Crews from two departments spent Wednesday morning battling a fire at an apartment building at 121 N. Lincoln Ave. in Three Rivers. The blaze was reported by a passer-by around 6:45 a.m. The site is just east of the BP gas station. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and fire on the first floor. The interior fire was brought under …

Results of a needs-assessment questionnaire, distributed jointly by Sturgis Hospital and Three Rivers Health, have been released. The third of five fields focuses on chronic diseases. According to the St. Joseph County 2012 Community Health Needs Assessment, 29 percent of the population surveyed suffers from chronic lower back pain and 28 percent reported having high blood pressure. In addition, as …

Lois J. Hickok, 80, of Indianapolis, died March 19 2014. She was born May 29, 1933, in Marion, Ill., to Orville and Nola (Turner) Goley. She was a finance clerk at teh Ft. Benjamin Harrison Finance Center. She is survived by her daughter, Amy (Bob) Hoffmeyer; and grandson, Drew. She was preceded in death by her parents; and husband, Purdy Allen Hickok. …

Martha Pauline Peebles, 86, of Three Rivers, passed away on Thursday, March 20, 2014 at the Three Rivers Health. She was born on March 12, 1928 in Three Rivers, the daughter of the late Roy and Lolita (Lawrence) Heckelman. Martha has been a lifelong resident of Three Rivers. She graduated from Three Rivers High School with the class of 1945. …

Dorothy June Davis, 75, of Sturgis, passed away Wednesday morning, March 19, 2014 at her home. She was born June 26, 1938 in St. Joseph County, daughter of the late Howard and Dorothy (Menbeck) Bell. June lived most of her life in Sturgis. She married Alan D. Davis in Centreville. She retired from the Holiday Inn in Sturgis following 20 …

Harold “Sam” Ruggles, 93, passed away Wednesday, March 19th, at his daughters home in Manistee. Harold was born in Ann Arbor, MI on May 31, 1920, a son of Hellen Pearl (Houldsworth) and Arthur Ellis Ruggles. He graduated from Three Rivers High School in 1938. Sam served in the U.S. Army stationed at Camp Roberts in California. On January 26, …

Oydean F. McKenzie, age 91, of Marcellus, MI passed away Wednesday morning, March 19, 2014. She was born April 22, 1922, the daughter of Raymond C. and Fae (Bent) Waltz. On September 24, 1943 she married Donald F. Mckenzie who preceded her in death. Oydean was a lifelong member of Wakelee United Methodist Church and the Farm Bureau. She was …

The driver of a semi tractor-trailer was killed Thursday following a collision with a train in White Pigeon Township. The incident occurred around 5 p.m. at the crossing over U.S. 131 near Indian Prairie Road. Sheriff’s deputies said the southbound semi collided with a slow-moving, eastbound train comprised of an engine and two rail cars. The collision caused a portion …

Methamphetamine-related charges were filed against a Constantine Township man Thursday. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the arrest was the culmination of an investigation that took place over the course of several weeks. The suspect was arrested after a search warrant was executed by narcotics investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit. The arrest took place at …

A decision by Constantine Public Schools to adopt a so-called balanced calendar would be made only after an exhaustive review and considerable public input. For now, Superintendent Chuck Frisbie told a crowd of about two dozen people Wednesday, the concept is still just a proposal and remains in the discussion stage. If the measure is endorsed, it would begin no …