Jeannette M. (Haas) Donnelly, age 96, died on Good Friday, March 25, 2016 in Deltona, Florida after several years of failing health. She was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan on March 15, 1920 the daughter of the late Bernard C. and Mildred (English) Haas. Jeannette graduated from Mendon High School with the class of 1938, and later graduated from Western Michigan …

Callers can be heard pleading to 911 dispatchers for help after a woman was shot outside an apartment complex during one of three shootings that left six people dead and two wounded in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, area in February. The 911 calls were released Tuesday. In one, a woman can be heard telling a shooting victim, “Please don’t move. They’re …

Shalee Rene Howe, age 34, of Mottville Township, White Pigeon, died Friday, March 25, 2016, at her home. She was born May 26, 1981, in Goshen, Ind., a daughter of James J. and Loria A. (McFall) Swinehart. She was a resident of the White Pigeon and Mottville area all her life. She attended White Pigeon schools. She enjoyed being a …

St. Joseph County was chosen for a pilot program through the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards. The group was recently awarded a $4.2 million grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to support 12 initiatives aimed at improving the quality of health for seniors. According to officials from the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of St. …

The St. Joseph County Grange Fair Board met Tuesday with representatives from the county’s summer festivals to discuss details of River Country Has Talent. Fair manager Bill Johnson last month said the 2016 fair plans to showcase local talent instead of a big-name act as part of its entertainment lineup. The new approach involves a partnership with the county’s eight …

Domestic and Sexual Abuse Service of St. Joseph County will host a Survivor Stomp 5k run and 1.4-mile walk events April 30. According to event organizers, the run and walk are in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Participants will run and walk in support of survivors and in memory of those who have lost their lives to domestic and …

A Cass County jury on Tuesday returned an “as-charged” guilty verdict against Leon Watson for his ongoing molestation of his great-niece over a seven-year period at a rural Cass County farm. The victim was 7 years old when the sex crimes began and approximately 14 when they ended last year. Watson, a 67-year-old Vandalia resident, is expected to receive a …

There may be a reason why people have trouble seeing while driving at night, and it’s not their eyesight. A new rating of the headlights of more than 30 midsized car models gave only one model a grade of “good.” Of the rest, about a third were rated “acceptable,” a third “marginal” and a third “poor.” The difference between the …

Mark E. Miller, age 40, of Centreville, died on Monday, March 28, 2016 at his home following a brief illness. He was born February 5, 1976 a son of Mervin and Marcia (Wadsworth) Miller in Adrian, Michigan. Mark graduated from Centreville High School in 1994 and from Northern Michigan University in 2000. He was employed as a Technician 4 at Monsanto …

Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has received a $20,000 grant to increase testing and reporting of HIV. Prevention director Kim Wilhelm said the funds will also allow the agency to increase testing and counseling for sexually transmitted infections at each of its clinics. Wilhelm said she expects the agency to designate one day a week to provide HIV and STI …