As I was signing in to check my email the other day, a story caught my eye. The headline read, “Emails from dead man’s account helping family and friends find closure.” That headline drew me in. I have always wondered about the afterlife. Is there an afterlife? Is there such a thing as ghosts and spirits? Can we see or …

A carbon-dioxide alarm early Monday afternoon resulted in the evacuation of a lunchtime crowd at the Three Rivers McDonald’s restaurant on West Michigan Avenue. The Three Rivers Fire Department arrived shortly before 1 p.m. to find the manager had evacuated customers and employees from the restaurant. Responding firefighters turned off supply valves from the restaurant’s C02 storage tank, which is …

The Three Rivers Lions Club has selected Vera and Jim Bippus of Three Rivers as its 2012 “Citizens of the Year.” The selection makes them the fourth married couple to win the award since the local Lions Club started its Citizen of the Year program in 1965. In keeping with its tradition, the Lions Club and its Citizen of the …

A 23-year-old Sturgis man was charged with a number of offenses after he fled from Sturgis police late last week. Phillip Royer was charged with fleeing and eluding, resisting and obstructing an officer, driving on a suspended license and also was charged with a parole violation. His arrest culminated after Sturgis police attempted to stop him for a moving violation …

The mild, relatively snow-free winter in southwestern Michigan could contribute to a condition known as sand colic in horses.  The lack of snow cover has resulted in horses ingesting extra sand as they feed. Normally, snow cover up to four months of the year allows horses to rid their bodies of the sand swallowed at other times.  Michigan State University Extension warns …

A northern Indiana coroner says a 9-year-old boy suffocated to death after being trapped under a pile of cornmeal. The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department says Kevin Burkholder was tunneling through the cornmeal when it collapsed on him. The coroner’s office has ruled the death an accident.  The sheriff’s department says police were called Sunday night to the site near the …

Lloyd H. Shafer Jr., 86, of White Pigeon, died Saturday, March 24, 2012, at his home following an extended illness. He was born Oct. 7, 1925, in Mongo, Ind., the son of Lloyd H. and Mabel (Bedford) Shafer Sr. He was a graduate of Mongo, Ind., High School where he was class president. He was a U.S. Marine Corp. veteran during …

Betty L. Stears, 83, passed away peacefully at her home. She married her childhood sweetheart, Fred. They raised four children on the family farm: Fred (Gloria) Stears, John (Sheila) Stears, Rita (Jim) Bickle and Sheila (Frank) Seybert; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren. She touched many lives during her nursing career. Betty and Fred enjoyed wintering in Nevada and Arizona and made many new friends. Visitation …

An Indiana man who was brought to the attention of police after a number of incidents March 17 was arraigned in court Friday. St. Joseph County officials said Jerry Hillegas, 46, was charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and violation of a charitable solicitation. Hillegas on March 17 confronted a woman at a downtown business and asked …

St. Joseph County is on its way to having its own Marine Corps League. Following a 90-minute meeting Saturday at Mendon Village Hall, a group seeking the county’s own league was given preliminary approval from the state’s top league official. With a turnout of nearly 20 prospective members at the organizational meeting, the only hurdle to clear is the national …