Although many health officials are focused on the flu, Michigan is in the midst of a serious Hepatitis A outbreak, said Rebecca Burns, health officer at Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Health Agency. The state’s case count as of Jan. 24 was 715 confirmed cases with 582 hospitalizations and 24 deaths. One case has been reported in Hillsdale. The concern with the Michigan …

Crews are preparing to remove a 90-year-old dam in southwestern Michigan to help restore habitat for native fish. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and other organizations will soon begin the $4 million project to remove the Alcott Street dam in Kalamazoo, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported . The dam, which impounds Bryant Mill Pond on Portage Creek, was built in 1927, but …

Robert Ward dresses like a cowboy, but he’s often referred to as a “space cowboy.” Neatly displayed in well-lit glass cases at his Prescott home are the meteorites that he has found, bartered for or purchased throughout the world. Ward made the most recent additions to his collection this month, when a meteorite was widely witnessed as it fell from …

George F. Classen, age 89, of Sturgis, passed away Sunday morning, Feb. 4, 2018, at the Birch’s of Leonidas, in Leonidas. He was born Sept. 23, 1928, in Meade, Kan., son of the late Jacob R. and Anna (Friesen) Classen. Mr. Classen resided in Sturgis since 1971 coming from Walnut Hill, Fla. On July 23, 1948, he married Bertha F. …

Richard Lawrence Crandall, age 72, of Three Rivers, passed peacefully at home on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, surrounded by his family. He was born in Richmond, IN, on April 6, 1945, the son of Noah and Blanche (Cosgrove) Crandall. Mr. Crandall served his country in the U.S. Army and met his beloved wife, Sussan (Kyong) Crandall in Seoul, Korea, where …

Richard H. Clark, 90, of Centreville, passed away on Friday, February 2, 2018 . He was born in Parkville Township October 2, 1927, a son of William and Marie (Phillips) Clark. Rich went to Centreville Public Schools. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. from 1946-1947. On October 20, 1948 he married Mary Jane Fitch. She preceded him in …

Eugenia M. Fisher, age 91, of Pearl River, La., died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, following an extended illness. She was born June 20, 1926, in Chicago, the daughter of Harold and Argentina (Berchiolli) Cinkel. She lived in the Chicago area until 1970 when she moved to Constantine. She lived in Louisiana for the past eight months. She was employed as …

Raymond Conrad Harter, age 71, formerly of Mendon, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Battle Creek. He was born in Sturgis on Dec. 5, 1946 the son of Lewis M. and Arlene G. (Gest) Harter. Ray graduated from Centreville High School in 1965 where he played on the undefeated football team. Ray enlisted with the …

Lance Lee Sandusky, age 56, of Grand Ledge, MI, formerly of Three Rivers, passed away on Monday, January 29, 2018 as a result of an auto accident. He was born August 11, 1961 in Albion, son of the late Jerry and Sally (Lindsay) Sandusky. Lance was a current manager of Metal Technologies Three Rivers Gray Plant Iron Finishing Dept., attended …

The Three Rivers Police Department is advising residents to remain observant in light of two incidents that occurred within the past week. In the first incident, a woman on the city’s River Trail Monday this week observed a man playing with a knife as he sat on a bench with a baby stroller at his side. He asked the woman …