenger attempted to discard out the window a bag that ended up containing more than 57 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Deputies found inside the car meth …

Three Rivers is a great place to be right now. Maybe you have noticed it too, but we’ve got an honest-to-goodness, renewed sense of spirit right now. I overhear people talking about what’s happening, and they are excited. I am too. We aren’t out of the proverbial woods yet, but we have potential in spades—market opportunities, exceptional assets, and hard …

Kristopher Andrew Pitel, age 27, of Rome City, Ind., and a former resident of Sturgis, passed away Sunday evening, June 25, 2017, in Sturgis. He was born Dec. 21, 1989, in Lincoln Park, a son of Eric and Denise (Williamson) Pitel. Kristopher had resided in Rome City for the past few months, coming from Sturgis, where he lived most of …

Mary L. Ward, 81, of White Pigeon, died Sunday, June 25, 2017, at her home, following an extended illness. She was born June 23, 1936, in Blodgett, Mo., a daughter of William Brian Jennins and Audrey (Lawson) Cantrell. She was a White Pigeon resident the past three years, coming from Three Rivers. She had been employed in manufacturing and nursing …