The windows of a car were smashed and its tires slashed during a dispute involving three people over the weekend in Sturgis. According to the Sturgis Police Department, officers were called at 5 a.m. Sunday to the 500 block of North Nottawa Street to what was described as the sound of gun shots. Upon arrival, officers found two males and …

Genevieve (Bell) Rusk, 69, of Constantine, passed away Aug. 17, 2013, at Heartland Health and Rehab Center in Three Rivers. She was born Sept. 4, 1943, in Rembroke Township, N.C., a daughter of the late Malcolm and Libby Mae (Locklear) Bell. On July 6, 1945, she married J.C. Rusk in Middlebury, Ind. She was preceded in death by her parents; …

Michigan tied for having the fourth highest unemployment rate in the nation in July, according to figures from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both Michigan and Georgia had a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 8.8 percent last month. Nevada topped the rankings with a 9.5 percent unemployment rate, followed by Illinois at 9.2 percent. While Rhode Island and North …

An Auburn Hills man is facing time in prison after pleading guilty for his role in a retail fraud scheme that bilked Home Depot stores in 13 states out of more that $300,000. Mlive.com reports 47-year-old Christopher Smith pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud last week in Flint U.S. District Court. He’s accused in a scheme that stretched …

Billie Jean LeClaire, age 82, of Colon, passed away Sunday, August 18th, 2013 at her home. She was born in Three Rivers on November 7, 1930, a daughter of Doren and Ethel (Miller) Davenport. On August 31, 1968 she married Louis V. LeClaire in Honolulu. He preceded her in death on January 18, 1991. Billie worked as an office clerk …

A potential misdemeanor charge against St. Joseph County Commissioner Don Eaton will be decided by Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz. The neighboring county was chosen Friday by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office to review the case. Eaton is an elected official and, following protocol, the matter must be delegated outside the county he represents. The case against Eaton stems from …

Three area men face drug-related charges after a home in the 64000 block of Burr Oak Road was raided by police Wednesday in Burr Oak Township. Investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit located methamphetamine and evidence of the manufacturing of meth, according to a sheriff’s department media release. Police are pursuing charges of possession of meth, possession …

Thanks to the participation of about 125 people, Saturday’s 5K walk/run and 1-mile Fun Run helped raise approximately $7,200 for the 1 Lt. Jonathan W. Edds Memorial Fund. In the four-year history of the walk and run – sponsored by the White Pigeon Parks and Recreation Department – more than $34,000 has been raised for the fund created in honor …

The 26th Mendon Riverfest is in the books and organizers of the three-day community festival are calling it a success. The event-ending fireworks show Saturday night attracted several hundred people to Reed Riverside Park. Earlier in the day, a canoe race, kayak relay, canoe swamp, toy-boat and rubber-duck races and pontoon rides all took place on the St. Joseph River. …

More than a third of young adults who don’t drive say they are too busy to get a driver’s license-and more than a fifth have no intention of ever learning to drive. Researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute surveyed 618 adults under 40 who do not have a driver’s license to find out why. They found that …