St. Joseph County was awarded a $15,000 grant toward its water trails project. Accepted during last Tuesday’s county commission meeting, the grant was issued through the Southwest Michigan Regional Prosperity Initiative. Parks and Recreation director Jaymes MacDonald said the funds are to be used for improvements related to river-access points such as parking areas, grading of land leading to rivers, …

The St. Joseph County Conservation District is scheduled to begin its inaugural Christmas tree sale today. The agency’s first-time event, which organizers said will serve as a fundraiser, begins at 9 a.m. today at the conservation district office. It is located on the south side of East Main Street, across from Yoder’s Country market. Conservation district intern Hunter Stanke said …

Members of the Constantine Village Council last week approved a parks and recreation five-year plan to improve facilities between 2016 and 2020. Village officials said strengths throughout the village’s 38 acres of parks are good maintenance, water access, open space and large trees. A lack of developed facilities was cited as the village park system’s biggest flaw. Several ideas mentioned …

A Sturgis woman was appointed to a county panel last week. Members of the county commission Tuesday agreed to select Jenny Sue Fair to replace Dennis Bradley on the St. Joseph County Jury Board. Bradley recently resigned from the post. Fair’s term will expire April 30, 2019.

Carl Floyd “Ham” Hammond, 92, passed away on Nov. 17, 2015, in his home. Born in Kalamazoo, he was the son of the late Arthur and Sylvia Hammond and husband to the late Frances Hammond. He was a retired Master Chief Petty Officer from the U.S. Navy and a veteran of WWII and Korea. He graduated Three Rivers High School …

Theodore “Ted” Turner Howard, age 70, of Three Rivers, passed away on Friday, Nov. 20th, 2015 at home following a valiant fight with pancreatic cancer. Ted was born on Dec. 20th, 1944 the sixth child of Turner R. and Elsie L. (Flagg) Howard in Kalamazoo, MI. With his five siblings Ted was raised in Kalamazoo and lived all his life …

Daniel Furlong, the one-time Constantine resident accused of killing 11-year-old Jodi Parrack in 2007, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The development took place Thursday before circuit court Judge Paul Stutesman. In exchange for his plea, the 65-year-old Furlong will not be charged with other crimes in the Parrack case or offenses related to a July incident in White Pigeon …

A Three Rivers man was sentenced to at least 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting children in a daycare at his girlfriend’s residence in Three Rivers. Cary Jones, 47, was found guilty last month of six counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of accosting children for immoral purposes. Investigators began looking into the case in January …

The Kalamazoo Wings (7-7-1-0) were just 63 seconds from defeat at the hands of the Toledo Walleye (5-5-0-3)early Thursday afternoon, but that all changed when Cody Pritz scored the game tying goal to send the game into overtime. The two teams met for a early morning Education Day game yesterday at the Huntington Center. Jumping out to an early 2-0 …

Nicholas Jay Russell, age 32, of Three Rivers, died Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015 at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was born in Syracuse, NY on May 18, 1983 the son of Michael A. and Anne (Bradt) Russell. He graduated from Liverpool High School in New York and has been a resident of Michigan since 2001. Nicholas was married to …