St. Joseph County Probate Judge Tom Shumaker announced last week he will not seek re-election in November. The 69-year-old Shumaker said he has contemplated retirement for several months and has decided his current term – which expires at the end of the year – will be his last. Shumaker has served in the position for 22 years. To date, three …

Three area boys basketball teams remain in competition for the state playoffs. The trio will kick off the opening round of regional action tonight. In Class D, Howardsville Christian will put its 19-3 record on the line against an 11-12 Covert team. The contest tips off at 6 o’clock in Litchfield. In Class C, the Constantine Falcons, sporting a 9-13 …

Indiana Michigan Power Co. has announced that work on the upgrade of power poles and lines from Park Township to Sturgis Township is expected to get started by the end of next month. The Fort Wayne, Ind.-based company said the 14-mile improvement is in addition to an eight-mile line improvement between Schoolcraft and the Moorepark neighborhood. That project is slated …

Marguerite Wheeler, age 89, Centreville, passed away Wednesday, March 7, 2012, at her home following a long illness. She was born Aug. 5, 1922, in LaGrange, Ind., a daughter of Douglas and Marie (Hart) Marks. Marguerite attended school in LaGrange. On July 26, 1942, she married Charles W. Wheeler in Brimfield, Ind. He preceded her in death on July 28, …

Eva P. Roussey, 78, of Bronson, passed away on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. Services for Eva will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dutcher-Kolcz Funeral Home in Bronson, with the Rev. Robert Taylor officiating. Interment will follow at Adams Cemetery in Bronson Township. Visitation will be held from 2-8 p.m. today at the …

Kenneth A. Hagelgans age 66, of Colon, passed away Thursday, March 8, 2012, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, surrounded by family. Ken was born Oct. 27, 1945, in Sturgis, to the late Walton and Delilah (Hacker) Hagelgans. Ken graduated from Vicksburg High School with the class of 1964 and continued his education at Ivy Tech in South Bend, Ind., …

The Michigan Court of Appeals in Grand Rapids concluded that the estate of Calista Springer cannot sue the state over the 16-year-old’s death four years ago. The opinion was rendered in response to Springer’s grandmother – Three Rivers resident Suzanne Langdon – who sued the State Department of Human Services and St. Joseph County’s Child Protective Services in 2010. Each …

State Rep. Matt Lori has announced a $168,000 grant to help St. Joseph County farmers better manage their yields while protecting the environment. The funds come from the Southwest Michigan Adapt Network, a new partnership involving the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services and the Environmental Defense Fund. Lori said …

The village of Centreville plans to repave three sections of Dean Street in order to alleviate the problem of standing water. Municipal officials this week said the impending work, which will cost the village $225,000, will be conducted in three phases. The three phases are Market to Ann streets, Ann to Mill streets and from Mill Street north to the …

High school basketball playoffs continue tonight. District finals on tap for 7 p.m. include 8-13 Constantine taking on 8-14 Cassopolis in Mendon. In addition, Three Rivers, 7-15, will battle 19-3 Sturgis at Comstock High School. Sturgis won the only meeting between the two teams this season, an overtime thriller in December. Meanwhile, a record-setting season for the Mendon girls basketball …