Charges of violating a permit related to a concealed pistol license could be imposed on a member of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Second District Commissioner Don Eaton could be charged with a misdemeanor related to an incident that originated July 29 at the Sturgis Applebee’s restaurant. Eaton, 53, said he retrieved from his vehicle a pistol as …

A Sturgis woman has died as the result of a motorcycle accident Wednesday night in Constantine Township. Carrie Gay, 30, died Thursday at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, where she was airlifted following the accident at Dickinson and Burke roads. She was a passenger on a motorcycle driven by 32-year-old Charles Barfell, of Sturgis. He remains in serious condition at …

Glen Oaks Community College is offering classes that will teach students how to develop applications for mobile phones. The newly created Mobile Phone Applications Development certificate program begins this fall at the Centreville-area school. Patricia Morgenstern, associate dean of extended learning and workforce development, said the program will teach students how to build, test and market their Android and iPhone …

Dorothy Lou Blackwell died from complications due to congestive heart failure on May 3, 2013, at Friendship Village in Kalamazoo. She was born on Feb. 22, 1922 in Burr Oak, Mich., to Joseph and Eunice (Hanson) Cowles. Surviving are her three children, Susan Ramsey and Judith Myers of Kalamazoo and Robert Blackwell of Greer, SC; her grandchildren Elizabeth (Matt) Bird …

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) State Veterinarian Dr. James Averill today confirmed the first case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in a 12-year-old grade mare from Van Buren County for 2013. The only Michigan case of EEE last year was in an eight-week-old puppy from the same county. “This horse was never vaccinated against EEE and died …

Merritt James (Jim) Walworth, age 80, of Centreville, passed away Thursday, August 8th, 2013 at his home. He was born in Tampa, Florida on April 25, 1933, a son of James Merritt and Maxine E.E. (Hall) Walworth. Jim graduated from Sturgis High School in 1951 and Tri State University in 1958 with his BS in Electrical Engineering. On May 22, …

Loretta (Wilcox, Stevens) Eicher, age 67, of Sturgis, passed away peacefully at her home Wednesday morning, Aug. 14, 2013. Loretta was born March 17, 1946, in Niles, Mich., to Clyde (Bud) and Katherine (Stauffer) Wilcox. In 1964, at the age of 18 she married David Stevens and they lived in the Nottawa area. They had four sons: Tom (Shay) Stevens, …

Terrance German, age 77, of Sturgis, passed away Aug. 13, 2013, at his home. In sccordance to his wishes, cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at a later date. The family was assisted by the Schipper Funeral Home LTD. in Colon.

Dora Louise Johnson, 96, passed away 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013 in Navasota, Texas. She was formerly from Three Rivers. She had been declining health for some time. Born Feb. 17, 1917 to the late Lauren Claude Norton and Eva Mearle (Blanchard) Norton. She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers; two sisters; one step-son, William T. …

Voters in the Constantine Public Schools district will have two ballot measures before them later this year. A request to renew 18 mills for general operations and a bond resolution for major improvements at Constantine Middle School will be decided in November, following action during the district’s board of education meeting this week. Superintendent Chuck Frisbie said he stressed to …