Shaurya Ashish Verma passed away Monday, Aug. 20, 2012, at his home in Portage, after a courageous five-year battle with cancer.  He was born July 7, 2003, in Sturgis, and was the child of Drs. Ashish Verma and Mauli Verma residing at 9721 Chambray, Portage. Surviving are his parents; and a brother, Arya Verma.  Arrangements by Spencer Family Funeral Home, …

A dark-colored minivan is a clue investigators are using in hopes of catching the party responsible for the theft of copper wire from an irrigation system in Leonidas Township. Michigan State Police officials said about 1,200 feet of overhead irrigation wire was stolen between Aug. 2 and 5 from a field at the intersection of Shorts Road and M-60.

A listing of candidates for the Constantine Village Council contains inaccurate information on the St. Joseph County website. Constantine Township Clerk Marti Brown said she has been in touch with County Clerk Pattie Bender regarding the erroneous information. Bender is currently at the state’s county clerk’s convention and indicated the information on the website would be corrected by Monday. In …

Members of the St. Joseph County Community Corrections Advisory Board plan to maintain a strong focus on rehabilitating jail inmates charged with methamphetamine-related offenses. During their meeting last week, members of the 15-person committee said they intend to evaluate the success of a program called “Meth Men in Jail,” which is monitored by Spencer Price, substance abuse supervisor with the …

Michell A. VanVlerah, 53, of Three Rivers, died Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo after an extended illness. She was born Oct. 29, 1958, in Tell City, Ind., to Nathan and Gladys (Shearn) Hale. She had been a resident of Three Rivers for the past seven years, coming from the White Pigeon and Mottville area. She was …

Mr. William J. Peterson, 85, of Richfield, Minnesota (formerly of Kalamazoo) passed away Thursday, August 16, in Edina, Minnesota. Mr. Peterson was born on August 15, 1927, in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, the son of Oscar Julius and Hilda Mae Hart Peterson. He lived in Sault Sainte Marie until entering the United States Army in 1945. After his discharge from the …

Summer is winding down, and soon we’ll have the fall colors gracing the trees. School hasn’t started yet, so some of you will be getting out of town before the kids return to the classrooms. If you’re planning to spend any time in a hotel or motel, here are a few facts to keep in mind, as you travel: A …

The Three Rivers Police Department was called over the weekend to a residence in the 700 block of Portage Avenue regarding a domestic situation. Three Rivers officials said a 911 call was received shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday regarding a distraught subject who potentially posed a threat to himself and others. Officers coaxed the man out of his house and …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is reviewing surveillance video for clues to help identify the culprits of a breaking-and-entering incident over the weekend in Nottawa. Sometime between midnight and 7:30 a.m. Sunday, a door at Sand Lake Party Store was pried open and the business was entered. A preliminary investigation shows an undisclosed amount of money and numerous packs …

Lou (Young) Clark, age 85, of Constantine, passed away Sunday, August 19th, 2012 at her home. Lou was born at home on April 15, 1927 to K. D. and Ruth (Vought) Young on a farm near Wheeler in Gratiot County, Michigan. She married Robert William Clark on September 30, 1950. They had 57 years of marriage before Robert passed away on August …