Nicole Airgood, principal at Eastwood Elementary School in Sturgis, is among 58 elementary and middle school principals named as 2016 National Distinguished Principals by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. The recipients were honored last week at a banquet at Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. The program recognizes public- and private-school principals who make superior contributions to their …

A boil-water advisory in the village of White Pigeon has been lifted. Municipal officials said the cancellation of the boil-water advisory was issued around 4:30 p.m. Monday after a series of tests reported negative for the presence of coliform bacteria. The advisory went into effect around 4 p.m. Wednesday after four of eight samples being tested as a routine procedure …

State police are conducting an investigation into allegations of financial irregularities at sister churches in Colon and Bronson. According to the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo, an audit of finances at St. Barbara in Colon and St. Mary Assumption in Bronson was conducted at the request of the diocese. Diocese officials said the audit yielded questionable financial practices and transactions over …

A 32-year-old registered sex offender was arrested last week in White Pigeon on a charge of indecent exposure. According to police, the incident occurred at Wash King, where Deshawn Terrell Allen, 32, was loitering and exposed himself to a woman at the laundromat. Police obtained video surveillance and identified Allen, who confessed to the incident before being arrested, authorities said. …

Mary Elizabeth Gard, 84, of Elkhart, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. She was born July 18, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pa., the daughter of Ralph Karstetter and Elizabeth (McDonall) Karstetter. Survivors include her husband of 52 years, Russell E. Gard, of Elkhart, Ind.; three sons, Bob (Jonie) Irwin and David (Tari) Gard, both of Elkhart, Ind., and James (Jolene) Irwin …

I’ll start this week’s column by trying to get myself out of the dog house. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote on the subject of Living Wills. If I came across suggesting that a Living Will is the way to go, I apologize. I did some reading on the subject, and it seemed like a good idea. I do …

Sturgis resident Lauren Roberts had the good fortune of holding the $5,000 winning ticket during Thursday’s Mega Raffle drawing conducted by the St. Joseph County United Way. The 33-year-old Morgan Olson employee actually won twice: Roberts was one of 10 employees whose names were randomly drawn last month and given a ticket from company president Mike Ownbey. Kelly Hostetler, executive …

Two Elkhart residents were arrested last week after they allegedly stole mail in Cass County. Ontwa Township Edwardsburg Police Department Chief Timothy Kozal said officers responded around 11 p.m. Wednesday to the area of Sunrise Drive and Redfield in Ontwa Township in response to a report of a subject opening mailboxes. With the assistance of the Cass County Sheriff Department, …

A 54-year-old woman was arrested after the vehicle she was driving struck a state police patrol car. The incident occurred at 7:20 p.m. Wednesday in the Wendy’s parking lot in Three Rivers. State police said a trooper was driving through the parking lot when the vehicle was struck by a Chevy Malibu driven by a Mendon woman. The suspect was …

Three Rivers police arrested a man suspected of firing a gun within city limits last week. According to a department media release, officers were called Thursday to the 200 block of River Drive in response to reports of shots fired. Officers found a man exiting the back of a building in the vicinity from where the shots were heard. He …