A Branch County man has been charged with felony animal abuse after sheriff’s deputies found a dead horse and nine others that were underfed on his farm in Ovid Township. The Branch County Sheriff’s Department said Geoffrey Eickmann, 33, was arrested Thursday after a warrant was issued. He remains at the county jail in Coldwater under a $25,000 bond after …

Michigan’s memorable winter is about to set another record. Currently, more than 90.5% of the Great Lakes are ice-covered. That’s the most ice cover in 34 years. In 1979, there was 94.7% ice cover, the largest ever recorded by scientists. Jia Wang, a research ice climatologist for the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, told the Detroit Free …

Hunting and fishing licenses will cost you more this year in Michigan, as the Department of Natural Resources is raising those fees for the first time in 17 years. The prices of deer licenses are going up from 15 to 31-dollars, while fishing licenses now cost 26 bucks, up from 15. All fishing licenses will be good for all species. …

Catherine Anne Wolfe, age 70, of Three Rivers, passed away on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at Borgess Medical Center following a lengthy illness. She was born on Nov. 24, 1943 in Garden City, MI., the daughter of Jack and Catherine (O’Byrne) Pelon. Mrs. Wolfe has been a long time resident of Three Rivers. She was employed for many years as …

Russel D. Ames, 86, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday morning, March 1, 2014 at his home. He was born July 24, 1927 in Three Rivers, son of the late Claude and Mildred (Ernest) Ames. Russel resided in Sturgis since 1948 coming from Three Rivers. On Dec. 31, 1948 he married Joyce Ann Holtz at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Sturgis. …

The village of Constantine was awarded a grant in excess of $240,000 Friday from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. During a ceremony at the village office, municipal leaders accepted the money awarded as part of a Downtown Infrastructure Grant. The $242,000 gift was contingent on an $80,000 match from the village. Village Manager Mark Honeysett said the funds will help …

State Sen. Bruce Caswell announced he will not seek re-election later this year. The 64-year-old Caswell said his tenure will end Dec. 31. He took over the position from Cameron Brown starting in January 2011. Caswell, a retired superintendent of Pittsford Area Schools, had turned in his petition to run again. However, Caswell said he will withdraw his petition and …

Here’s a reminder that online voting for the People’s Choice continues through Wednesday for the upcoming Dancing With the St. Joseph County Stars event. Event organizer Linda Kline said an award will be presented after Friday’s production to the couple that receives the most online votes for People’s Choice. Voting for the award will continue the day of the event …

Officials from World Fare have announced the Rivers of Justice Film Festival will take place April 4 and 5 in downtown Three Rivers. Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma  said the festival includes three feature-length films at the Riviera Theatre. Banana Land, playing April 4, explores issues of worker and environmental justice in banana-growing regions. On April 5, The House I Live In …

Alice Marie Rockelein, age 88, of Leonidas, died Saturday March 1, 2014 at the Heritage-Upjohn Community Care Center in Kalamazoo. She was born in Mattawan on June 24, 1925 the daughter of John and Loretta (McCarthy) Kelly. Alice was married to Joseph L. Rockelein in Paw Paw on October 11, 1952 and has resided on a farm north of Leonidas …