St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested a man in connection with a breaking-and-entering incident last week at a residence in Sturgis Township. Deputies were called Thursday to the 25000 block of U.S. 12 in response to a home invasion that had been just discovered. Upon further investigation, deputies made contact with a suspect at another residence in the same …

     Margaret E. Ritchie, age 97, of Marcellus, passed away late at night on Saturday, June 9, 2018.            Margaret was born May 27, 1921, the daughter of Willard J. Griner and Gleola Bent on the family farm in Marcellus.        On February 10, 1943, she married her late husband Merle L. Ritchie of Marcellus.  Together they had two children, …

Dorothy Ellen Hiemstra, age 57, of Centreville, passed away Friday, June 8, 2018 at her home. She was born June 26, 1960, in Sturgis, a daughter of John and Lucille (Poley) Saunders. Dorothy resided in the Centreville and Sturgis area her entire life. On Oct. 5, 1984, she married Larry Hiemstra in Sturgis. She was a dedicated homemaker and a …

June Barbara Robinson, age 80, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, June 7, 2018 surrounded by her family. She was born in Chicago on June 26, 1937 to Leon and Ruth (Grigsby) Banks. She married William Ridge in Cook County, Ill. on April 10, 1957. In 1967 the family moved to Three Rivers, where she was a long-time …

Phyllis M. Jungjohan, age 86, of Mendon, died Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at her son’s home in Milton, Florida following a long illness. She was born in Three Rivers on Nov. 9, 1931 the daughter of Ray and Ruby (Draime) Anderson. She graduated from Vicksburg High School and Wright’s Beauty Academy in Battle Creek. She was the proprietor of Phyllis’ …

Hoppin Elementary School was in lockdown mode twice Thursday following reports of a suspicious man possibly in possession of a gun. The first lockdown took place following a call from Central Dispatch, which reported the situation to Hoppin personnel at 10:45. The school went into lockdown for nearly a half hour until the Three Rivers Police Department confirmed the situation was …

Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry said he stands behind the claim that the majority of the city’s residents support the idea of a multi-field sports complex. Lowry on Thursday also lamented the proposal’s latest potential setback, as a group of opponents submitted a petition Wednesday to county clerk Lindsay Oswald. The petition seeks to have voters in the two municipalities …

A Sturgis woman was arrested earlier this week during a home invasion in Sherman Township. Sheriff’s deputies were called at 11 p.m. Wednesday to the 23000 block of Airline Road in response to a woman trespassing in a residence. The 52-year-old suspect was taken into custody and charged with home invasion, assaulting an officer of the law and other offenses.

State police are conducting an investigation into the death of a 38-year-old Coldwater man. Authorities were notified around 12:30 a.m. Sunday that a man in Branch County’s Ovid Township was unconscious following an assault involving a 40-year-old Coldwater man. CPR was administered by troopers but their efforts were not enough to revive the victim. Toxicology tests and an autopsy are …

Two Marcellus residents were injured after the motorcycle they were on was involved in an accident last week in Cass County’s Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were advised at 5 p.m. Saturday that a motorcycle went off the roadway on Dutch Settlement Road near Skyhawk Drive. The driver, 37-year-old Ryan Hampton, told authorities he was heading west and …