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Chief Executive Officer William B. Horne said the project is expected to create more than 500 jobs over the next three years, including robotics engineers, AI data specialists, infrastructure personnel and operations staff. The company did not specify how many of those positions would be based in Dowagiac or when hiring would begin.  Some critics of data center expansion projects say promised employment benefits can be overstated, arguing that many permanent positions require specialized expertise while the most immediate local jobs are often construction-related and temporary.

Mick Kolassa, a blues musician, recently retired from a career in the pharmaceutical industry. He attended Glen Oaks on the GI Bill after serving in the U.S. Army. He later earned a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Business Administration from Eastern Washington University, followed by a doctorate in pharmaceutical marketing and economics from the University of Mississippi. In the early 1980s, while working at The Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo, Kolassa also taught classes at Glen Oaks. His career later took him across the country in roles within the pharmaceutical industry, including work in pricing and economic policy and as a vice president at a consulting firm.

The funding would come through a bond proposal, which is the mechanism public school districts use to ask voters for authorization to borrow money for large capital investments. If approved, the district would work with a financial institution to sell bonds in multiple series, according to Superintendent Arthur Ebert. The first bond sale would be for a little more than $30 million in 2027, with the remaining amount issued in 2029. In practical terms, district officials say the proposal is not expected to create a higher school bond tax rate than what property owners are currently paying. 

The Sturgis Area Community Foundation (SACF) has announced its transition to a county-wide foundation with a Board of Trustees serving all of St. Joseph County, marking a significant step in the organization’s continued growth and expanding role in regional philanthropy and community leadership.  Over the past several years, SACF has grown from $34 million to $54 million in assets through community support and strategic partnerships. A major milestone in that growth was the 2025 merger with the Three Rivers Area Community Foundation, which broadened collaboration and strengthened SACF’s reach across the county.

Wedge has served the St. Joseph County courts for nearly 40 years. She began her tenure with the 3B District Court in September 1987 while still a senior at Centreville High School. Over the course of her career, she has served in multiple roles before being appointed Court Administrator/Magistrate in July 2006.

The tulip display was inspired in part by the Yellow Tulip Project, a nationwide youth-led initiative founded to reduce stigma surrounding mental health struggles and suicide prevention. The yellow tulip has become a symbol of hope and open conversation. Club President Jan Michaels said the local organization wanted to take that message and make it visible in Three Rivers. “We hear so often that people need help and nobody is doing anything,” she said. “But there are services, and there are ways to help. Sometimes people just don’t know where to start.”