City Commission

The city of Sturgis has announced its ice rink is open for the season. Open-skating hours are noon to dusk Sunday through Thursday, and noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Open hockey is available 8 a.m. to noon seven days a week.

Sturgis city manager Mike Hughes said the municipality has been rated a “Five-Star Community” for the second consecutive year for its positive entrepreneurial climate. In addition to receiving the five-star designation, which is the highest ranking awarded, the city also received recognition as a 2013 “Best Practice Community.” The city is one of only eight communities in the state to …

A city-wide snow removal emergency remains in place in Sturgis, where the declaration was imposed Saturday afternoon due to snow accumulations of greater than four inches. By ordinance, during a declared snow removal emergency parking is prohibited on all city streets. This parking prohibition is in effect until the snow removal emergency is terminated by the city or a street …

The village of White Pigeon is seeking donations to help with the purchase of new Christmas decorations in 2014. The fundraising effort is being spearheaded by village council Trustee Shireen Cline. She said the village decided to end a three-year tradition and not hire a company that installed and took down rented decorations. The rental and service was about $1,300 …

Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry said he received comments from residents earlier this month regarding the city’s polling place being inside a church. Lowry said the concerns centered on people having to go into a church to cast a vote. The city commission in 2009 consolidated polling places to Riverside Church as a money-saving measure. Voting locations were previously scattered …

The Sturgis City Commission has agreed to relocate the city’s historic depot building from its current location on Main Street to 400 W. Chicago Road. The decision by city officials this week come after years of discussions related to the relocation. Because it is considered a historic building, the choice was to move the building rather than renovate it. City …

Ken Malone and Robert Hile were re-appointed Monday as mayor and vice-mayor for the city of Sturgis. The action took place during the commission’s organizational meeting. In addition, Michael Austermann and Charles Huber were sworn in as city commissioners. Austermann ran unopposed last week for the Precinct 1 seat vacated by David Smith, who announced his retirement from the board …

Three Rivers City Commissioner Carolyn McNary was selected as mayor pro-tem for the second consecutive term. The action came during Monday’s organizational and administrative-review meeting, when Mayor Tom Lowry and at-large commissioner Linda Gearhart were sworn in for two-year terms. They fended off challenges during last week’s general election to claim their seats on the board. For Lowry, it starts …

A longtime Three Rivers city employee and community icon has passed away. Ken Baker, who served in a variety of roles for the municipality, died Tuesday evening following a long battle with kidney cancer. He was 71. Baker started his career with the city as a patrol officer for the Three Rivers Police Department. He was later promoted to sergeant …

Tom Lowry will serve two more years as mayor of Three Rivers, as he defeated Larry Nichols in Tuesday’s general election. Lowry, 57, topped the 58-year-old Nichols, 268 votes to 206. Over the course of two tenures, Lowry has served as mayor for 14 years. Meanwhile, Linda Gearhart won the commissioner-at-large position Tuesday and will start a two-year term to …