Leaders of a steering committee behind the proposed development of a 17-field sports complex in the Three Rivers area have a little work to do if they wish to receive a financial allocation from St. Joseph County. The matter of funding for property acquisition was discussed by St. Joseph County commissioners during their executive committee meeting Thursday. County administrator Pat …

The final river cleanup effort of the season by the St. Joseph County Conservation District was hailed a success by its organizers. Staged Saturday on a 2 1/2-mile stretch of the St. Joseph River between M-66 and the old Railroad Street bridge in Mendon, the cleanup drew 20 participants in 17 boats. Conservation District Board member John Nelson said volunteers …

The St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit last week pulled 170 marijuana plants from a field in three different townships. Sheriff Brad Balk said SCAN officers participated in a Domestic Cannabis Eradication Operation in Park, Fabius and Mottville townships Friday. During the execution, officers seized the marijuana plants. Had the plants been cultivated, they would have yielded a street value …

State Rep. Aaron Miller was joined last week on the Capitol rotunda by Sturgis Chief of Public Safety Geoff Smith and Assistant Chief of Public Safety Ryan Banaszak prior to the House of Representatives’ Sept. 11 memorial service on the House floor. House members invited first responders and members of the military as their guests during the ceremony, which marked …

Michelle Lynn Horning, age 37, of Vicksburg, died Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo following a 15 month illness. She was born in Sturgis, MI on July 3, 1978 the daughter of Michael and Cynthia (Bucknell) Mingus and was a lifetime resident of the area. She graduated from Sturgis High School in 1997 and later from …

Franklin Richard McDaniel, 71, of Elkhart, Ind. passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015 at Elkhart General Hospital. He was born on June 8, 1944 in Bloomfield, Ind. to Ervin and Sarah McDaniel. On Nov. 17, 1995 he married Linda K. Pritchard. Franklin is survived by: his wife, Linda McDaniel of Goshen, Ind.; his sons, Richard and Thomas McDaniel; siblings, …

Richard William Meyer, age 87, of Mendon Township, died Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 at his home. He was born near Vicksburg on June 24, 1928 the son of John M. and Pearl M. (Woods) Meyer and was lifetime resident of the area. Richard attended the Strong Country School graduated from Vicksburg High School in 1947. He served in the U.S. …

A White Pigeon man has been charged with the 2007 homicide of 11-year-old Jodi Parrack. St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough made the announcement during a press conference Thursday afternoon at the county courthouse. He said the August arrest of 65-year-old Daniel Furlong resulted in the collection of DNA that matched DNA found at the Parrack crime scene. Furlong following …

A Three Rivers-based group seeking to recall a trio of Three Rivers board of education members filed suit Thursday against St. Joseph County Clerk Lindsay Oswald. Attorney Kelly Ward, representing TR Cares, said Oswald failed to properly fulfill her duties in the signature-verification stage of the procedure. Oswald last week said after a full review of the signatures on petitions …

A preliminary report about a small plane crash that killed a pilot at a southwestern Michigan airport last month says witnesses reported seeing the plane operating erratically while taking off. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports (http://bcene.ws/1gbpu9x ) the National Transportation Safety Board says a witness “saw that the wings were rocking back and forth during the takeoff.” The plane crashed …