James “Jim” Edward Fisher, age 91, passed away on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 in Cassopolis. He was born on July 22, 1923 the only child to Marie (Bartozak) and Max (Marion) Fisher of South Bend. He grew up on Chapin Street, where he helped his father run Fisher’s Meat Market. In 1942, Jim joined the United States Naval Corps. He …

Kenneth Lee Becker, age 39, of Kalamazoo, died Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014 in Kalamazoo. He was born in Ft. Benning, GA on April 1, 1975 the son of Don Lee and Mary Jane (Roberts) Becker. Ken graduated from Three Rivers High School and attended the Branch County Career Center. He was a carpenter who worked at Viking R-V in Centreville …

Alice E. Barnes, 88, passed away peacefully October 9, 2014 in Atlantis, FL at JFK Medical Center, where she had been a volunteer. Alice had also resided in Boynton Beach, FL and Tinton Falls, NJ . Alice was born on August 21, 1926 in Three Rivers, MI to Burl and Doris (Hilbert) Byers from Farmer, OH. Alice received her AA …

Two duck hunters were rescued from the St. Joseph River Sunday morning in Lockport Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the two were duck hunting with a 12-year-old boy shortly before 7 a.m. in the 62000 block of Constantine Road in Lockport Township. Deputies were called to assist with the two men, who were unable to free themselves …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners has reached an employment agreement with the county’s finance director. During last week’s commission meeting, the board and Joni Smith signed a one-year contract retroactive to Oct. 1. The contract reflects compensation for a number of additional duties Smith has been delegated in the past two years. Those responsibilities include budget preparation and managing …

The Sturgis City Commission last week approved three design-task orders for 2015 street projects. The orders allow the city to get a head start on completing preliminary design, final design and bidding phases for each project this winter, in preparation for street work next spring. The city street repairs were approved for West Dresser Drive and Congress Street, and milling …

A few weeks ago, my wife and I attended her fiftieth class reunion. She graduated from Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo, and her class was the first to attend all three years in the new building. My wife was part of the Reunion Planning Committee, so she had been working on the reunion for the past year and one-half. …

State police are continuing their investigation into a motorcyclist wanted for fleeing and eluding. According to a department media release, a trooper on patrol attempted to pull over the motorcyclist for an equipment violation Friday night on Crooked Creek Road in White Pigeon Township. The suspect continued north at a high rate of speed but lost control north of U.S. …

The latest PowerPoint presentation regarding the St. Joseph County River Trail master plan is now available on the county’s website. County officials said the presentation, shown at four community meetings over the past six weeks, is a part of the master plan for what is expected to be an official river trail. The concept originated with the St. Joseph County …

A house in Sturgis was severely damaged was after it caught fire Sunday night. Details about the fire, in the 1000 block of Wilson Street, were limited, but the blaze appeared to have started around 11 p.m. in the garage. Two people and a dog were safely taken from the residence. One resident was taken to Sturgis Hospital for treatment …