June Marie Summey, age 93, of Sturgis, passed away Wednesday evening, Jan. 10, 2018, at Heartland Health Care Center in Three Rivers. She was born Sept. 16, 1924, in Olivet, a daughter of the late John and Ruth M. (Boals) Mecklenburg. Mrs. Summey resided most of her life in the Sturgis area and was a graduate of Lima High School …

Jennifer Leach, age 46, died Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018, at Parkview LaGrange Hospital in LaGrange, Ind. She was born July 9, 1971, in LaGrange, Ind., to Richard Baker and Linda (Smith) Girard. She was a graduate of Sturgis High School in Sturgis. She married Doug Leach. He survives. Jennifer had worked at Miller’s Super Valu for 18 years in the …

Two St. Joseph County residents were arrested this week on drug-related offenses following the execution of a search warrant at a location in Sturgis. Members of the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit responded Wednesday to a tip of suspected drug activity in the 200 block of West West Street. Investigators arrested a 46-year-old Sturgis man and a 43-year-old woman …

St. Joseph County Treasurer Judie Ratering recently staged a news conference with her Calhoun County peer to promote a program called Step Forward Michigan. Ratering and Brian Wensauer were joined by Michigan State Housing Development Authority Director Earl Poleski to tout the benefits of the state program. Ratering said she knows in St. Joseph County, a lot of hard-working homeowners …

State Rep. Aaron Miller said Michigan will continue steady economic growth after the House and Senate Appropriations committees received the Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference report, which is the first look at the upcoming economic forecast. The report was compiled by the House and Senate Fiscal agencies and the state budget director. It predicts that Michigan’s recovery from the so-called Lost …

Leola Marjorie Johnson, age 99, formerly of Three Rivers, died Monday, Dec. 18, 2017 at Birches Adult Foster Care in Leonidas. She was born in her parents’ home, in Rockford on Aug. 31, 1918, the daughter of Adam and Ada (Zimmerman) Hammer. Leola was married to James Paul Johnson on the lawn of the family home in Rockford on Aug. …

Over the objections of prosecutors, a judge has sentenced a man to just five months in jail for cutting railroad safety wires in the Battle Creek area. Jeff Taylor is a former employee for Canadian National Railway who now runs an Upper Peninsula motel. His lawyer says Taylor had mental health problems and wasn’t targeting a specific train. Railroad crossing …

Beatrice A. Porath, age 64, of Marcellus, passed away Wednesday, January 10, 2018. She was born June 18, 1953 in Dowagiac, the daughter of Ernest and Ellamae (Hibbard) Porath. Bea was retired from the Kalamazoo State Hospital as a Supervisor.  She loved horses and all her animals. She was the president of the 4-H Horse Leaders Association of Cass County and …

Marilyn Ruth Haney, age 81, died on Wednesday, January 10, 2018. Per Marilyn’s wishes cremation has taken place and there will be no public services held at this time. Arrangements by Hohner Funeral Home.

Veronica Marie Hornblower, age 86, passed away Sunday, January 7th, 2018 at her home in Three Rivers, Michigan. She was born November 10, 1931 the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Watts in London, England. In 1953 Veronica was united in marriage to her beloved husband William Hornblower. Together they raised six children living in multiple locations, eventually settling down in Three Rivers in 1971. She worked many years in …