Lori Gwen Miller, age 51, of Sturgis, passed away Friday evening, Jan. 10, 2014, from injuries sustained in a house fire. She was born August 6, 1962 in Sturgis, Michigan daughter of Lloyd G. and Vivian (Watson) Steiner. Lori resided her whole life in Sturgis and she was a graduate of White Pigeon High School with the class of 1980. …

Lauren Raymond “Ray” Pike Jr., age 80, of New Paltz, N.Y., passed away Friday night, Jan. 10, 2014, at Borgess Medical Center after a short illness. He was born July 6, 1933, in Frontenac, Kan. Ray was a former longtime resident of Sturgis. He was a truck driver for most of his life and served in the U.S. Navy as …

Dorothy Evelyn Seabold, age 100, of Sturgis, passed away early Monday morning, Jan. 13, 2014, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born May 15, 1913, in Elkhart, Ind., a daughter of the late Norman and Clara (McLain) Kreider. Mrs. Seabold resided in Sturgis since 1931, coming from Elkhart, Ind. On July 11, 1931, she married Kenneth P. Seabold …

Lola Pearl Palmer Richards, age 87, of Sturgis, and formerly of Burr Oak, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014 at Thurston Woods Village. She was born July 1, 1926, in Pittsford, a daughter of the late Arthur and Florence (Ettinger) Palmer. On Aug. 22, 1959, she married Russell “Gene” Richards in Bryan, Ohio. He passed away Jan. 29, 1992. They …

Elbert (Al) Hendrik Regtuyt, 72, of Cape Coral, Fla., passed away Jan. 10, 2014, at Hope Hospice of Cape Coral. He had been a resident of Cape Coral since 1978, formerly from Constantine. Elbert was born Sept. 6, 1941, to Gysbertus (Gus) and Wilhelmina (Willie) Regtuyt, now deceased, in Muiden, Netherlands. After surviving the German occupation of the Netherlands, he, …

Josephine Joy “Jo” Shannon, 81, of Leonidas, and formerly of Battle Creek, died unexpectedly Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, at her home. Jo was born Sept. 8, 1932, in Muddy, Ill., a daughter of Hobart A. and Julia A. (Long) Foster. Jo worked at Clark Equipment Company for a few years and at Bailey Park taking tickets, but mostly worked for …

Constantine Village Manager Mark Honeysett said he will take over as chief of police later this year. Members of the Constantine Village Council agreed to the arrangement Monday, as current chief Jim Bedell is retiring in May. Honeysett, 58, said he will work under a two-year contract as chief while continuing to serve as village manager. His salary will be …

The November unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by six-tenths of a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 7.2 percent November unemployment rate was more than October’s 7.8 percent. November’s unemployment figure was 1.3 percent less than the same month a year …

Approximately 100 people gathered in downtown Three Rivers Sunday to participate in a flash mob-style video shoot, led by the city’s Downtown Development Authority. DDA director Christy Trammell said the authority has applied to participate in the Select Level of the Michigan Main Street Program. Adhering to the theme, “T.R. is All in this Together,” representatives from various organizations, Three …

John Dobberteen will head the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners for the second consecutive year. The unanimous decision was made Tuesday at the commission’s first assembly of 2014. The meeting had been postponed one week due to inclement weather Jan. 7. Dobberteen, whose jurisdiction covers the city of Sturgis and Fawn River Township, is starting his 16th year on …