The St. Joseph County Grange Fair is beginning a program to replace its decades-old trees with new ones starting this year. Fair manager Bill Johnson said a common scene in photographs of the St. Joseph County Grange Fairgrounds from its earliest years to current times is the numerous trees that surround the property. These same trees are now being replaced …

Eileen L. Mostrom, 99, of rural Sturgis, went to be with her Lord on Saturday, April 29, 2017 at her home on Big Fish Lake. She was born in Chicago on November 10, 1917, a daughter of Joseph and Minnie (Brown) Manny. She graduated from Lindblom High School, Chicago, in 1935. On September 26, 1936, she married Eric Mostrom in …

Therman L. “Stub” Cossairt, age 85, of Colon, passed away, Friday, April 28, 2017, at his home. Stub was born Feb. 1, 1932, in Colon, a son of the late Therman L. and Pauline (Bargo) Cossairt Sr. Stub had served in the U.S. Army with the 24th Infantry during the Korean War. On Nov. 22, 1952, he married Dorothy A. …

Mr. Leo C. Reames, age 87, of Portage, formerly of Three Rivers, passed away on Thursday, April 27th, 2017 at the Rose Arbor Hospice Facility surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Jones, MI., on May 31, 1929 the son of the late Clarence L. and Ertah D. (Clark) Reames. Leo served his country in the United States …

The longest-serving probation officer in St. Joseph County’s history is the recipient of the 2017 St. Joseph County Bar Association Liberty Bell Award. Steve Wilson, who is retiring following a 40-year career as a probation officer with the Michigan Department of Corrections, was announced Thursday as the winner of the award, first given in May 1985. A Sturgis resident, Wilson …

Two members of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board of St. Joseph County were excluded from Tuesday’s executive session because they were not attending in person. Rebecca Black and Janelle Hart joined the meeting at its onset via speaker phone. When it came time to discuss an attorney-client matter subject to closed session, board member John Dobberteen …

State Rep. Aaron Miller this week voted in favor of the state budget, joining his colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee in approving the fiscal blueprint and sending it to the full House for consideration. Miller, who serves as chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State Police, said local K-12 classrooms will see more money and local governments will see …

Members of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board of St. Joseph County have agreed to re-establish a finance committee. Board member John Dobberteen suggested the idea near the conclusion of Tuesday’s monthly board meeting. He suggested the reformed finance committee be made up of one or two CMH board members and also include finance directors from both …

Connor Bruce Smith, age 4, of Marcellus, passed away Thursday, April 26, 2017 at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was born September 17, 2012 in Kalamazoo, the son of Dustin B. and Kristen E. (Edwards) Smith who survive. Connor loved French fries and animals of any kind. He enjoyed being outside, going for walks and watching his brothers play. He …

John Clemens Starmann, age 74, of White Pigeon, died as the sun set over Lake Michigan on April 7, 2017, surrounded by his wife and children in Manistee, after a year-long illness. John was born April 8, 1942, in Saginaw, to the late Bernard H. Starmann M.D. and Lucy (Wadsworth) Starmann. He grew up in Cass City and graduated from …