Cass County sheriff’s deputies responded to a two-vehicle accident Tuesday in Wayne Township. According to a department media release, 29-year-old John Richey of Vandalia was driving west on M-62 when an eastbound vehicle driven by 19-year-old Donovan Schoff of Cassopolis crossed the center line. The vehicles collided near Twin Lakes Road. Richey, Schoff and a 14-year-old passenger in Schoff’s vehicle …

Robert D. Phillips, 86, of Fish Lake, White Pigeon, died Monday, June 26, 2017, in Pioneer, Ohio. He was born Sept. 26, 1930, in Sturgis Township, a son of Myrl and Helen (Leeth) Phillips. He had been a White Pigeon area resident all his life. He was employed for 39 1/2 years at Kirsch Company, as a machine operator, retiring …

Lathorlyn A. Balk, age 87, passed away on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at Grace Health Care of Three Rivers. She was born in Centreville on June 10, 1930, a daughter of Richard and Virginia (Sloan) Hagelgans. She graduated from Centreville High School in 1948. On August 7, 1948, she married Neubert Balk in Centreville. He preceded her in death on …

Diana Lyn Vedmore, age 65, of Three Rivers, passed away at Borgess Medical Center on Monday, June 26, 2017. She was born on January 6, 1952 in Three Rivers, the daughter of Archie and Connie (Pickard) Capman. Mrs. Vedmore has been a long time resident of Three Rivers. She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and an avid …

Investigators from Michigan State Police and local fire agencies remain at the scene of a Mottville Township business to determine what caused a devastating blaze Monday. Crews were summoned around 4 p.m. to Green Stream recycling, in the 69000 block of M-103. In all, more than a dozen different departments responded and attempted to put out the blaze that burned …

State Sen. John Proos and a small number of state officials witnessed firsthand Monday the success stories emerging from a program through St. Joseph County Circuit Court. Overseen by Judge Paul Stutesman, Monday’s “Drug Court” provided status updates on eight participants in the program. Funded in part through state and federal grants, Drug Court is a two-year program that aids …

The village of Colon has employed an unusual source to clear a park area overrun with poison ivy and undesirable weeds. A herd of 10 goats was hired by the Colon Parks Board to rid the west edge of Colon Community Park of the overgrowth. Park Board member Edith Doenges said the goal was to tidy up the area before …

Keith Lang has tendered his resignation at Sturgis Public Schools. Early this year, the former Sturgis High School teacher was charged with multiple counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and other offenses. At that time, a police investigation showed he allegedly had a sexual relationship with a minor student. He initially was charged with single counts of distributing or promoting …

Edith Arlene Harter, age 96, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday morning, June 24, 2017 at her home. She was born Dec. 28, 1920 in Sturgis, daughter of the late Raymond Dewey and Clara Adele (Reading) Robison. Edith was a lifelong Sturgis resident. On June 9, 1940 she married Lester F. Harter at the Sturgis Church of the Nazarene in Sturgis. …

Glen Oaks Community College has announced a new associate and certificate program in Agricultural Equipment Technology that will launch this fall. The two-year, daytime associate degree program will train students to diagnose, service, repair, maintain and overhaul farm equipment. Students will receive state-of-the-art technical training on the latest major brand equipment through a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory activities …