News

Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport Director Craig Williams said the number of passengers in July 2020 jumped 43 percent from June 2020. However, the number is still 77 percent less than July 2019 passenger numbers. Williams said the June-to-July growth is a result of American and Delta increasing the number of flights to the airport. Kalamazoo is tracking better than the …

Glen Oaks Community College has announced it will reopen campus Monday. Fall semester classes begin a week later, Aug. 31. School president David Devier reiterated that the safety of students, employees and community has been the driving consideration as members of the college’s COVID-19 Task Force worked to develop their plan. The plan provides a number of safety and enforcement …

Three Rivers Community Schools Superintendent Ron Moag provided an update on the number of in-person students versus those who plan to take classes virtually or remotely. During the district’s board meeting earlier this week, Moag said about three quarters of the district’s high school students plan to engage in face-to-face learning when the academic year begins Sept. 7. That face-to-face …

A Three Rivers man has pled guilty to murder in connection to a May incident over the sale of a motorcycle. Mohammad Abuhaltam, 21, appeared last week in a video conference before St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman. During the 13-minute proceeding, Abuhaltam pled guilty to second-degree murder. The charge stems from a May 21 incident in which …

After enduring years of scorn from a Florence Township resident, members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners uncharacteristically struck back this week. Addressing the board during “citizen comments” portion of the board’s meeting Tuesday, Tim Carls made a questionable claim about the county’s finances and accused the five-member board of making decisions outside the realm of public assembly. …

An arraignment date for Sturgis public safety director Geoff Smith has been set for next week. Smith is scheduled for arraignment Aug. 27 in St. Joseph County District Court on charges stemming from a vehicle crash early Sunday. Investigators said alcohol appears to be a factor in the incident. Smith, 46, has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation …

The Three Rivers Woman’s Club has announced its first recipient of the Mary Snow Memorial Scholarship. Three Rivers High School’s Trenton Goodrich was recently named winner of the first-ever scholarship. Goodrich plans to attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College to study nursing, and has continued to work hard during summer break to help pay for college. After he graduates with his …

One person died in a fire last weekend in an area on the east side of Union City. Michigan State Police troopers were called around 4 p.m. Sunday to 445 Creamery Road in response to a structure fire. Investigators said a passerby saw smoke coming from the residence and summoned the Union City Police Department. Personnel from the Union City …

White Pigeon Township Library Director Perri Saunders offered a few bits of information in her latest newsletter. First, Saunders said the library’s annual book sale is ongoing. She said items are $3 per bag. Next, she said this is the last week to donate to Operation Backpack. Saunders said supplies are needed more than ever, as kids are no longer …

The first 2020 case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis was diagnosed recently in a horse in Clare County. Rebecca Burns, director of the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, said confirmation of the EEE case highlights the need for both horse owners and Michigan residents to take safeguards against the disease. EEE is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes to animals and …