Mendon High School’s John Schwartz is one of eight football coaches representing Michigan in a nationwide contest by the publication USA Today. The “Best Of” contest, which started Monday, is an online-voting event to select the best high school football coach in the country. Every state is represented by a pool of eight coaches, and the field will be narrowed …

The St. Joseph County United way exceeded its goal during a three-hour Roof Sit at Sturgis Hospital Tuesday. The goal of $20,000 was met early on and the revised goal of $25,000 was surpassed by the time the event concluded. In all, the Roof Sit raised almost $25,800. United Way officials expressed their appreciation for the support and reminded that …

Tony Lee Cook, age 54, of Sturgis, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at his home. He was born in Ft. Wayne, IN on October 3, 1958, a son of Darlo and Carol (Poff) Cook. Tony was a truck driver for P&P Transportation and several other companies. In January 1987 he married Rene Kidd. Tony was known as …

A 37-year-old Sturgis man is in custody and is a suspect in Wednesday’s fatal shooting of a Sturgis accountant. The man was arrested after David Locey, 70, was found dead of a single gunshot wound around 8 o’clock Wednesday morning at his office on M-66 in Sherman Township, just north of the Sturgis city limits. Sheriff’s officials said the case …

Vera Ruth Wade, 99, of Sturgis, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday, Sept. 30, 2013, at Fairview Nursing and Rehabilitation Community in Centreville, following a short illness. She was born March 30, 1914, in LaGrange, Ind. She had been a resident of the Sturgis area since 1970, coming from White Pigeon. On May 29, 1937, …

Robert Lee Alburtus, 78, of Centreville, passed away at 7:28 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013, at his home. He was born Dec. 28, 1934, in Flint to Charles and Bertha (Weber) Alburtus. On July 23, 1955, he married Janet Johns. On Jan. 15, 1983, he married Shirley A. Carlin in Three Rivers. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, of …

Lisa Ann Mains, age 60, of Sturgis passed away Monday afternoon, Sept. 30, 2013, at The Laurels of Coldwater, following a long, courageous battle with dementia. She was born September 16, 1953 in Sturgis, a daughter of David and Phyllis (Easterday) Jordan. Lisa was a lifelong Sturgis area resident and a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of …

Faith Simonson, a daughter of Adam and Emerlyn Simonson of Sturgis, was stillborn Sunday evening, Sept. 29, 2013, at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. Faith is survived by her loving parents, Adam and Emerlyn; brothers Jaden and Cobi Simonson at home; grandparents Joan Frederick, Howard Casimer, Carol Simonson, Charles Simonson, Gayla Perry and Todd and Tami Shawver; great-grandmother, …

Fannie J. (Yoder) Bontrager, age 85, of Colon, passed away Oct. 1, 2013, at her home. She was born July 9, 1928, a daughter of the late Joseph and Katie (Beechy) Helmuth. On Oct. 28, 1951, she married John Henry Yoder. He preceded her in death Nov. 9, 1990. on Oct. 24, 1999, she married Harry Bontrager of Yoder, Kan. …

Sylvia Ann Welborn, 74, of Sturgis, passed away Monday, Sept. 30, 2013. Sylvia was born in Bronson and grew up in Sturgis. In 1966, while living in Omaha, Neb., she met and married her husband. Thus began her life of travelling the world. From Nebraska, they moved to Virginia, then Okinawa, Japan, and on to Oklahoma. Next was Panama, then …