Organizers of this past weekend’s Summer Kick-Off at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds remained upbeat despite a wet day Saturday. The annual event included a beer tent, karaoke and a mud run. Tractor and truck pulls scheduled for Saturday were canceled due to the weather. Regarding River Country Has Talent, only three people registered. As a result, they automatically qualified …

The 2015 annual audit and a county millage-rate request are among the items of new business to be fielded this afternoon by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Other matters before the commission include a request for a new position for community corrections, a request to establish an online survey and fund-balance designations. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. …

State Rep. Aaron Miller has called on the Legislature to put the brakes on repealing an $80 million car-insurance-industry tax credit until reform takes place to lower insurance rates. Miller last week voted against House Bills 5457 and 5458, which repeal an inadvertent tax credit given to insurance companies in legislation signed into law in 2012. Miller said he wants …

A public hearing to consider rezoning a property in the 58000 block of U.S. 131 highlights the agenda of today’s Three Rivers City Commission meeting. Other matters before Mayor Tom Lowry and commissioners include a public hearing regarding a user-fee ordinance, a bid for the fiscal year 2017 drinking-water chemical bid award, the purchase of a lawn tractor and accessories, …

Walter Raymond “Walt” Neale, age 80, of Three Rivers, died Monday, June 6, 2016 at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was born in Kalamazoo on Nov. 23, 1935 the son of Thomas and Edith (Beardsley) Neale. He graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1953, and later served in the U.S. Navy. Walt was married to Sharon J. Bos …

Charles “Dave” McFall, age 77, of Constantine, passed away March 2, 2016 at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo following a short illness. He was born December 16, 1938 in White Pigeon, a son of Charles and Clarabelle (Clark) McFall. Dave graduated from White Pigeon High School in 1957. On December 7, 1985 he married Ruby (Lintz) Roskam at Messiah Lutheran Church …

James Edward “Jim” Carpenter, 86, died Tuesday, May 24, 2016 in Elizabethton, Tenn. He was born Oct. 12, 1929 in Three Rivers to Leslie Loren and Lena Jeannette (Drake) Carpenter, the seventh of 12 children. He married Gloria Jean Farley on Sept. 12, 1949 in Centreville, who preceded him in death on April 17, 1997. He later married Helen Beatrice …

William L. “Dub” Dobberteen, age 85, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away Sunday morning, June 5, 2016, in Sturgis. He was born Nov. 27, 1930, in Sturgis, Mich., son of the late Louis F. and Mabel (Kielkopf) Dobberteen. Bill was a lifelong Sturgis resident and a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of 1949. On March 11, 1951, he …

The second Meijer store in St. Joseph County opened last week, as the Grand Rapids-based company staged a ceremonial ribbon cutting in Sturgis. A number of local dignitaries and Meijer corporate representatives were on hand Thursday to commemorate the occasion. The 192,000-square-foot supercenter is located at South Centerville Road and West South Street. Store director Marsha Keefer opened the event …

State Rep. Aaron Miller issued a statement after the House last week approved reforms for Detroit Public Schools: Miller said Detroit finally provided solid figures on what was needed to reform the failing school district. Miller said legislators allocated exactly what was needed to provide start-up funding for the new district and make emergency repairs on school buildings. Inaction would …