County Information

A permanent grant administrator of the St. Joseph County Remonumentation Program was approved last week. Jerry Happel, who began his employment with the county last month as its GIS director, was approved for the position by county commissioners. He fills the appointed spot held by Ken Syers Jr. Also last week, the county commission accepted the letter of resignation from …

One of several people charged in connection with the November 2015 burglary of Outpost Guns in Sturgis was sentenced last month in federal court in Grand Rapids. According to the Department of Justice, Kevonte Derome McNeely, 24, of Kalamazoo, was sentenced Aug. 31 to five years in a federal prison after pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of …

Members of the Sturgis Planning Commission last week approved a site plan for a proposed four-diamond, adult softball complex. But bids for construction are coming in higher than expected and new ideas are being proposed for expanding the $ 2.1 million project. City Manager Mike Hughes told planning commissioners that Sturgis received only two bids for the project that will …

St. Joseph County commissioners last week approved a grant renewal with the Michigan Department of Corrections. The $175,000 Community Corrections Grant will benefit the county by providing services to enhance jail utilization, reduce the prison commitment rate and impact recidivism, according to terms of the agreement. $70,000 of the grant will be earmarked for the Day Reporting Center, $56,000 to …

The Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce regrets to announce it is canceling the fourth “Treasures of St. Joseph County.” Chamber President and CEO Christy Trammell said interest in the 2016 event – a takeoff on the concept of “The Amazing Race” – was not strong enough to justify the effort and cost of staging the event. It was originally …

State Rep. Aaron Miller was joined in the Capitol rotunda last week by St. Joseph County emergency medical technician Richard Knox, who was his guest for the House of Representatives’ Sept. 11 Memorial Ceremony. First responders and military personnel were invited guests to the special House session, which commemorated the 15-year anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks on America, and …

A $4.7 million, five-year grant from the state was approved by St. Joseph County Commissioners last week. The grant, provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, will provide the St. Joseph County Friend of the Court more than $870,000 during the first year of the grant – commencing Oct. 1 – and increases annually to more than $1 …

A jury comprised of six men and six women found Westly George guilty in the August 2015 murder of Eugene Jackson in Three Rivers. After four hours of deliberations Thursday, jurors returned a guilty verdict on charges of first-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm. George is …

A pickup was severely damaged last week in Constantine Township after it was struck by an object that became dislodged from a trailer attached to a vehicle in front of it. State police said the incident occurred at 2:45 p.m. Friday on U.S. 131 near Garber Road. The situation unfolded when a light-colored pickup pulling a trailer loaded with wood …

Saturday’s scheduled cleanup of the Portage River was postponed due to the threat of rain. What was supposed to be the sixth and final cleanup of the season, staged by the St. Joseph County Conservation District, was to take place from North Fisher Lake Road in Park Township to Heimbach Road. Agency director Carolyn Grace said the event was postponed …