Marlene Adair Wait, 66, of White Pigeon, died on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, at home, following a two-year battle with cancer. She was born Dec. 23, 1950, in Sturgis, a daughter of Fred and Mildred (Carr) Meier. Marlene was a lifelong resident of the area. She was a 1969 graduate of Constantine High School. She was a lifelong member of …

Nola LeGene Bowlby, age 92, formerly of Three Rivers, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 28th, 2017 in Granger, Indiana.  Nola was born in Flowerfield Twp., St. Joseph County, Michigan on September 28, 1925, the daughter of the late Wayne and Viola (Maul) Heckelman. Nola graduated Three Rivers High School with the class of 1944.  The class yearbook described her as …

Tonya Elaine Smith, age 60, of Three Rivers, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 26th, 2017 at the Henry Ford Hospital surrounded by her loving family after battling a long illness. She was born on March 11, 1957 in Muncie, IN., the daughter of the late Williard D. Willis and Carolyn (Turner) Willis. Tonya was united in marriage to the love …

A reactor at a nuclear power plant in southwestern Michigan is back in operation after being shut down since September for refueling and maintenance. Indiana Michigan Power says Cook Nuclear Plant’s Unit 1 reactor was connected to the transmission grid on Tuesday. The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph reports the company says the shutdown was longer than usual since it was …

St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners, St. Joseph County itself, and the agency that oversees mental-health and drug-abuse services in the county are among the defendants named in a lawsuit filed last week. The five-member county board as well as Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of St. Joseph County Board were named in the suit filed by former …

State police were called Monday afternoon to a two-vehicle accident in Fabius Township. According to a department media release, troopers were alerted at 3:30 p.m. that a car heading east on M-60 drove onto the shoulder to pass a vehicle stopped to turn left onto Roberts Road. The 18-year-old Marcellus woman lost control of the car and it crossed the …

A full-service grill and pub franchise based in Indiana has announced it plans to expand to nine additional Michigan communities. Veteran business owners and Wings Etc. franchisees Gene and Robert Harrison are behind Wings’ Michigan expansion, which initially includes a site in Coldwater. Gene Harrison said since opening Wings Etc. in Sturgis last year, it was clear the market has …

Sturgis is one of four communities across Michigan identified for the strategies it employs to foster entrepreneurial growth and economic development, according to the annual eCities study. The study, conducted by iLabs, University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research, identified Dexter, Saginaw, Sturgis and Tecumseh for their successes and efforts in contributing to Michigan’s growth. The eCities study analyzed publicly …

A former prosecutor who later served as a judge in St. Joseph County has passed away. James Noecker, 76, died Monday at Bronson Methodist Hospital. The Constantine native served as assistant prosecutor for two years before taking over as prosecutor. Noecker was appointed by Gov. William Milliken in 1981 to serve as circuit judge, completing an unexpired term. He subsequently …

Whether we admit it or not, we all have a certain phrase that sets us apart from others. Those few words we say without being aware of it. Some teenagers use the word “Like” more than they might admit. “Like, that really happened”, or “Like, I saw her talking to him and like I didn’t think she was that bold.” …