Gwendolyn Marie Tavernier, 59, of White Pigeon, died Friday, April 13, 2012, at her home. She was born Feb. 16, 1953, in Three Rivers, a daughter to Richard E. and Wanna L. (Keller) Lewis. She was a resident of White Pigeon, coming from Cleveland, Ohio. She was employed in manufacturing for Syndicate Systems, Owens Illinois, Lear Segler and Crocker. She was …

Sparked by a Dwight Helminen goal in the third period, the Kalamazoo Wings scored three unanswered in the final 20 minutes to defeat the South Carolina Stingrays 4-1 in game two of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals and in the process take a two games to none lead in the best-of-seven series. For the first-time in six playoff games, an opponent …

Gilbert D. Bell, 90, long-time resident of the Three Rivers area, died on April 9, 2012, after chronic illness. He was retired from the Michigan State Hospital system. Mr. Bell was a member of the Order of the Knights of Columbus and served as an usher at his church. He was preceded in death by: his wife, Inez Bell; significant …

C. Lavenia “Bing” Stevens, age 96, of Sturgis, passed away unexpectedly early Thursday morning, April 12, 2012 at her home. She was born Feb. 12, 1916, in Lewisport, Ky., a daughter of the late John Ellis and Anna Thomas (Lampkins) Crask. Bing resided in Sturgis since 1933, coming from LaGrange, Ind., where she was a graduate of LaGrange High School with …

In a game fitting of being played on Friday the 13th, the Kalamazoo Wings defeated the South Carolina Stingrays 6-4 in game one of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, in a contest that featured plenty of strange bounces and scoring chances, including a couple of tallies from Elgin Reid in a span of 14 seconds in the third period. The first …

Edith D. (Worrell) Hope, age 97, formerly of Brookville, OH, died Wed. April 12, 2012 in Centreville. She moved to Centreville from Brookville, OH  to be near family members. She was preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Ward Hope; parents, Henry W. & Anna R. (Bunn) Worrell; brothers-in-law, Don Eichelberger & John Hope; sister-in-law, Catherine Hope; nephew Don …

After just two years celebrating Dam Days, the city of Sturgis is changing the name and focus of its annual community celebration. Municipal officials were notified this week that the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce is going to call the 2012 festival Sturgis Fest. Cathi Abbs, chamber director, said “Where the Good Times Roll,” is the theme of the inaugural …

Tuition for St. Joseph County students attending Glen Oaks Community College will increase $5 per credit hour starting in the fall. Approved by the school’s board of trustees, the rate hike will bump the college’s tuition rate to $89 per credit hour. Meanwhile, students in the college’s service area will pay $136 a credit hour, with an additional $6 per …

The passenger in a vehicle stopped Tuesday in Burr Oak Township was charged with a methamphetamine-related offense. The unnamed 43-year-old woman, a Burr Oak resident, was charged with manufacturing meth and was wanted for probation violation on a previous meth-related charge, according to Michigan State Police. A search of the vehicle revealed a one-pot meth lab and other meth components …

A 50-year-old Colon man was ticketed Wednesday for careless driving after a vehicle he was driving went off the roadway and struck a tree. Jeffery Weinberg told police fatigue played a role in the accident, which occurred on Lutz Road in Florence Township. The vehicle he was driving northbound crossed the centerline and went off the road. He was not …