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 …

The Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education voted this week to endorse the district’s move to the Wolverine Conference. The decision means Sturgis High School will join Three Rivers and 10 other schools in the 12-member league starting in the 2014-15 academic year. With about 3,300 students, Sturgis Public Schools will be the largest in the all-Class-B conference.

Glen Oaks Community College officials have announced the school will expand its distance-learning offerings to include online programs as a result of approval received from the Higher Learning Commission. Patricia Morgenstern, associate dean of learning and workforce development, said the college has been offering distance learning classes for more than 15 years. The Higher Learning Commission’s approval, however, gives the …

Authorities say the body of a 58-year-old man has been found in a southwestern Michigan lake after a boat was reported empty on the water. The Cass County sheriff’s department says it was called Wednesday night to Indian Lake in Silver Creek Township. Witnesses told them a person was fishing from the boat and they later noticed the boat still …

County sheriff’s deputies investigated a 2-car crash Wednesday evening at the intersection of US-131 and M-60 on the southwest side of Three Rivers. Randal Anderson, 47, of South Bend, was eastbound on M-60, when he reportedly pulled away from the stop sign, and collided with a southbound vehicle. That car was driven by 41-year-old Brett Schiefelbein of Hinsdale, Illinois. Both …