Valley Family Church has started a new program in Centreville, where free food is available for distribution once a month. The “FridayGroceries” Food Pantry staged its “MobileGroceries” event last week at Centreville Elementary School. The outreach initiative offers supplemental groceries to area residents 10 to 11 a.m. the second Saturday of the month. Event organizers said about 200 people took …

Larry Peckinpaugh, 71 years old, of Avon Park, FL went home to be with our Lord and Savior on Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017. He passed away unexpectedly at Florida Hospital, Tampa, FL. He was born July 27, 1945 in Marion, IN to Roy Peckinpaugh, Jr., & Loretta Mae ( Traylor ) Peckinpaugh. He graduated from Marion High School and …

Barbara Ann Oberlander, age 76, of Three Rivers, died Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at Three Rivers Health. She was born in Nottawa on Oct. 7, 1940 the daughter of Everett F. and Evelyn J. (Friend) Williams and had seven brothers and two sisters. She was married to Rex M. Oberlander on Nov. 3, 1956 in Three Rivers. Rex died in …

Members of a state panel Wednesday sided with the city of Three Rivers in its attempt to annex a 77-acre parcel of land from Lockport Township. By a 3-to-2 vote, the five-member State Boundary Commission recommended in favor of the city following a public proceeding at the commission’s office in Lansing. At stake is the prospective development of a $4.1 …

February’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County was two-tenths of a percent lower than one month previous. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed the county’s 4.1 percent February unemployment rate marked a decrease from January’s 4.3 percent. St. Joseph County remained below the state unemployment average, which was 5.7 percent in February. …

As I scoured my email the other day, sorting out the spam from the emails that I actually needed to read, one in particular caught my eye. The subject line made me nervous, so I hesitated opening it. I was worried for what this email contained. Anytime I see or hear the word “changes”, it causes me to pause. After …

The weather was better, the golf not so much. The Wildcat team finished 7th at the Paw Paw jamboree with a score of 197. The event was played at Heritage Glen GC and the team results were as follows: Otsego 163 Edwardsburg 180 Plainwell 181 Vicksburg 183 Paw Paw 191 Allegan 194 Three Rivers 197 Sturgis 199 South Haven 209 …

Henry Jay Weldy, age 70, of Mottville, passed away on Monday, April 10, 2017 at his home. He was born in Elkhart County, IN, on February 11, 1947, a son of Harold and Virginia (Holaway) Weldy. Henry graduated from Penn High School and served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1969. On April 27, 1985, he married Judy Stroup …

Lawrence “Little Mikey Bell” Hughes, age 54 of Three Rivers passed away on Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at Three Rivers Health. He was born in Three Rivers on October 6, 1962 the son of Lawrence and Luella (Harsh) Bell. Lawrence was a lifetime resident of Sturgis and Three Rivers. He was employed on many roofing jobs and also enjoyed working …

St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department officials have identified the two people involved in a fatal accident Sunday at the Branch-St. Joseph county line. Thirty-eight-year-old Shawn Shook of Sherwood was driving west on Wattles Road Sunday afternoon when he lost control of his vehicle near Stowell Road. The vehicle went off the roadway and struck 53-year-old Jody Clipfell of Sherwood Township …