Sports

The Chiefs mascot in White Pigeon appears to be safe following a federal decision to dismiss a case in which the use of Native American names and images would be banned in 35 Michigan school districts. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights had sought the ban, which would have included White Pigeon’s use of Chiefs as the school mascot. The …

Sturgis Public Schools athletics director Mark Adams said the district is expressing an interest in joining the Wolverine Conference athletic league. Although the concept is in its infancy, Adams said Sturgis is aware the conference is interested in adding at least one other team, with the impending departure of Comstock. A Wolverine Conference meeting is expected to take place next …

Nearly 40 people played a role in helping lay more than 9,000 yards of sod over the weekend at Sweetland Stadium in Constantine. The school district’s $100,000 allocation toward the new grass surface covered the entire portion of the stadium’s field, the installation of an in-ground watering system and dirt and seed for two practice football fields, according to Constantine …

Steve Proefrock, head men’s basketball coach at Glen Oaks Community College, has been awarded the Men’s Junior College Coach of the Year award from the statewide Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan. In his 16th season at Glen Oaks, Proefrock led his team to the Western Conference Championship with a conference season record of 15-and-1, and an overall record of 27-and-4. …

The four remaining schools from the St. Joseph Valley League athletic conference are expected to join a newly created, 10-team league. The Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference was announced this week during the Bronson Community Schools Board of Education meeting. The new league, which will include SJV members Centreville, Bronson, White Pigeon and Mendon, will debut in the 2014-15 academic year. Other …

A trio of men who fled from police in Three Rivers earlier this week were arraigned in district court Wednesday. William Powell, 23, Antonio Hearn, 20, and Charles Hearn, 21, face a variety of charges following the Monday night incident in which one of the men held his 6-month-old son while fleeing from police. All three men, originally from Ohio, …

Sturgis High School went into lockdown Thursday as a precautionary measure after a student reported overhearing a possible act of violence. Superintendent Tom Langdon said the action was employed based on what the student reported to school officials. It prompted what Langdon called a Phase One security measure, considered a low-level threat. Based on a student’s report to the principal …

Constantine alumnus and former football coach Dave Horn has offered to spearhead fundraising efforts to benefit upgrades at Sweetland Stadium. Members of the district’s board of education have been presented three architectural drawings featuring various upgrades at the football, and track-and-field complex. Horn has started the push for potential improvements and the process will include feedback from the public. Costs …

Two area high school boys basketball players received state accolades for their performance on the hardwood. Sturgis junior Chance Stewart, who has already verbally committed to a football scholarship at the University of Wisconsin, was named to the Associated Press Class B, all-state honorable mention team. Stewart averaged 18.5 points a game in leading the Trojans to a 14-9 season …

Three Rivers High School junior Teagan Reeves was announced Thursday as a member of the Associated Press all-state, Class B girls basketball first-team. Reeves, who has verbally committed to playing basketball and volleyball at Western Michigan University, averaged 21.3 points in the 2012-13 season. Her presence played a major role in the Wildcats’ 22-2 season record, Wolverine Conference championship and …