Betty Ann Keefer, age 67, of Sturgis, passed away Wednesday, June 12, 2013, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. She was born March 24, 1946, in Marshall, a daughter of the late Walter and Virginia (Goodman) Shepherd. Betty had resided in Sturgis for the past eight years, coming from Battle Creek, where she lived most of her life. She was …

Sgt. Desmond Eli Davis, Michigan Army National Guard, age 41, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away Thursday evening, June 13, 2013, at his home after a courageous battle with ALS. He was born Nov. 17, 1971, in Kendallville, Ind., son of David and Sandra (Brown) Davis. Desmond resided in Sturgis and was a graduate of Westview High School in Topeka, Indiana …

Weather played a critical role in Saturday’s closing day of the 57th Three Rivers Water Festival. Intermittent rain showers Saturday forced Water Festival organizers to call off the event-ending entertainment and fireworks programs. Deb Herring, head of the Water Festival Planning Committee, said the fireworks show needed a period of time Saturday to plan and coordinate its display, and the …

A 60-year-old White Pigeon man was charged with felony discharge of a firearm following an incident Thursday in White Pigeon Township. State police officials said troopers were called to a residential unit in the River Forest Trailer Park regarding a shot fired around 8:45 p.m. A media release stated the man fired a .45-caliber rifle into the ground to stop …

Two teenagers and a 12-year-old were injured after they were involved in a head-on collision at 11 a.m. Friday on U.S. 12 near Balk Road in Sturgis Township. According to a media release, 17-year-old Trent Harker was driving west on U.S. 12 when he attempted to pass a vehicle and was met by an eastbound car. Harker swerved off the …

Area law-enforcement agencies are looking for a Pontiac with front-end damage, as a Grand Prix or Grand Am-type vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run incident Friday in Lockport Township. The incident occurred at 10 a.m. when a vehicle heading north on Covered Bridge Road collided with a vehicle at South River Road. The suspect vehicle left the scene heading west …

Officials from a folding-carton company announced last week plans to expand operations at its Sturgis plant. Americraft Carton Inc. will be adding a new printing press to its South Street facility, company officials said. The 25,000-square-foot addition will house the high-speed, wide-format printing press The company, which has 110 employees, has already seen facility expansions in 2000 and again in …

Honore Laura (Roberts) Jones, age 66, of Elkhart (Formerly of Constantine), passed away Thursday, June 13, 2013 at the Hospice House in Elkhart, IN. She was born in Three Rivers, MI on May 4, 1947, a daughter of Tom and Fern (Reardon) Roberts. Honore fought a courageous, lengthy, forty-two year battle with cancer. Honore graduated from Constantine High School, Carter …

Louise A. Needham, 64, of Sturgis, died Wednesday, June 12, 2013, at Visiting Nurse and Hospice Home in Fort Wayne, Ind., after an extended illness. She was born Oct. 28, 1948, in Jackson, a daughter of Floyd and Mellisa (Kelly) Jones. She had been a resident of Sturgis and LaGrange, Ind. On Oct. 14, 1967, she married Willie G. Needham in …

State Rep. Matt Lori on Thursday announced an Indiana manufacturer will move its operations to White Pigeon, resulting in a $1.1 million investment and an estimated 46 new jobs in the village. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation approved a $200,000 performance-based grant to bring Merhow Industries to a vacant facility in White Pigeon. The company, which outgrew its factory in …