Tracie Pueschel is the 2018 recipient of the John E. Oster Award for Teacher Recognition and was honored last month at the Sturgis Rotary Club luncheon. Pueschel has taught at Sturgis Public Schools since 1993, mostly at Wenzel Elementary School. She became the Title I Reading Teacher in 2010 and added Lead Teacher responsibilities to that role in 2018. Nominations …

A bid was awarded to Serv-Pro to clean bat droppings from a historic building owned by the St. Joseph County Parks Department. During last week’s county commission meeting, the board approved a contract necessary as the result of a bat infestation in the attic of the mill portion of Rawson’s King Mill in Leonidas Township. County administrator Teresa Doehring said …

Three Rivers Department of Public Works Director Amy Roth has announced details regarding an impending bridge closure. Roth said work will begin Jan. 14 on the replacement of the Hoffman Street bridge over the Portage River, near the intersection of Wood Street. Hoffman Street between Portage Avenue and M-60 will be open to local traffic only, and the bridge will …

Approval was given last week by county commissioners to Westside Recycling and Disposal to allow drop-off of e-waste items on Saturdays. The action took place during last week’s county commission meeting. No budget amendment was necessary but the action appeared before commissioners because the matter was a change to the contract between the two parties. According to the amended agreement, …

A month after supporting a tentative agreement, St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners made official its agreements with nine county unions. Commissioners approved the three-year proposals, which had already been ratified by the respective unions. In all, the nine unions represent more than 100 employees; nearly two-thirds of whom work for the sheriff’s department. County administrator Teresa Doehring noted that …

St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners recently made two exceptions to the county’s hiring freeze. With the departure of finance director Ryan Post, county administrator Teresa Doehring was granted approval to seek a replacement. The salary range, including fringe benefits, is between $80,000 and $100,000 a year. Meanwhile, the other exception was granted to juvenile court regarding its need to …

A Vandalia woman was injured this week after swerving her vehicle to avoid striking a deer in Cass County’s Howard Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said Joyce Kocher, 33, was driving west on M-60 when the deer appeared in the roadway. She drove off the road and her vehicle struck a tree, authorities said. The incident occurred just west of Burn …

St. Joseph County officials last week approved the 2019 Indigent Defense Agreement. County administrator Teresa Doehring said the agreement represents a 2 percent increase compared to the 2018 agreement. The county’s allocation for the agreement is $567,528. Doehring said the caseload of indigent clients averages about 25 weekly. According to terms of the seven-page agreement, there will be the full-time …

The Three Rivers Fire Department last week unveiled the newest addition to its vehicle fleet. The Spartan 180 fire engine cost $435,000 and has the capacity to pump 1,500 gallons of water per minute, according to chief Carl Holcomb. He added that the truck can carry 750 gallons of water through its onboard tank. With the latest vehicle delivered, the …

Teresa Doehring is wrapping up her first full year as county administrator and by all indications, the five-member board of commissioners is pleased with her effort. The 44-year-old Doehring received a contract renewal and a 2 percent raise in the capacity of the county’s highest, non-elected position. Both matters were approved unanimously by county commissioners last week. A lifelong Mendon-area …