Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood Jr. said the suspect behind an armed robbery Tuesday in the unincorporated community of Union remains at large. The incident occurred at 5:10 p.m. and took place at Hilltop Laundry, located in the 13500 block of U.S. 12. Witnesses identified the suspect as a white male in his late 30s. He reportedly stands about 5’7″ …

Brass and chrome plumbing fixtures were stolen Monday from a residence in Sturgis Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the incident took place in the 68000 block of Stubey Road, where the victim was working in the backyard. At some point over a 30-minute period, someone went inside the unlocked residence and stole a bucket in which the …

Beatrice “Bea” Griffin (Hill) Thurman, 70, of Three Rivers, went to be with her Lord on Friday, Sept. 14, 2012. She was born in Grenada, Miss. the daughter of William and Carey Hill. Bea has been a long time resident of Three Rivers. She was employed as a nurse aide at the Three Rivers Hospital, Fairview Nursing Home, and later …

Darl Duane Gunthorpe, age 80, of Westerville, Ohio, and a former lifelong Sturgis resident, passed away early Monday evening, Sept. 17, 2012, at the St. Anns Hospital in Westerville, Ohio. He was born Aug. 24, 1932, in Bronson, a son of Maurice and Iola (Bidwell) Gunthorpe. Darl was a lifelong Sturgis area resident. On July 24, 1954 he married Beverly …

Steven Lee Reed, age 65, of Sturgis, passed away early Tuesday morning, Sept. 18, 2012, at his home with his family at his side. He was born Aug. 18, 1947, in Three Rivers, a son of the late Russell and Bonnie (Blank) Reed. Steve was a lifelong resident of the Sturgis and Centreville area and was a graduate of Centreville …

A Kalamazoo man will serve at least four years behind bars for stealing a car and escaping from custody while on a work crew at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds last year. Adryll Matthews, 24, was sentenced last week by Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman to between four and more than seven years in jail for stealing a fair employee’s …

The millage amount to be levied for St. Joseph County’s 911 Central Dispatch service in 2013 will be half a mill, one-quarter of a mill less than what voters authorized in August. Millage amounts to levy next year for four county agencies were set Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. While the county’s roads, transportation and commission …

Officials with the Constantine Area Community Foundation have announced they are accepting proposals from non-profit organizations for the foundation’s 2012 fall grant period. Areas of focus for the Constantine Area Community Foundation include improvement of living and working conditions for the citizens of Constantine; youth and recreation; educational, charitable or benevolent purposes; and care of the elderly. Prospective applicants may …

Brandy Lynn Barnell, 34, Sturgis, of Sturgis, passed away unexpectedly Sunday morning, Sept. 16, 2012, at her home. She was born July 4, 1978, in LaGrange, Ind., a daughter of Thomas and Cindy (Sanford) Marker. Brandy resided in Sturgis since May of 2011, coming from Holden, Mo. On July 3, 2001, she married Michael Barnell in Arkansas. She attended Holy …

The Three Rivers Department of Public Services reported a biosolids discharge along South Lincoln Avenue at the Three Rivers Clean Water Plant early Monday. James Baker, Clean Water Plant director, said the incident occurred shortly after midnight, when approximately 3,648 gallons of liquid biosolids were released from a storage tank. Baker said staff worked through the night to clean up …