Schools

The bear is back. A 9-foot stuffed polar bear returned to Michigan State University on Tuesday after spending the summer with a taxidermist. It was the first time the bear had been away from the lobby of the Natural Resources Building since 1966. The Lansing State Journal says the bear has clean white fur, a new jaw and new pads …

Glen Oaks Community College announced last week it has entered into a partnership with Michigan State University to offer an Associate of Applied Science in Business degree with a concentration in Agricultural Operations. The partnership allows students to earn a certificate from the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology while working toward an associate’s degree from Glen Oaks. The agreement, according …

Glen Oaks Community College announced last week it has entered into a partnership with Goshen College to bring its Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to the Centreville campus. Glen Oaks president David Devier said the demand for the nursing workforce to hold a bachelor’s degree continues to grow. The Goshen College RN to BSN program is …

Temporary substitute teachers hired by all St. Joseph County school districts will get a $5-per-day pay hike beginning this fall. The St. Joseph County Intermediate School District Board of Education this week approved the pay scales for everyone from substitute teachers to fill-in maintenance workers. Temporary classroom substitute teachers will be paid $85 for a full day in the classroom …

Organizers of a circus coming to Constantine Sunday are issuing a reminder that the cost of tickets is less if purchased in advance rather than the day of. Show times for the Kelly Miller Circus are 2 and 5 p.m.at Eastside Elementary. Advance tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children. They are available at the village office, Constantine …

The contracts of two administrators were approved during Monday’s Three Rivers Board of Education meeting. Nikki Nash will serve as interim principal at Three Rivers Middle School, while Ben McIntyre will be the interim principal at Andrews Elementary. Nash, 40, spent nine years as a third-grade teacher at Andrews and the past four as its principal. Her salary as interim …

The leader of a group supporting a recall of three board of education members in Three Rivers alleged that a board member has been making threats and creating a “hit list” against staff. Sherrie Nowicki addressed the board during its Monday meeting. She said employee morale is low and the district’s credibility is suffering as the result of a board …

A Genesee County judge has ruled a father can openly carry his pistol inside his daughter’s elementary school. The Flint Journal reports that Circuit Judge Archie Hayman on Monday ruled in favor of Kenneth Herman and gun rights advocacy group Michigan Open Carry. He filed a lawsuit in March against the Clio Area School District, arguing he was denied access …

The St. Joseph County Clerk’s Office is expected to complete by the end of the week the validation of signatures turned in Friday as part of the Three Rivers Board of Education recall process. Deputy clerk Phyllis Lung said the procedure is done by entering into a data base the names of those who signed. A computer cross-reference will confirm …

One out of every five Michigan lawmakers doesn’t have a formal degree in higher education. The finding comes through research by The Detroit News. Those without degrees include state Sen. Tom Casperson, who is in his second term in the Senate after serving three terms in the state House. The Republican from Escanaba says life experience “is as deeply as …