By Staff
OCTOBER
Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital received the Governor's Award of Excellence for improving care in the critical access hospital setting.
David Baker at SMC Oct. 4 updated everyone on what he had been up to since May – painting 24 watercolors chronicling every Dowagiac Creek crossing on its 17-mile journey.
Queen Amber Clark and King Chris Black reigned over Dowagiac Homecoming festivities Oct. 6. The 5-2 Chieftains lost in overtime, 28-27, to the Gull Lake Blue Devils.
Dowagiac City Council Oct. 9 recognized David Helmuth and Jesse and John Green for heroism while fishing in Ontario, Canada, on Aug. 4, 2005, for saving the life of a girl thrown into Wabauskang Lake from a boat by a wave.
Cass County Civitan Club observed its 20th anniversary with a reunion Oct. 26 at the Lions Club.
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin spoke at Southwestern Michigan College Oct. 18 on the third option for the Iraq war – to change course.
The union that produced the Van Buren-Cass District Health Department is still going strong after 15 years.
The final structural beam on the new Four Winds Casino Resort was signed and set in place Oct. 24.
It took more than 2,000 tons of steel to build the Pokagon Band's $400 million development near New Buffalo in Berrien County that will open this year.
Sarah Vowell spoke at Dowagiac Middle School Oct. 25, saying she prefers writing historical tourism to a novel because non-fiction can be more unbelievable.
And speaking of heritage tourism, Dr. Michael Nassaney of Western Michigan University, who helped find Fort St. Joseph, says Niles has Fort Mackinac potential as a "major destination."
Daily News Managing Editor John Eby was recognized Oct. 25 by the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival.
NOVEMBER
Caterer Natalie Gomez and her husband, Joel, opened an authentic Mexican restaurant Nov. 1 in the former Mane Attraction, 109 Pennsylvania Ave.
Leading up to the Nov. 7 general election, Dowagiac was visited by attorney general candidate Amos Williams, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard stopped in Cassopolis during his quest for the U.S. Senate and GOP gubernatorial nominee Dick DeVos campaigned in Edwardsburg.
Chicago couple Tim and Pam McLellan opened a General Electric sales office Oct. 27 as Jeff Neumann moved his Farm Bureau Insurance office next door.
The Cass County Board of Commissioners hired Kingscott Associates Nov. 2 for a $15,000 feasibility study for re-use of the 1899 courthouse in Cassopolis.
Democrats gained two seats on the commission.
Debbie Johnson won a rematch of 2004 with Dale Lowe. Ed Goodman kept the seat he was appointed to in July.
Despite it being the 30th anniversary of the county parks system, voters defeated the four-year, half-mill request.
With that request beaten, Dowagiac is expected to return its attention to creating a recreation authority.
Michelle Charles, 37, joined the Dowagiac Board of Education Nov. 6.
Dowagiac Police Department promoted Steve Grinnewald to sergeant and added Officer Stacey Bazan.
Betty Knapp won Auto Zone's manager of the year award.
Karol and Joe Krueger are the new owners of Murphy's Flowers, which has been operated since 1978 by Patrick and Patricia Murphy.
Patrick Murphy manages Dowagiac Elks Lodge 889.
Dowagiac teachers picketed the school board meeting Nov. 21.
MiMi Sarducci's opened Nov. 27 at 203 N. Front St.
Previous restaurants on the site have included Callahan's, Ray's and Front Street Cafe.
Funeral director Dave Groner spent Thanksgiving in Africa, leading a polio immunization team to Niger.
Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital implements restructuring for automation across five functions in the revenue cycle – patient registration, health information systems (formerly known as medical records), transcription, billing and in-patient and out-patient procedures.
DECEMBER
Wood Fire booked Leon Redbone for Jan. 23.
Bill Daam, chief operating officer at Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital, will retire June 30 after seven years at the Dowagiac hospital and 35 years with Borgess Health.
Dowagiac Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance Service, directed by Jackie Evans, announces a fundraising drive Dec. 6 at Round Oak Restaurant to raise $8,000 to $10,000 to equip an acquired ambulance for basic life support. Routine patient transfers are the service's "bread and butter" and provide 77 percent of its income.
Mark Magyar, a 1999 DUHS graduate, was admitted to law practice by the Illinois Bar Association Dec. 5.
Tammy Jerz, a 1980 DUHS graduate, opened her log home on M-152 for Decatur Optimist Club's annual holiday tour. She and her husband Greg moved in July 12.
Kate Edwards, 14, of St. Joseph, became the first Miss Teen Blossomtime in Dowagiac Dec. 10 during the same pageant which crowned Danielle Foster of Niles Miss Heart of Blossomtime 2007.
In "Utah jazz the sequel," Tad Calcara of the Salt Lake City symphony returned to Dowagiac Dec. 10 and sat in on clarinet with Franz Jackson at Wood Fire.
SMC studies the feasibility of building on-campus student housing.
Andrew Cuthbert is the DUHS "Good Citizen" at the annual Daughters of the American Revolution tea.
Ten-year City Manager Bill Nelson, 46, announced his resignation Dec. 13 to accept the city manager's job in Miamisburg, Ohio, a community of 20,000 eight miles south of Dayton. "I believe he has been the best city manager in the city's history," Mayor Don Lyons said. Jan. 26 will be his last day at City Hall.
Firefighters from eight departments battled a Dec. 15 blaze which destroyed an Edwardsburg landmark, the former opera house.
Floyd Jerdon and Rick Rasmussen of Coloma, former postcard collecting rivals, are collaborating on a Sister Lakes book coming out in May.
A natural gas line rupture Dec. 19 in Porter Township killed Danny Young, 27, an apprentice lineman with Midwest Energy Cooperative in Cassopolis.
The Duchossois family of Dewey Lake donated real property valued at more than half a million dollars adjacent to Fitch Camp to the day camp for Dowagiac school children on Cable Lake.