Joseph Amund Hamlin, age 78, of Klinger Lake, Sturgis, passed away Friday afternoon, Dec. 29, 2017, at Joanne’s House at Hope Hospice in Bonita Springs, Florida. He was born March 23, 1939, in Merrill, Wis., a son of the late James Harvey and Margaret (Running) Hamlin. Joe resided in Sturgis since 1970, coming from Allegan, and his early life was …

Elsie Jane (Short) Mallo, age 76, of Constantine, passed away Monday, January 1, 2018 at her home. She was born in West Virginia on November 5, 1941, a daughter of Bandy and Fredia Rose. On December 28, 1988, she married Mahlon Mallo in Constantine. She was a member of the Porter Baptist Church. Elsie enjoyed shopping and spending time with …

Frances Szeide, age 81, of Marcellus, passed away Saturday, December 30, 2017. She was born May 26, 1936 in Detroit, the daughter of Jesse Francis Glasscock and Ida Mae Hayes. On March 3, 1956 in Schoolcraft, she married Jack Szeide who survives. Frances worked for Upjohn Pharmaceuticals for 20 years after raising her children. She was a member of the …

A very Happy New Year to all! This is the time when most of us say, or at least think to ourselves, that we are going to do things better, starting today. Whether it’s losing a few pounds by eating more sensibly, or sticking to a budget better than we have in the past. These thoughts will stay with us …

Margie N. Barrington, age 79, of Burr Oak, passed away Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. She was born Aug. 5, 1938, in Watermans Front, Texas, a daughter to the late Robert and Gladys (Lawrence) Evans. Margie graduated from Carthage, Texas High School in 1956 and went to Shreveport, La., to business college and graduated an …

Last week’s passing of Mendon Community Schools Superintendent Roger Rathburn was ranked “Top News Story of the Year” according to the Sturgis Journal. In its annual ranking, the newspaper said Rathburn’s passing had the greatest impact of any other local news story last year because of the number of people who knew him and his untimely passing. Rounding out the …

State police troopers are investigating a breaking-and-entering incident that occurred last week in Sturgis Township. According to a department media release, troopers were called to the 69000 block of Hazel Street, where the victim told authorities the incident occurred in the early morning hours Dec. 19. The victim said a Bluetooth speaker, a fitness watch and cash were among the …

Twelve people took advantage of the 10th annual New Year’s Eve Free Ride Home over a six-hour period that started Sunday night. St. Joseph County Transportation Authority Executive Director Steve Yorks said 10 of the rides originated from the Three Rivers area, while the others were centered in Sturgis. The 12 rides are the fewest passengers since the program started. …

In a county-wide effort to encourage a more welcoming community in which to live and work, chambers of commerce in Three Rivers and Sturgis joined in 2017 to create and promote the “St. Joseph County Statement on Civility.” The statement is a document that organizations, boards of directors and committees can adopt to facilitate respectful communications and allow their meetings …

The Kalamazoo Wings (14-11-2-1) got the New Year’s festivities started early on Sunday afternoon as they sent 2017 and the Quad City Mallards (8-19-2-1) off with a bang. The K-Wings set an offensive tone early in the game in route to a 6-1 win over the Mallards. With many of the 3,840 fans just getting settled into their seats, J.T. …