Betty Meringa, 84, went home to be with her Lord Friday, Aug. 29, 2014. She died peacefully at her home with family by her side. She was born in Parkville, the daughter of Roy and Marie Kennedy. While working at the local drug store she met and married the love of her life, Marinus “Joe” Meringa, on Jan. 15, 1949. …

Colleen F. Howard passed away at 1:05 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2014, in Goshen, Ind. She had been hospitalized since Wednesday. Her husband, Thomas Lee Howard, was with her at the end. Colleen was born June 10, 1931 in Elkhart, Ind., the third daughter of William Henry Joseph Farrell and Thelma Beatrice Robertson, of that city. She graduated from Elkhart …

Two people were injured in a motorcycle accident Wednesday in Constantine Township. Michigan State Police said Gary Purcell, 60, and a passenger, his wife, Patricia, 64, both of Coloma, were riding south on Youngs Prairie Road near Millers Mill Road around 1:30 p.m. Purcell was unable to negotiate a curve and lost control. The motorcycle and its riders traveled across …

A White Pigeon man was seriously injured Thursday evening when he collided with a car at the intersection of Kessington Road and Mason Street in Mason Township. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, 24-year-old Kristy Barks of Cassopolis stopped at the intersection, but failed to see the cycle rider. He was identified as Michael Alwine, age 43, of White …

A former Fabius Township leader and active member of the local Marine Corps detachment passed away earlier this week. Del Martin, 77, who served as Fabius Township supervisor for eight years starting in 1996, passed away Monday after he took ill in late July. Martin ran in the August primary for a seat to the St. Joseph County Board of …

A Three Rivers business and its pay-it-forward concept is scheduled to be profiled on a local news broadcast Friday. Mike King, proprietor of the Weenie Kings push-cart stand, said the segment is slated to run twice between 5 and 7 a.m. on WWMT, Channel 3. King said the pay-it-forward concept started during HarmonyFest 2012, when a customer gave him extra …

Key staffing positions were filled Tuesday for the county-backed College Access Network. The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners hired Ann Happel, Brian McDaniel and Anita Schlabach as service providers for the countywide program. College Access Network stemmed from the Sturgis SUCCESS program, which helps students become better prepared for secondary education, whether it’s at the community college level, a …

The Sturgis firefighter charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct has been dismissed from the department. Sturgis fire officials said Joshua Jason Snyder, 36, was separated from the department Friday following an internal investigation of the allegations. Fire officials said Snyder violated a number of the department’s general orders regarding personnel conduct. Snyder, who was with the department four …

Imogene Bice, age 84, of Kalamazoo, MI passed away Tuesday, September 2, 2014 in Tendercare Kalamazoo. She was born April 7, 1930 the youngest of Frank Bayne and Nona Sue Gunn. She enjoyed crafting and sewing and especially enjoyed making them for others.  She had a talent for seeing something and being able to reproduce it.  She was a member …

Delmar Leroy Martin, Jr., 77, passed away at Three Rivers Health on Monday, September 1, 2014. He was born on August 11, 1937 to Delmar and Gladys (Morrison) Martin in Rolling Prairie, Indiana. From his youth Delmar was an avid marksman a life long commitment, leading to numerous certificates and awards of which he was extremely proud. He was also a …