Four vehicles were involved in a crash caused by a wrong-way driver over the weekend in Cass County’s Milton Township. The incident was reported at 4:15 a.m. Saturday on M-60 near Reum Road. Investigators said a vehicle driving north in the southbound lane of M-60 struck a box truck driven by 23-year-old Emily Oostema. Oostema’s truck went off the roadway, …

Officials from the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Counties Health Department, along with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, are encouraging Michigan residents to protect themselves from ticks as the warm weather approaches and tick-borne diseases, particularly Lyme disease, are expanding across the state. Lyme disease is transmitted by the blacklegged deer tick. In 2017, there were more than 300 human …

H. Keith Waltke, age 73, of Sturgis, passed away peacefully at home with his loving wife and stepdaughter Jennifer by his side on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born Aug. 2, 1944 in Allen County, Ft. Wayne, Ind. a son to the late Elwood E. Waltke and Pat (Patrick) Meese. Keith moved to …

Chris Minger, director of the St. Joseph County Road Commission, has announced he plans to retire at the end of September. Minger began with the road commission part-time in 1971, then was hired on full-time in 1974. By the time of his retirement, he will have served in his current role for five years. Minger said the road commission is in a good spot, with …

A Lansing, Michigan, man thought it might be a prank when he received a call from a microchip company telling him his family’s dog had been found in Toledo — more than 100 miles away — four years after she ran away. “I was stunned,” Bradley Wieferich told The Blade . Toledo police earlier this month found Bambi, who is around 12, …

John Richard Mann, Jr. “Jack”, age 93, of Sturgis, and Crystal River, FL, passed away March 20, 2018 at Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville, FL. Jack was born on September 8, 1924 in Akron, OH to John Richard Mann, Sr. and Edith Hutchins Mann. He graduated from Garfield High School in 1943. He entered the armed service in 1943 and …

Richard D. Bolley, age 91, of Sturgis, went to be with his Lord and Savior Thursday morning, May 10, 2018, at his home, while surrounded by his loving family. He was born May 3, 1927, in Mongo, Ind., a son of the late Orcie and Bessie (VanZile) Bolley. Dick resided in the Sturgis area since 1932, was a graduate of …

Thelma May Morse, age 95, of Sturgis, passed away Friday morning, May 11, 2018, at her home, surrounded by her family. She was born Oct. 27, 1922, in Grand Rapids, a daughter of the late George and Neva (Turner) Ducavas. Thelma grew up in Grand Rapids and that is where she met her future husband. On July 18, 1942, she …

Janette Pauline Fisk, age 86, of Sturgis, passed away Thursday morning, May 10, 2018, at Sturgis Hospital. She was born June 7, 1931, in Lansing, a daughter of the late Merle and Kathleen (Leonard) Swan. Mrs. Fisk resided in Sturgis since 1961, coming from the Lansing area. On July 2, 1949, she married Darrell D. Fisk in Dansville. He died …

Kathryn M. “Katie” Hutson, age 86, of Constantine, died Thursday, May 10, 2018 at Life Care Center of LaGrange. She was born on March 10, 1932 in Centreville, a daughter of Noah A.E. and Sarah L. (Miller) Miller. In January of 1971, Katie married Jaime Hutson at Messiah Lutheran Church in Constantine. Katie was employed at DuMore Office in Elkhart …