Latest News
TR DDA to apply for vibrancy grant for Historical Society project
By Robert TomlinsonNews Director THREE RIVERS — The Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority will be seeking funding from the state for a proposed project headed by the St. Joseph County Historical Society.At its meeting Thursday, March 6, the DDA unanimously…
Former secretary who embezzled nearly 30K from Clark Logic, charged with embezzling again from Paw Paw Public Schools
By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher In March 2024, 33-year-old Danielle Taylor was convicted of embezzling nearly $30,000 from Clark Logic, a multi-faceted company with a significant presence and origins in Three Rivers.Taylor would take in customers’ credit cards and instead of paying…
City of Sturgis to assess options for curbside recycling program
By Dennis Volkert Sturgis City Commission on Wednesday had a preliminary discussion regarding curbside recycling.City manager Andrew Kuk provided an overview for the board.In 2008, the city first entered into a five-year contract for curbside recycling with Borden Waste-Away .Borden…
High attendance for ‘Dr. Seuss’ party at library
By Dennis Volkert “Dr. Seuss Birthday Party” was held March 7 at Sturgis District Library.The event, an annual feature at the library for about the past 20 years, featured a “Cat in the Hat” backpack giveaway and a free book…
‘Art Around Town’ auction, ‘Winter Wine Down’ featured March 21
By Dennis Volkert “Art Around Town” auction and “Winter Wine Down” takes place 5:30-9 p.m. March 21 in downtown Sturgis.It’s the second festival of the 2025 season, presented by Sturgis Downtown Development Authority.Seventeen works are part of the silent auction,…
Sports
Mendon girls bounced in regionals by Reading
By Steve Eldridge CONCORD —It was a tough finish to the season for the Mendon girls after winning a district championship last week. The Lady Hornets traveled to Concord Monday night, squaring off against the Reading Rangers in their regional…
Farwell powerlifters place at state
By John RaffelCorrespondent FARWELL — Farwell’s powerlifting team had several place finishers over the weekend at the state finals.Coach Owen Murphy said Ivy Frisch placed seventh, Lindsay Esterline was 10th along with Anna VanBuskirk, Chloe Miller was 13th, Allena Wunderlich…
Deadly duo leads Saugatuck past Fennville
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorBatman and Robin. Mario and Luigi. Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Those are some iconic duos.The Saugatuck girls basketball team has a terrific tandem of its own in junior guard Tali Laskowski and sophomore guard Mylah Simpson.The pair…
Otsego girls defeat South Haven in semifinals
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor SOUTH HAVEN–Brooke Smalldon and Tessa Prough.That proved to be a winning combination for the Otsego girls basketball team in its Division 2 district semifinal against host South Haven on Wednesday, March 5.With 17 seconds remaining in…
Conference announces wrestling awards
By John RaffelCorrespondent PAW PAW — The Southwest Conference has announced its 2025 postseason wrestling awards.All-conference local wrestlers were as follows for boys:120, first team, Aiden Munoz, Bangor, 8th at state, 31-13 record.126, first team, Austin Garcia, Lawton, second at…
Columns
Out and About: Clocks, family entertainment, and travel season
By now everyone should have their clocks set to the correct time. You’ll notice that you are probably getting up in the dark and watching the sunset around 7 PM. It would be nice if this could have been the…
May I Walk with You? BRIDE OF CHRIST
Ever notice that when Christians speak of the human soul that we always refer to it in the feminine gender? We use the pronoun she and not he, even when we speak of the soul of a male. All of…
Pat’s Bits and Pieces: ONE LAST BIT AND PIECE
I’m not sure I am going to do justice to a column that my mom so effortlessly and beautifully wrote every week for decades, but I felt one last column should be written none the less, so here goes.Our mom…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorPsychoGreat news on the crazy front. A new website aims to share knowledge and lead discussions about psychopathy, a disorder characterized by fearlessness, difficulty inhibiting behaviors plus severe lack of empathy and remorse.We all know psychopaths. Charles Manson,…
Life as Performance Art
A year ago, somewhere between Halloween and Thanksgiving, there was a slight crisis on the home front. It was during this time that Madame Dewey realized she was missing a stocking. The default go-to response at other dire moments…
Obituaries
Obituary: Yvonne Joyce Koppenaal
Yvonne Joyce Koppenaal, age 91, passed away surrounded by family on Feb. 21, 2025.Growing up, Yvonne entered the workforce at age 15, working as a “pinky” at Holland Hospital. She eventually began a long retail career in Saugatuck, where she…
Obituary: Mary Ellen Stofer
Mary Ellen Stofer, age 75, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully on February 16, 2025 at Rose Arbor Hospice House in Kalamazoo. She was born on April 22, 1949 in South Bend, Indiana the daughter of the late Irwin Warkentien…
Obituary: Yvonne Joyce Koppenaal
Yvonne Joyce Koppenaal, age 91, passed away surrounded by family on Feb. 21, 2025.Growing up, Yvonne entered the workforce at age 15, working as a “pinky” at Holland Hospital. She eventually began a long retail career in Saugatuck, where she…
Obituary: Linda L. Wilson (Meade)
Linda L. Wilson (Meade), 79, of Allegan, Michigan, passed away peacefully Monday, February 17, 2025, with family by her side. Born December 28, 1945, in Allegan, Michigan, she was the daughter of the late Lynn and Lillian (Waanders) Meade.Linda was…
Obituary: Gerald Franklin Nye
Gerald Franklin Nye 85 yrs of age passed through the gates of heaven on Feb 11, 2025 in Traverse city at Munson Medical Center.Born in Douglas community hospital and raised on the farm in Ganges the son of Roy A.…
