Police say a deadly overnight truck crash along the Indiana Toll Road closed the tollway for several hours as crews cleaned up a chemical that spilled from a tanker it was hauling. State police say the truck’s driver, 35-year-old Omar Pleasont of Portage, Indiana was pronounced dead at the scene of Thursday night’s crash in LaGrange County, just south of …

Sallie L. Channey, age 81, of rural Three Rivers, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. She was born in Alpine, Alabama on April 10, 1939 one of nine children born to Joseph and Josephine (Wiley) Bowman. She was married to Rev. Luther D. Channey, Jr. on Nov. 23, 1957. They moved to this area in …

Annette D Miller,  age 67, of White Pigeon, passed away on Thursday, February 4, 2021 at Three Rivers. She was born June 14, 1953 in Three Rivers, a daughter of Harry and Florence (Brewer) Parker. Annette graduated from Constantine High School in 1971. On March 10, 1985 she married Timothy W Miller in Las Vegas, NV. Annette retired from Owens …

Alice Marilyn Happel, age 91, of Burr Oak, died early Thursday morning, Feb. 4, 2021, at Skaggs Assisted Living of Burr Oak. She was born Aug. 25, 1929, in Sturgis, the first daughter of the late Clement and Frances (Hibbard) Bothamley. Alice graduated from Sturgis High School with the class of 1947. On Dec. 5, 1953, she married Vern L. …

Charlotte Louise Parisot, age 73, of Sturgis, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo. She was born Oct. 21, 1947, in Detroit, a daughter of the late Phillip and Gertrude (Hughes) Selman. Charlotte had been a resident of Sturgis for more than 45 years, moving here from the Detroit area. She was first married to …

Louis Dean Hartzell, age 81, of rural Three Rivers, died Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 at his home. He was born in Vandalia on July 18, 1939 the son of Glenn and Ada (Smeltzer) Hartzell and was a lifetime resident of the area. Raised on a farm, Louis graduated from Marcellus High School. He was employed by Continental Can Company and …

An Indiana man died in a single-vehicle crash Thursday in Cass County’s Porter Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called shortly before 1 p.m. to an area on U.S. 12, just west of Birch Road. A vehicle driven by 63-year-old Douglas Vankirk, of Mishawaka, appeared to be traveling eastbound on U.S. 12. Investigators said Vankirk lost control of the …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel announced Thursday the return of high school sports. Speaking at a press conference from Lansing, Whitmer announced the return to sports will start taking place next week. Indoor contact sports coming back include basketball, ice hockey, competitive cheer and wrestling. Each sport can begin contact practicing, with masks, on Monday. Basketball can begin competition with …

Local Department of Natural Resources conservation officers are appealing to the public for help finding the person who shot and left a button-buck deer in a field near Dauber and Round Lake roads in Noble Township. The location is just east of the St. Joseph County line. A land owner found the buck Monday afternoon and called DNR. The officer …

A ban on popular high school winter sports was lifted Thursday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, days after frustrated parents and anxious teens rallied at the Capitol to try to persuade officials that basketball, wrestling and hockey could safely take place during the coronavirus pandemic. Whitmer said science, not protests, made the difference. Nonetheless, many school officials said they believe …