Year in review: Top local stories of 2020

A roundup of the Journal’s top local news stories for 2020, not related to the pandemic.

St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough was arrested May 11 after being involved in a single-vehicle crash in the 17000 block of Lovers Lane in Lockport Township. McDonough, who also was cited for having open intoxicants in the vehicle, was elected prosecutor in 2008.  McDonough underwent hospitalization not related to the incident, causing delays in the case. In November, a settlement conference and jury trial was postponed. Kalamazoo District Court officials said the delay was pursuant to a local administrative order, discontinuing jury trials when the number of pandemic-related cases exceeds a threshold set by Michigan Supreme Court.

A tentative date of Jan. 21, 2021, for the settlement conference has been set. If necessary, a jury trial would begin the following day. McDonough was defeated in the August election by attorney David Marvin for the seat, and his term concludes Dec. 31.

Geoff Smith, director of public safety for the city of Sturgis, resigned Aug. 26, 10 days after he was arrested following a crash in which alcohol was involved. Smith was off-duty when the vehicle he was driving crashed into an SUV on North Lakeview Avenue. The force of the crash pushed the SUV into a car, which struck a minivan. Smith was placed on leave Aug. 16, and the city accepted his resignation Aug. 26, the day before arraignment was scheduled for drunken driving charges. Smith’s departure followed several years of service and accomplishments. In June, Smith was honored for saving three people during a fire at a home on Maple Street. He had been the director of public safety since August 2013 and had been with Sturgis Police Department since 1996. He also served on the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District board, was a Sturgis firefighter since 2010 and served on Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education 2004-2015 and was an adjunct professor at Glen Oaks Community College.

Kroger closed its Sturgis store Nov. 12, 94 years after opening in the city.The store has been operating at a loss for several years, Kroger stated when corporate officials announced Sept. 30 the store would cease operation. The business opened its first Sturgis store downtown Nov. 5, 1926. The first Kroger in Sturgis opened at 232 W. Chicago Road. In the late-1930s, it moved to 117 W. Chicago Road, in 1946 moved to 205 John St. In the early 1970s, the store relocated to 715 S. Centerville Road. In 1994, it established its final location at 811 S. Centerville Road.

St. Joseph County’s largest road-construction project since the U.S. 131 bypass in Constantine Township came to a close in November. The two-year task of redeveloping U.S. 131 in Three Rivers covered 2.3 miles at a cost of $20 million. It was overseen by Michigan Department of Transportation. The highway now features a “Michigan left turn” upgrade and redesigns of both intersections with M-60. Each is now a 90-degree intersection.There are no left turns from or onto U.S. 131 at Coon Hollow Road and Arnold Street. In addition, the Rocky River bridge at the Hoffman Street intersection was rebuilt. In other 2020 road work, a roundabout was completed at the intersection of Colon and Farrand roads in Colon Township.

In what is believed to be the largest cat-hoarding incident in St. Joseph County, officials recovered more than 150 cats from a Park Township home in early August. A week later, more than 50 cats were found at a Three Rivers residence. The common denominator in both cases: Diane Pitone, a 48-year-old woman who brought at least four-dozen cats with her from her Detroit-area home. The cat population multiplied after she settled at her 86-year-old father’s residence in Park Township. Investigators said Pitone’s boyfriend lived at the Three Rivers home. Investigation and the judicial process continue in the case.

Two giants in their respective fields retired in 2020: Brad Balk as sheriff of St. Joseph County, and Terry Conklin as superintendent of Burr Oak Community Schools.

Balk announced a few months in advance he would not complete the final 11 months of his third 4-year term. He stepped down Jan. 31. Balk’s retirement ended an association with the department that began when he was a boy and his father, Neubert, was sheriff. As an adult, Balk joined the department and worked his entire career with the agency. Conklin was the dean of school superintendents in St. Joseph County. He oversaw Burr Oak Community Schools for 26 years, and had continued working with the district even after his retirement in 2010.

St. Joseph County residents expressed personal and political beliefs connected to national and state topics in 2020, with three rallies held in Sturgis from June to August. “Stand Up Michigan” took place June 6 at Oaklawn Park, to protest an executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. On June 7, a “Black Lives Matter” rally addressed social and criminal injustice against minority communities, with a march from Sturgis Historical Museum to Free Church Park. On Aug. 15, residents supporting police organized a “Blue Lives Also Matter” rally at Free Church Park, to thank law enforcement and to reinforce that police who abuse their power are in the minority.