Betty A Fries, 81, of Mendon, died Friday June 7, 2013, at Heartland Health Care in Three Rivers, following a short illness. She was born July 23, 1931, in Schoolcraft, a daughter of Millard Pierce and Alice Janice (Amos) Granger. She had been a Mendon resident since 1965, coming from Schoolcraft and Vicksburg. She was owner and operator of Auntie …

Barbara D. (Hochstetler) Yoder, age 91, of Nottawa Road, Sturgis, passed away Thursday, June 6, 2013, at her home after several months of failing health. Barbara was born Oct. 6, 1921, in LaGrange, Ind., a daughter of the late Daniel and Anna (Wickey) Hochstetler. On Nov. 2, 1941, she married Moses D. Yoder Sr. in Centreville. He preceded her in …

Charles Eugene Burg, 85, passed away at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 4, 2013, at Heartland in Three Rivers after an extended illness. He was born March 26, 1928, in Sturgis, to the late Frank and Agnes (Bothamley) Burg. Charles is survived by two sisters, Dorothy Stubig of Sturgis, and Betty (Ralph) Fetch of Constantine; also surviving include several nieces, nephews …

Nine fire departments, including six from St. Joseph County, responded to a commercial blaze Wednesday in Cass County’s Newberg Township. The manufacturing section of Southern Michigan Rubber Co., located on M-60 near the St. Joseph County line, was destroyed by the afternoon blaze. Company officials indicated the fire appeared to have started near the rear of the building in a …

A LaGrange County man suspected of setting fire to a Sturgis restaurant in 2009 was sentenced to prison Wednesday for unrelated felonies. Nathan Lumbard, 30, was ordered to serve a six-year sentence in Indiana after he completes a sentence he is currently serving in Kentucky, where he will be incarcerated until June 2014. Lumbard, who has yet to stand trial …

The 2013 Sturgis Relay for Life event begins this afternoon, as cancer survivors and participants walking in memory of a cancer victim will assemble a Sturgis High School’s track. The event starts at 3 p.m., with a number of special laps planned. At 6 o’clock, cancer survivors will walk a victory lap and a luminaire ceremony starts at 10, when …

The deadline for prospective participants to register for the second annual Paddle for Paws event and picnic is Monday. Organizers said the June 22 event, which benefits Up-Cycled Pets, involves paddling the Rocky River. Canoes and kayaks will be available for rent or prospective participants may bring their own watercraft. Paddlers should meet at Liquid Therapy in Three Rivers at …

John H. Blood, age 92, of Three Rivers passed away at his home on Tuesday, June 4, 2013. John was born October 24, 1920 in Howardsville, MI to the late Carl and Mabelle(Musser)Blood. John served his country honorably in the United States Air Force during WWII. One June 24, 1944 he was united in marriage to the former Bernice L. …

Hello. My name is Milo. I am a german shepherd/sheltie mix and I need a home. My family brought me to Animal Control because they said they couldn’t keep me anymore. I am about 7 years old, brown with medium short hair and a curly tail. I am good on a leash and housetrained AND I have already been neutered. …

Looking to the county’s future courts- and law-related matters, St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners is exploring the idea of a county-campus development on the east end of Centreville. The five-member board during a work session Wednesday identified an area of about 15 acres of land south of Industrial Parkway as a potential location for a courts building and an …