The March unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by half 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 7.3 percent March unemployment rate was less than February’s 7.8 percent. Furthermore, the March unemployment rate was 1.9 percent less than the same month one …

A Sturgis Police officer suffered a leg injury after he was involved in arresting a subject at 4 p.m. Thursday. According to the Sturgis Police Department, the Cass County Parole and Probation Department asked Sturgis officers to check on a wanted subject likely at a residence in the 1500 block of Progress Street. An officer made contact with the 29-year-old …

Glen Oaks Community College President Gary Wheeler announced Steve Ryno as the recipient of the Shaheen Teaching Excellence Award, which recognizes a faculty member for innovation and quality instruction. A professor of communications, Ryno, 35, is the 29th recipient of the award. Ryno was named the winner of the award during the school’s 45th graduation ceremony, staged Friday in its …

Sunday’s 50th Mendon Dust-Off old-car show was declared a success by event organizers. With perfect weather on their side, organizers said more than 870 participants took part in the event’s golden anniversary, staged on the grounds of Mendon High School. Dan Mourey, president of Dust-Off co-sponsor Three Rivers Classic and Antique Restorers Club, said twice as many food vendors and …

Pearl Louise Taylor, age 84, of Centreville died Saturday May 4, 2013 at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. She was born in Battle Creek, MI on March 10, 1929 the daughter of Benoni C. and Ruth M. (Berger) Yeomans. She attended several area country schools and graduated from Colon High School. She was married to Raymond Taylor in 1946. Following …

Arlene “Pinky” M. Webb, age 89, of Sturgis, passed away Friday, May 3, 2013, at the Sturgis Hospital emergency room. She was born March 31, 1924, in LaGrange County, Ind., a daughter of the late Sam and Joyce (Schworm) Weiss. Arlene had been a resident of Sturgis since 1957, moving here from Three Rivers. On May 24, 1958, in Sturgis, …

Shirley D. Buehrer, 76, of Bryan, Ohio, passed away Thursday, May 2, 2013 at Genesis HealthCare-Bryan Center, Bryan, Ohio, where she had been a resident. Shirley was born Dec. 29, 1936 in Battle Creek, the daughter of Leslie and Cora D. Spooner. She was then adopted by her grandparents, Charlie R. and Eva Young. She was a graduate of Three …

Barbara Mitzi Walton, age 82, of Nottawa, passed away, Friday, May 3rd, 2013 at Three Rivers Health Hospital. She was born on June 2, 1930 a daughter of Frank and Barbara (Priborsky) Walter , in Coldwater, MI. Barbara graduated from Coldwater High School in 1951 and attended Glen Oaks Community College receiving her LPN degree. On November 14, 1952 she …

The Cass County Drug Enforcement Team executed a search warrant Wednesday in the 400 block of Walnut Street in the city of Dowagiac. During a search of the residence, detectives located a marijuana-growing operation, along with individually packaged marijuana intended for sale. Detectives also located a loaded, sawed-off shotgun and numerous other items used for the sale of illegal narcotics. …

A home in the 66000 block of Klinger Lake Road in Florence Township was heavily damaged by fire Wednesday afternoon. Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff ’s Department arrived to find the kitchen area on fire. Firefighters were hampered when the blaze spread from the kitchen to an adjacent attic. The fire has been ruled accidental, officials said.