Two 18-year-old women were arrested over the weekend after police discovered they were in possession of stolen property. According to a media release from the Sturgis Police Department, officers pulled over a car at 4 a.m. Sunday in the 400 block of Marian Street after the department received a report of someone going through parked, unlocked vehicles. Officers noticed what …

Cass County deputies responded last week to a single-vehicle accident in Porter Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said agency officials were called at 11 p.m. Saturday to Tharp Lake Road, north of Chapel Hill Road. The driver, 48-year-old Cassopolis resident Benjamin Burnham was driving north on Tharp Lake and lost control of his vehicle. The vehicle drove off the roadway and overturned …

Thomas Lee Kitch, 69, of Mottville Township, White Pigeon, died Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017, at his home, following an extended illness. Visitation will be from 2-6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017, at Farrand Funeral Home in White Pigeon. Services will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Cremation will follow, with burial of cremains at a later date …

WWMT television is reporting that a 6-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on a Colon Community Schools bus in April. The incidents allegedly involved a 15-year-old boy who is no longer a student at the district but still faces up to seven charges of sexual assault, the station reported. St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough said charges of failure to report …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an act of vandalism at Centreville High School last week. Sometime between 11 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday, someone engaged a front-end loader and drove it into a wall at the northwest corner of the junior high/high school building. The collision caused a wall to collapse inward, resulting in damage that …

A pregnant Angus/Herford cow was stolen last month from a pasture in Flowerfield Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department issued a media release over the weekend, indicating the cow was taken July 10 from a location in the 11000 block of Floating Bridge Road. Because of the size and weight of the 1,300-pound cow, special equipment and a large …

A native of Berrien County has been hired to replace Joni Smith as St. Joseph County’s finance director. Ryan Post was hired in June and started the job July 10. Smith, who accepted a municipal job in South Carolina to be closer to her two children and grandchildren, worked with Post for a day before her final day in late …

Robert Lawrence “Bob” LaBrash, age 79, of Three Rivers, died Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017 at Heartland Healthcare Center. He was born in Adrian, MI on Sep. 28, 1937 the son of Edlore and Lillian (Petsch) LaBrash. Bob was a former Mason and Demolay Dad Leader, and was a former Scout Leader. He retired to Three Rivers after managing Firestone and …

Alfred Jay DeRuiter passed away Thursday, August 3, 2017 after a well fought battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born December 9, 1937 to John and Helena DeRuiter of Falmouth, Michigan who precede him in death. He is survived by wife Joyce Ann Abbott DeRuiter, daughter, Lori DeRuiter Bauer (David Bauer of Lewisville, Texas), Son David Alan DeRuiter (wife, Brandi …

Dale E. Stratton, age 80, of Marcellus, passed away Thursday, August 3, 2017. He was born June 10, 1937 in Kalamazoo, the son of Ernest A. and Mildred I. (Snow) Stratton. On February 22, 1958 in Marcellus he married Margaret “Lil” Stratton who preceded him in death. Dale was a farmer his whole life, he was also a Patience Supervisor …