Tisha M. Durbin, age 38, of Marcellus, MI passed away unexpectedly Friday, January 2, 2015 at Bronson Hospital, Kalamazoo, MI She was born May 8, 1976 in Kalamazoo, MI the daughter of Arthur Quinn and Kathy Sue (Schmidtendorff) Durbin. She enjoyed reading, writing and music. She was adventurous and enjoyed traveling. Tisha had a very kind heart, was giving and …

Karl Allen Stevens, 69, of Three Rivers, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014, at home, after a long battle with cancer. He was born Feb. 1, 1945 to the late John and Virginia (Smith) Stevens in Three Rivers. Karl married Karleen Philips on Nov. 25, 1967. He was a loving husband, devoted father, grandfather and brother. Karl graduated from …

Etta Jane (Lewis) Griffin, age 77, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, December 31, 2014, following a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was born in Three Rivers, MI on April 20, 1937, the daughter of the late Warren and Ruth (Franklin) Lewis. Etta graduated from Three Rivers High School in 1955 and was DAR …

A trio of community-visioning workshops are planned to help determine the future of Three Rivers. Community visioning is a planning tool that enables residents, business owners and local institutions to have a voice in the decision-making process of their community. The workshops have been planned to gather information from residents about what they like about Three Rivers and what they …

A ceremonial swearing-in ceremony for two state legislators will take place later this month in Centreville. The event will feature State Sen. John Proos and State Rep. Aaron Miller, as they began their terms Wednesday. Proos, a Berrien County resident, was re-elected to a four-year term in November, while Miller, who lives in Sherman Township, started a two-year stint replacing …

Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched Tuesday to a Nottawa Township business regarding a theft report. Upon arrival, deputies learned a log splitter was stolen from Nottawa Lumber. According to a department media release, the item in question was a blue, Iron and Oak brand log splitter. The splitter features a red, 13 horse power Honda …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Health Agency has issued a media release regarding January as Radon Action Month. Radon is an odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas that naturally occurs in soil and rock. The agency wishes to remind residents that January is a good month to test for Radon. Radon typically travels into the atmosphere and causes no damage. Sometimes, however, it gets …

The November unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by half a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 4.1 percent November unemployment rate was less than October’s 4.6 percent. November’s unemployment rate was 2.6 percent less than the same month in 2013, when …

Andy Brown’s sentencing in the David Locey murder case was voted the top local news story in St. Joseph County for 2014. The Sturgis Journal revealed its annual top local stories of the year, and Brown’s July sentencing of up to 75 years in prison was No. 1. Next on the list was the June relocation of the Sturgis Depot …

Implementation of a river trail network, establishment of a municipal revolving-fund loan and development of plans regarding a new animal shelter are some of the matters the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners is expected to handle in 2015. John Dobberteen, chair of the five-man board, said the commission has a big year ahead of itself. A master plan regarding …