County Information

St. Joseph County voters in August will decide between two candidates for county clerk and county treasurer. Incumbent clerk Lindsay Oswald, who was appointed to the post in July 2015, is seeking the four-year term. A Lockport Township resident, the 36-year-old Oswald is being challenged by Melissa Marsh, 30, of Fabius Township. Judie Ratering, incumbent county treasurer, is vying for …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners will see at least two new faces starting in 2017, as commissioners Robin Baker and Rick Shaffer have decided to not seek re-election. White Pigeon’s Dan Czajkowski, 60, is running unopposed and will replace Baker to the two-year term as District 4 representative. Four contestants are competing to replace Shaffer as commissioner of …

A White Pigeon man was injured last week after the motorcycle he was driving was struck by a car that had failed to yield near an intersection in Fabius Township. Sheriff’s department officials said the man was driving south on U.S. 131 shortly after 9 p.m. Friday when a SUV driven by a 72-year-old Mendon woman entered the roadway near …

Glen Oaks Community College celebrated its 48th graduation ceremony Friday, when nearly 200 certificates or degrees were awarded to 175 students. College officials said 113 people took part in the ceremony. According to data compiled by the college, the average graduate is 26 1/2 years old, with the youngest graduate 18 years of age and the oldest, 66. The average …

The St. Joseph County Animal Control has started a countywide dog census. Led by animal control officers Greg Musser and Josh Shook, the count is expected to take a number of months after it started in a White Pigeon Township mobile home community a month ago. Sheriff Brad Balk said a surprising number of dogs in the county are not …

Constantine municipal officials have approved a pay raise for elected leaders in office after the November election. Village manager Mark Honeysett said the raise for the village president and trustees is the first in 18 years. The president’s monthly pay was adjusted from $75 to $100, and per-meeting pay was raised from $100 to $125. Monthly salary for the village’s …

A longtime Glen Oaks Community College professor with a strong dedication to military veterans was named the 2016 E.J. Shaheen Teaching Excellence Award winner. The honor recognizing Bill Furr was announced during the college’s 48th graduation ceremony Friday. A Detroit native and Sturgis resident, Furr has been a Glen Oaks business professor full-time since 2003 and is credited with establishing …

The St. Joseph County Road Commission can start budgeting for some major roadwork set to take place this summer. Agency manager Chris Minger said Michigan Department of Transportation over the weekend awarded its bids statewide for summer projects, including three in St. Joseph County. The three routes are: Silver Street in Mendon Township, Lovers Lane in Lockport Township and Colon …

Two people were arrested on drug-related offenses last week as part of a compliance check for people on parole or probation. Investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit teamed with parole agents from the Michigan Department of Corrections on the various checks Thursday. At a location in the 31000 block of Kelly Road in Burr Oak Township, several …

Members of the Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority/Michigan Main Street Board last week approved offering a contract to a California man to serve as executive director of the agency. David Vago is a farm technician at East Bay Regional Park District in Oakland. Board members during a meeting Friday agreed to offer a $42,000 salary for the full-time position. Vago …