Sturgis

The Leo Club, a high school service group hosted by the Sturgis Lions Club, was recently chartered into the national organization. The group needed at least 35 high school members in the Leo Club to be considered for the charter, said Frank Iannarelli, president of Sturgis Lions Club. That goal has been reached and there is one honorary member, Abdiel …

A food-drive challenge that returned to Sturgis High School in 2014 was back again this year. Students gathered a total of 1,180 non-perishable food items from Nov. 2 through Dec. 2. Items were donated to the local Salvation Army food pantry earlier this month. Students from Amanda Langworthy’s seminar class collected the most food items, with 274. They received a …

Carol Brooks has been named the 2015 recipient of the John E. Oster Award. Brooks, who was honored this week at a meeting of Sturgis Rotary Club at Sturges-Young Auditorium, has taught at Sturgis Public Schools since 1988, the past seven years as K-2 physical education teacher. The John Oster Memorial Fund was established in 1981 by JoEllen Oster, John’s …

Nicole Airgood, principal of Sturgis’ Eastwood Elementary School, has been named the 2015 Outstanding Practicing Principal by the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association. Presented to only one recipient per year, the Outstanding Practicing Principal Award recognizes principals who have exhibited extraordinary leadership, commitment to their students and faculty, service to their communities and contributions to the profession. The …

Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education has a new member, following board action during a special meeting Monday. Emily Halling was named to the position, which opened last month after David Hamlin resigned. Halling’s term will last at least until the general election in November 2016. Halling attended Sturgis Public Schools, served as a permanent substitute teacher in the district …

St. Joseph County’s nine public school districts will share a rebate in excess of $230,000 of 2014-15 unspent special-education reserves. St. Joseph County Intermediate School District, overseer of the county’s special education services for qualified people up to age 26, will pay the districts in three installments, according to superintendent Barb Marshall. The first payment was scheduled to take place …

Changes in school start times and bus routes are prompting a new traffic order for bus-loading and student pick-ups at Congress School in Sturgis. As a result, members of the Sturgis City Commission have approved a new traffic-control order that moves the school-bus loading zone from Walker Avenue to East Congress Street. Consequently, all remaining student pick-ups will occur on …

Three of the area’s four state football playoff teams bowed out in the opening round of action Friday. The fourth, Constantine, pulled off an upset in topping previously unbeaten and state No. 2-ranked Schoolcraft. Constantine’s Tristian Butler kicked an overtime field goal to lift the Falcons over the Eagles, 31-28, in Division 6 action. Elsewhere, Mendon saw its 27-game win …

Sturgis Board of Education members voted this week to appoint Scott Boland to a seat on the board. The vacancy was created when board treasurer Geoffrey Smith resigned last month. According to board president Kerri Millett, Boland was one of seven people to apply for the position. She called the candidates “an awesome group of people.” Boland was chosen as …

Tuesday’s first day of classes in St. Joseph County schools brought with it a number of changes and new faces to its nine public school districts. Two new superintendents are in place, as former Constantine High School Principal Christine Barnes stepped in as chief of Colon Community Schools. Meanwhile, former Three Rivers superintendent Roger Rathburn will oversee Mendon Community Schools …