Midland-based Dow Chemical says 2,400 employees will be laid off with 20 plants closed world wide due to continued economic slowdowns.  Roughly half of those layoffs will be in North America including workers at an Automotive Systems Diesel Particulate Filters plant in Midland that will be closed. No time table on the plant closures was immediately available.  Dow says the …

A preliminary report on the Amtrak derailment in Niles from the National Transportation Safety Board blames a reversed switch for the accident on Sunday.  The NTSB found the switch aligned the tracks the Amtrak train was on with a rail yard instead of the main track, and the train stopped only 21 feet from the nearest freight train car in …

Evelyn J. Neice, 93, of Three Rivers, died Monday Oct. 22, 2012. She was born in Goshen, Ind. on Aug. 5, 1919 the daughter of Lloyd and Audrey (Spencer) DeWitt. She graduated from Riley High School in South Bend, Ind. and was later married to Jack Henry Neice. Evelyn worked at C.T.S. in Elkhart, Ind. for 30 years, retiring in …

Imogene Kursner, 90, of Three Rivers, passed away on Friday, Oct. 19, 2012 at Three Rivers Health. She was born in Avoca, Ind. on April 20, 1922 the daughter of Harley and Geneva (Jennie) Holmes. Imogene worked for many years at Continental Can from where she eventually retired. She was an avid reader and also enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. Mrs. …

Two Vicksburg residents are the latest addition to the Michigan State Police detachment in White Pigeon. Scott Tuttle and Pete Melvin, who were two of 78 members of the recently graduated 123rd MSP trooper academy, began work at the White Pigeon site this week. They will spend the next four months with a field-training officer before patrolling on their own. …

James Baker, director of the Three Rivers Clean Water Plant, said Department of Public Services officials responded earlier this month to an incident of a backed-up sewer in the 200 block of Water Street. Baker stated in a media release the situation was handled in accordance to the city’s Sanitary Sewer Back-Up Policy, as detailed in Michigan Public Act 222. …

The City of Sturgis Department of Public Services is reminding its residents fall leaf pickup begins Monday. Crews will follow the same route as they do with brush pick up, starting north of Chicago Road and west of North Nottawa Street, working their way across the north side of town and then through the south side. Leaf pick up will …

David Foster Hecht, Retired Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, age 68, of Sturgis, passed away early Friday Morning, Oct. 19, 2012, at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. He was born Feb. 3, 1944, in Sturgis, a son of the late Max E. and Audrey E. (Reeg) Hecht. David was a lifelong Sturgis resident and a graduate of Sturgis High School with …

Jean L. Tomlinson, age 87, of Colon, passed away Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, at Birch Adult Foster Care Home in Leonidas. Jean was born Dec. 19, 1924, a daughter of the late, Harvey and Grace (Hendricks) Walters. Jean graduated from Sturgis High School and continued her education at Olivet College in Olivet. On Sept. 21, 1946, she married Richard Burr …

Gerald Sherman Barr, age 81, of Sturgis, passed away Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, at Three Rivers Health in Three Rivers. He was born in Sterling, Conn., a son to the late Earl and Ethel (Sherman) Barr. On June 24, 1950, he married Lorraine Theresa Bedard in Danielson, Conn. Gerald had been a resident of Sturgis since 1987, moving here from …