Recent Posts

Radon-testing kits available

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is offering radon-testing kits at no charge to residents of the tri-county area. Paul Andriacchi, director of Environmental Health, says January is Radon Action Month, and he encourages residents to test their homes. Excessive indoor radon levels are frequently found in the region due to the soil types, he said. Radon is an odorless, …

Read More »

Out and About – Week of January 8th

Living near a lake is a wonderful way to spend your golden years, although those golden years might at times seem more bronze than gold. Being physically fit is a big plus, because one is able to participate in more activities than someone with a few aches and pains. Back in the seventies, I took up the sport of SCUBA …

Read More »

Missing teen found

Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said a teenager who was reported missing earlier in the week has been located. Bingaman said the agency was notified Tuesday about a juvenile who had been reported as a runaway. Family members said attempts to reach the runaway, 16-year-old Abby Nicole Pitcher, were initially unsuccessful. Bingaman said deputies received information Wednesday on Pitcher’s whereabouts. She was …

Read More »

Fundraiser benefits school therapy dog program

A local fundraiser staged prior to the holidays was deemed a success by leaders from a local organization. The Sturgis Academy of Martial Arts recently announced the accomplishment. Eastwood Elementary School was raising funds for a new campus therapy dog and the “Karate on Campus” event did what it was designed to do. The campaign ran through the first half …

Read More »

Cookie Monster

Oh Boy!  I’m waiting for snow so I can stir it up and make it fly.  My name is ” Cookie Monster”, a two year old male.  They say my color is “Blue and white”.  I am a Bull Terrier mix and I am house trained and I get along with other dogs and kids.  Since I am a talented …

Read More »

County commission chooses chair and vice-chair

St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners will be overseen for the second consecutive year by Ken Malone. During their annual organizational meeting Tuesday, commissioners unanimously chose the 60-year-old Sturgis resident to serve as board chairman for 2024. Malone owns Advantage Water Service in Sturgis. Malone, who is starting his sixth year as a member of the seven-man panel, said the …

Read More »

Arrests made following police chase

A Sturgis man was arrested last week after leading authorities on a high-speed pursuit in St. Joseph and LaGrange counties. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said deputies were made aware around 11 a.m. Saturday of a driver who refused to pull over for speeding on Fawn River Road, near Balk Road, in Sturgis Township. Authorities said the driver reached speeds in excess …

Read More »

Postage costs will increase on January 21st

Another postage rate increase is just around the corner. The price for a First-Class Forever U.S. Postage Stamp will increase from 66 cents to 68 cents starting January 21st, 2024. The prices for domestic postcard stamps will also increase by two cents from 51 cents to 53 cents. USPS Ground Advantage prices will increase by 5.4 percent, Priority Mail service …

Read More »

Safe rides home provided on NYE

St. Joseph County Transportation Authority’s “Free Ride Home” program provided New Year’s Eve transportation for 16 people over the course of the seven-hour offer. Agency director Allen Balog said seven rides were given by the Sturgis-based bus, while the rest were by the bus positioned in Three Rivers. The service was offered from 7 p.m. Sunday through 2 a.m. Monday. …

Read More »

New businesses coming to Sturgis in 2024

Sturgis municipal officials anticipate a busy year with the opening of a number of new businesses. None bigger than the Watershed project, a large-scale commercial-residential development started earlier in 2023 and well underway in downtown Sturgis. The first floor is planned to be a steakhouse, with the second through fifth floors to be studio, one- and two-bedroom residences. The project …

Read More »