Three people died over the weekend following a single-vehicle crash south of Centreville. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said deputies were called shortly before 2:30 a.m. Saturday to Fairchild Road near the intersection of Klinger Lake Road. Investigators said a car driven by 23-year-old Damian Long of Coldwater was heading east on Fairchild Road when it failed to negotiate a curve just before Klinger Lake …

April’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County was four-tenths of a percent lower than the previous month. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed the county’s 3.3 percent April unemployment rate marked a decrease from March’s 3.7 percent. St. Joseph County was below the state unemployment average, which was 4 percent in April. …

Two people were taken into custody following a reckless-driving incident last week in and around Three Rivers. According to Three Rivers police, the department was notified around 4:30 p.m. Thursday of a reckless driver on U.S. 131 in Three Rivers. Officers pursued the vehicle until it struck another car near Marcellus Road. The driver and passenger of the suspect car …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department has removed postings at the county’s public accesses, where boaters had been requested to reduce their wake. Water levels remain high on many county lakes, however, and operators of boats and personal watercraft should be aware that if they are operating in a manner that causes property damage, they may still be subject to …

Sturgis Missionary Church has announced it will have a volunteer and computer available starting next month for anyone needing assistance with paperwork or internet access. Starting June 8, help will be available for anyone who needs assistance applying for services, housing, online job applications or printing materials. Volunteers will even offer assistance with filling out print-job applications and creating resumes. …

William Allen, aka “Billy,” “The Blade,” passed away unexpectedly May 22, 2018, in Three Rivers. He was born May 10, 1971, in Bradford, England. He graduated at age 16 and immediately served with the English Army in the Gulf War and Bosnia for seven years. While he lived only for 47 years, he led a very full life. He was …

Barbara Jean Kirsch, age 83, a resident of Jupiter, Fla., died peacefully May 19, 2018. She was born July 30, 1934, in Sturgis, to Arthur and Bernice Sukow Carls. Barbara graduated from Sturgis High School and earned a degree in home economics from Michigan State University. On June 22, 1957, she married Charles Edward Kirsch. Known for her indomitable spirit, Barbara …

Dillon D. Fritz, age 95, a lifelong resident of Sturgis, passed away May 11, 2018, at Doctor’s Retreat Hospital in Richmond, Va. He was born Feb. 18, 1923, in Sturgis, a son of the late Clarence and Edith (Kielkoff) Fritz. Dillon graduated from Sturgis High School with the class of 1942 and entered the U.S. Navy during World War II in December 1942 …

Representatives from a Sturgis company, and a Kalamazoo County authority on macroinvertebrate, were recognized by the St. Joseph County Conservation District at its annual meeting Wednesday. Kim Bush, Environmental Health and Safety Specialist for Abbott Nutrition, was on hand to accept the “River Stewardship Award.” Bush and Abbott’s 42-member “Green Team” last summer spent a day tackling a portion of …

Police are looking for a person who broke into four businesses late Monday and early Tuesday in Sturgis. Police said a man forced his way into businesses on South Centerville and East Chicago roads. The suspect is believed to be driving an early- to mid-2000, dark-colored minivan.