Emergency crews responded Wednesday afternoon to a diesel fuel spill on U.S. 131 in northern St. Joseph County. Sheriff’s Department personnel said a semi tractor-trailer was heading north when its driver’s side, front tire blew out. The force of the blown tire punctured the fuel tank, investigators said. Traffic was reduced to one lane while emergency personnel tended to the …

Kadant Johnson is asking potential participants in the second annual Hoops for Hope – a 3-on-3 corporate basketball tournament – to start forming and register their teams. The fundraiser, to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Three Rivers, will take place at 9 a.m. March 24 in the Three Rivers High School gymnasium. Event organizers said 100 …

Margaret Jane Tobey, age 100, of rural Three Rivers, died Wednesday Feb. 29, 2012 at the home of her son in Battle Creek. She was born in Chicago, IL on April 29, 1911 the daughter of Rudolph and Caroline (Kratky) Koenig. The family moved to Portage Lake when Margaret was very young where she attended Canada Corners Country School. She …

Helen F. Lemak, age 96, of Sturgis, passed away peacefully in her bed at Thurston Woods Village around 11 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012. She enjoyed a long, full life. Loved and cherished by so many in the world, she is reunited in death with her husband Louis Lemak Jr., and is survived by son Louis and daughter-in-law Marilyn of …

Dorothy Ellen Ulrich, 93 years, seven months and six days, left this earth and went home to be with her Lord and family, who were awaiting her arrival, which came 1:15 am Feb. 29. She was born July 23, 1918, in St. Joseph County, the middle child of Carl and Lillian (Pierson) Godden. She was a hard-working woman, both farming, …

Clifford Vincent Samuels, age 89, of Sturgis, passed away Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 28, 2012, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. He was born Aug. 3, 1922, in Lady Smith, Wis., a son of the late Arthur and Irene (Porth) Samuels. Mr. Samuels resided in Sturgis since 1946 coming from South Bend, Ind. On Nov. 2, 1946, he married Dorothy M. …

Bully is a great dog and he is still available. Maggie has been adopted. I am called Pogo. I am a ten month old male Doberman/Sharpei mix. It is time for my operation but I have been given some shots. My best thing in the whole world is attention from good people. I need doggie training because they say that …

A full-service grocery store in business for more than 30 years in Sturgis announced Wednesday it is closing by the end of the month. Officials from Miller’s Super-Valu said competition from Wal-Mart and other stores and markets in town is too significant to overcome. Mike Doust, general manager of LaGrange, Ind.-based Miller’s, said the Sturgis location simply couldn’t generate enough …

State Rep. Matt Lori said he has filed paperwork to make official his candidacy for re-election this fall. Lori, 55, is starting the final year of his second two-year term. By law, he can serve in the position for a total of three, two-year terms. The Constantine-area resident and former sheriff of St. Joseph County said he has enjoyed serving …

The first day of ticket sales for Alan Jackson’s appearance this fall at the St. Joseph County Grange Fair was overwhelming, fair manager Bill Johnson said. Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday and a line of more than 250 people was in place outside the fairgrounds ticket window. At the head of the line was a group that …