A 43-year-old Cassopolis man has died in a one-vehicle accident in Cass County’s Volinia Township. Sheriff Joe Underwood said deputies were called around 1 a.m. Wednesday to Dutch Settlement Road, east of Lawrence Road. Investigators said the vehicle was traveling east on Dutch Settlement Road when it left the roadway and struck a tree. Deputies attempted to revive the subject …

M-66 in Sherman Township was closed for about two hours this week after a semi tractor-trailer lost its load of lumber. Sheriff’s department officials said 51-year-old Bryan Wolfe of Saginaw was driving south on M-66 around 5:40 p.m. Tuesday, when he stopped to avoid a traffic backup near Hackman Road. His load of lumber broke free and crashed through the …

A pair of Sturgis service organizations teamed up earlier this month to continue a longstanding local holiday tradition. Members from Sturgis Elks and the city’s Kiwanis clubs joined for the annual “Boots and Shoes” giveaway. The Elks club provides children with either a new pair of shoes or boots with footwear provided at cost by Willer’s Shoes in downtown Sturgis. …

Re-examination of downtown Sturgis traffic patterns prompted by the Moso Village development has resulted in a proposed order, changing North Street to two-way traffic from U.S. 12 to West Hatch Street. The Sturgis City Commission earlier this month approved the direction that would reverse a 2007 decision, which had continued restricting the downtown street to northbound only traffic. Representatives from …

Patty Lou Hagenbuch, of Three Rivers, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015 at the age of 80. Pat was born to parents Leslie and Marie (Prutzman) Hagenbuch on April 9, 1935 in Constantine. She grew up on the family farm, the fourth of five sisters and lived her entire life in the Three Rivers area. She cared for both …

Darlene Joy Mathews, age 74, formerly of Mendon died Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015 at her Athens home following a one year illness. She was born in Parkville, MI on Nov. 12, 1941 the daughter of Glen and Jeannette (Ward) Dentler. She attended the Parkville School and Three Rivers High School. Darlene loved children. She and her family cared for 92 …

The attorney representing the leader of the grass-roots group TR Cares issued a cease-and-desist order to Three Rivers Community Schools Superintendent Jean Logan. Kelly Ward – whose client, Sherrie Nowicki, sought the directive – issued the two-page notice to Logan Monday. Nowicki read the order to board members during a special meeting Tuesday morning to deal with two student-expulsion matters. …

St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman has sentenced Maria Williams to a maximum of 35 years in prison for the 2014 shooting death of a 33-year-old Burr Oak-area man. Stutesman on Tuesday issued the sentence, stemming from a March 2014 case involving Williams and Dennis Brooks. Williams had been accused of shooting Brooks once in the head during …

During a moment of what he called “end-of-the-year reflection,” commissioner Rick Shaffer during last week’s county commission meeting acknowledged volunteers who comprise a number of boards and commissions. He also proposed some kind of a media spotlight featuring the workings of the various panels. Shaffer said the county has a number of openings on boards and commissions, and a media …

White Pigeon Fire Department and area residents have assured that local families will have a happy holiday. Earlier this month, the agency staged its second “Fill The Fire Truck” event. Residents were encouraged to donate non-perishable food items or drop money in a fire boot. White Pigeon postal carriers also assisted by picking up items left at mailboxes. Also, Central …