About 20 volunteers, including a group of local Boy Scouts, teamed up to clear a four-mile stretch of the Prairie River Saturday. Sponsored by the St. Joseph County Conservation District, the cleanup took place starting from the canoe park on North Clark Street in Centreville and concluding at Hoshel Canoe Park in Lockport Township. Jen Miller, conservation district administrator, said …

Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood Jr. said a 48-year-old Three Rivers man died over the weekend in a one-vehicle accident in Marcellus Township. The incident occurred about 7 a.m. Saturday on Burlington Road, south of Marcellus Highway. Underwood said a Chevy Impala driven by John Eastes left the roadway, struck a tree and came to rest in a swampy area. …

Alcohol is believed to be a factor in a car accident that took place around 5 a.m. Saturday in Constantine. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said Jeremy Zell, 31, of Elkhart, Ind., was arrested after he failed to stop at the three-way intersection of North Broad Street and North Washington Street. He was taken to Three Rivers Health and …

Eva L. Pierce, 84, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday afternoon, June 9, 2012, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born April 25, 1928, in Kalamazoo, a daughter of the late Barney and Nellie (Ossewaarde) Longjohn. Mrs. Pierce resided most of her life in Sturgis. Her early life was spent in Kalamazoo, where she was a graduate of Kalamazoo …

Jean E. Schwartz, age 81, of Sturgis, passed away early Saturday morning, June 9, 2012, at Sturgis Hospital in Sturgis.  She was born April 12, 1931, in Kalamazoo, a daughter of Floyd Eugene and Margaret Louise (Boekeloo) Short.  Mrs. Schwartz had resided in Sturgis since the age of 15, coming from Kalamazoo.  She first married to James Palmer on April …

Six units of an apartment complex in Three Rivers were destroyed by fire Saturday morning. Three Rivers Fire Department officials said the blaze was reported before 10:30 a.m. at the Waterfront Apartments, in the 400 block of Thomas Street. Upon arrival, firefighters reported seeing flames coming from the upper level of the three-story apartment building. The incident remains under investigation, …

Here’s some road-construction information on two projects in St. Joseph County. The first matter comes from the Michigan Department of Transportation, which has announced a lane shift on M-86 at Industrial Drive in Centreville through 5 p.m. today. One lane will be open in each direction while crews make repairs to a water main. The other project involves the St. …

The inaugural Art on the Green art show Sunday at Klinger Lake Country Club was declared a success by event organizer Shireen Cline. The seven-hour show featured 29 artists from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. The artwork included high-end pieces that wound up attracting a number of buyers, Cline said. Staged on the tee-area at the course driving range, Art on …

Noble B. Pittman, 89, of Marcellus, died Thursday, June 7, 2012 at Riverview Manor in Three Rivers. He was born on Nov. 2, 1922 in Enta Green, Ind. the son of Roscoe and Hazel (Mellott) Pittman. Marcellus resident since 1946 when he purchased his farm. He farmed until 1993. He was also employed by the Weyerhaeuser Paper Company, Good Manufacturing …

Anne Moore Pryser, born June 10, 1922, in South Bend, Ind., and formerly of Sturgis, died June 6, 2012, in Norwich, Vt., where she had lived since 2007. She was predeceased by her parents, Ruth Cole Moore and Elwyn Michael Moore; her beloved husband, Ray Charles Pryser Jr.; her sister, Barbara Moore Noble; and her grandson, Thomas Brandom Leary. She …