Hamilton Harley-Davidson in Sturgis is offering a special program to complement the parent company’s support of U.S. veterans. Co-owner Tom Hamilton said the Sturgis location will provide free motorcycle rental for a day to any veteran or current member of the Armed Forces. It’s the first program of its kind in the country, said Cathi Abbs, executive director of Sturgis …

The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether deputies acted lawfully when they walked to the rear of a home without a warrant and learned there was marijuana growing inside. The case from St. Joseph County centers on the actions of two deputies in 2011. The outcome could have an impact on police tactics statewide. The deputies skipped the …

Orrin C. Bowlby, age 77, of Constantine, passed away Saturday, July 4, 2015 at his home surrounded by his family. He was born the son of Hiram H. and Hazel E. (Kreitzer) Bowlby on August 28, 1937 in Constantine, MI. Orrin graduated from Constantine High School in 1956. On November 20, 1960 he married Jama L. Spencer. He retired from MMPA in …

Thousands of gamblers might have been dealt a bad hand at a southwestern Michigan casino. FireKeepers Casino Hotel says someone got access to the computer system, which held information from 85,000 credit and debit cards used for food, beverage and retail purchases, from September through April. Employees were also affected. In a statement Thursday, FireKeepers says it has no evidence …

Betty Irene Shingledecker, age 79, of Three Rivers, formerly of Marcellus, passed away on Thursday, July 2, 2015 at her home surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Kalamazoo, MI., on May 28, 1936 the daughter of the late Ross and Zola (Kellogg) Morrison. Betty graduated from Delton-Kellogg High School in 1954. In 1971 she was united in …

Marilyn J. Franks, age 78, of Three Rivers, died Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. She was born on Feb. 8, 1937 in St. Joseph, MI the daughter of the late August and Lydia (Wutzke) Franks, and was preceded in death by her brother, Edward A, Franks. She is survived by a nieces, Laurel (Rick) Cordes …

Helen Louise Jordon, age 87, of Vicksburg, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, July 2, 2015 in the presence of her family. She was born in Jackson, MI on May 9, 1928 the youngest of four children born to the late Harry and Mabel (Enos) Evans. She was married to Robert James Jordon on July 3, 1948 at …

Three Rivers police K-9 Hondo passed away last month at Michigan State University following a battle with cancer. Hondo had worked for the department the past five years. Officer Matt Stark, Hondo’s handler, said his companion was a happy and loyal dog. In his five years on the force, Hondo was able to help police locate several fugitives in and …

The Colon Area Chamber of Commerce has announced its 2015 Citizens of the Year are Joseph and Paige Smolarz. During their 25 years in Colon they have become deeply entrenched in the Colon community and extremely active in school and community events. Village trustee Edith Doenges said Joe is an avid supporter of the village’s police and fire departments, allowing …

St. Joseph County commissioners recently gave their approval to a request made by circuit court judge Paul Stutesman regarding an out-of-state travel notice. In a memo to commissioners, Stutesman stated he would like court administrator Kathy Griffin to attend the National Association for Court Management’s annual conference in Louisville, Ky. Two nights of lodging during the weeklong conference later this …