15th ‘Homegrown,’ featuring Hubie Ashcraft Band, draws high attendance
Phins Up returns, joining several newcomers Hubie Ashcraft Band headlined “Homegrown Art & Music Festival” on Aug. 8 in Sturgis, the group’s first appearance at the event, which marked its 15th year. Prior to Ashcraft set, Phins Up performed at…
Hubie Ashcraft Band embraces headlining slot for ‘Homegrown’; Wynes reflects on event’s endurance
Hubie Ashcraft Band is headlining act for the 15th “Homegrown Art & Music Festival,” which takes place Aug. 8 at Oaklawn Park in Sturgis. Hubie Ashcraft, of Fort Wayne, Ind., is a singer-songwriter-guitarist known for performing a mix of country,…
Vukasovich leads public forum on Sturgis Hospital closure, state of rural health care
On July 28, Christian Vukasovich, Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 5th District Congressional seat, held a public town hall regarding closure of Sturgis Hospital. It was held at Sturges-Young Center for the Arts. About 100 attended. The forum was designed to…
Andrew Kuk, former Sturgis manager, reflects on two decades with the city
Andrew Kuk exited his role as city manager on July 24, finalizing a transition for interim manager Douglas Terry. Kuk served as city manager since April 2023, following a brief stint as interim. Prior to that, he worked for almost…
Andrew Kuk attends final commission meeting as Sturgis city manager
It was the final city commission meeting July 22 for outgoing city manager Andrew Kuk, whose resignation is effective July 24. Douglas Terry will assume the role of interim manager. During staff and board comments near the conclusion of the meeting,…
Sturgis commission nearing decision on interim city manager
Sturgis City Commission could make a decision this week regarding an agreement with Douglas Terry to serve as interim city manager. The commission plans to discuss a draft agreement at its July 8 meeting, said city clerk/treasurer Ken Rhodes. City…
Sturgis dam drawdown project delayed until September
City of Sturgis electric department received a formal extension of time for the drawdown of its dam on the St. Joseph River near Covered Bridge in Centreville. The drawdown of the reservoir area of the river upstream of the dam…
Citywide brush collection in Sturgis begins July 6
Three weeks after a storm socked St. Joseph County, work continues to clear trees and limbs in Sturgis. Beginning July 6, city crews will begin an organized brush pickup throughout the city. Collection will take place in quadrants, roughly in…
Body found in Sturgis, foul play not suspected
Investigation continues into a body found June 27 on South Centerville Road in Sturgis. Ryan Banaszak, director of public safety, said foul play is not suspected. No additional details have been released by authorities.
Sturgis Fest ’26 enters weekend phase
Sturgis Fest continued Thursday, with the central daily theme of “Bike Night.” Motorcyclists filled downtown, and activities included sidewalk sales, music by Sweet Jonny Knox and Whoa, Man! The festival continues Friday and Saturday. Here’s a summary of attractions. June…
Power restored for most residents in Sturgis
Sturgis city electric crews are expecting to restore power to all customers, other than those with service repair needs, by the end of the day June 16. Remaining outages will be related to reconnecting homes that had damage to customer…
Sturgis City Commission gets update on interim manager search, independent probe
By Dennis Volkert Sturgis City Commission on June 10 received updates regarding the search for an interim city manager, the independent probe of the commission and a brief discussion regarding accusations of embezzlement at Doyle Community Center. City attorney TJ…
Capman, Lindblom named Citizens of the Year
Deb Capman and Barry Lindblom have been named 2026 “Citizens of the Year” in Sturgis. The selections were announced by Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce. Capman moved to Sturgis in the mid-1960s and graduated from Sturgis Public Schools in 1974.…
‘Juneberry Nights’ debut coming June 5 in Sturgis
The inaugural “Juneberry Nights” takes place 5:30-9 p.m. June 5 in downtown Sturgis. It continues the 2026 festival season organized by Sturgis Downtown Development Authority. Here is a summary of attractions. Pleasant Avenue: Farmers market, berry vendors and free berry…
‘Drawdown’ planned for Sturgis hydroelectric dam
On May 5, the city of Sturgis City received notice from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding the need to “draw down” the reservoir upstream of the city’s hydroelectric dam, no later than July 15, 2026. According to city manager Andrew…
Sturgis City Commission approves resolution for independent probe into potential violations
Sturgis City Commission on May 27 approved a resolution, presented by commissioner Aaron Miller, to direct an independent investigation by outside counsel into any potential violations against specific parts of Michigan law, associated case law, procedure of the commission and…
Sturgis commission to seek interim city manager
On May 13, Sturgis City Commission held a work session, prior to its regular meeting, to explore next steps in organizational structure. The primary focus was the process of finding a successor for outgoing city manager Andrew Kuk. In April,…
Proposal approved for Doyle roof project
Sturgis City Commission on May 13 approved a proposal from Newbury Square Construction of Shipshewana, Ind., to complete a roof overhaul at Doyle Community Center, at a cost of just over $729,000. The plan is dependent on securing a private…
Another attempt to censure Sturgis mayor Perez fails, in 4-3 vote
Tension surrounding mayor Frank Perez, Sturgis City Commission and uncertainty about the resignation of city manager Andrew Kuk continued on May 13, at a regular meeting of the board. Aaron Miller, commissioner at-large, brought two separate resolutions, each of which…
Sturgis mayor Perez in podcast interview: ‘What’s right is right’
Sturgis Mayer Frank Perez took part in a podcast interview with 500 Grand Studios, broadcast earlier this week on YouTube. During the conversation, Perez makes comments regarding an April 22 city commission motion to censure him and another to remove…
