A millage-increase request before voters in the Mendon Community Schools district is one step closer to reality. By unanimous vote Monday, board of education members approved a preliminary qualification application to the Michigan Department of Treasury. The action means the district is in the process of seeking approval from the state agency to issue state-qualified bonds. The district’s bond attorney, …

A chimney fire is being cited as the source of a blaze that destroyed a house in Mendon Township last week. Investigators said the conclusion was made after a closer look into the situation and its origin. The fire, which was reported at 11:30 a.m. Friday, destroyed a residence in the 53500 block of Nottawa Road. One occupant inside the …

The Sunday storms that swept across the Lower Peninsula Sunday have claimed at least two lives. A 21-year-old Ingham County man died when a tree fell while he was driving. Investigators say the tree either fell in front of, or onto his car in Ingham County. The victim, Ryan Ellen Rickman of Leslie, was driving northbound when the heavy winds …

Authorities say an 83-year-old woman has died in a fire at her Kalamazoo-area home. MLive.com reports that Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Pali Matyas says she’s believed to be the owner of the house in Galesburg. Her name wasn’t immediately released. Charleston-Galesburg assistant fire Chief Joe Coleman says authorities got a call about 4:15 a.m. Monday and says two other departments helped …

Dolly J. “Dotty” Pike, age 79, of Jefferson City, Tenn., and a former Sturgis resident, passed away Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013, at her home. She was born Sept. 19, 1934, in South Bend, Ind., daughter of the late Kenneth A. and Sarah Elizabeth (Robison) Keyser. Dotty resided in Tennessee for the past 10 years. She moved to Sturgis in 1969 …

Robert L. Brandebury, age 70, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away early Sunday morning, Nov. 17, 2013, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. He was born April 30, 1943, in Fort Worth, Texas, son of the late Warren and Hazel (Rhoades) Brandebury. Mr. Brandebury resided in Sturgis since 1964 coming from Grand Rapids. He was a truck driver by trade and …

Bobby Grant Bray, age 64, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away unexpectedly Saturday afternoon, Nov. 16, 2013, at his home. He was born Oct. 9, 1949, in Kentucky. Bobby resided in Sturgis for many years coming from Detroit. His early life was lived in Kentucky. He was a retired truck driver and had also worked as a taxi driver in Detroit. …

The Big Lots store in Three Rivers will be closing shortly after the new year. Company officials said the retailer, at 1326 Broadway Street, will close Jan. 15, about a month after it begins its going-out-of-business sale. The seller of closeout and surplus merchandise moved to its current spot in 2005 from North Main Street in Three Rivers. It is …

All three area football teams bowed out of the state playoffs Saturday. In Division 8, Mendon was beaten at home for the second consecutive year by Muskegon Catholic Central. Saturday’s 28-to-12 loss ends the Hornets season at 11-and-1. Constantine, hoping to return to the Division 6 state championship game for the third time in three years, suffered a road loss …

Troopers from the White Pigeon state police detachment are investigating separate theft incidents reported earlier this month in Fabius and Mottville townships. In the first case, an 18-foot car-hauler trailer was stolen from a Fabius Township residence in the 14000 block of Gleason Road. The trailer was likely stolen between Oct. 30 and Nov. 1. Troopers were called last week …