County Information

Motorists passing through downtown Mendon have discovered work on a major infrastructure-improvement project has already started. The five-month, $4.1 million task began Monday last week. The Michigan Department of Transportation has routed traffic one-way through the village, resulting in a detour for westbound traffic on M-60. The 1.1-mile reconstruction, which runs the length of the village limits, has been on …

The February unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by seven-tenths of a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 4.5 percent February unemployment rate was less than January’s 5.2 percent. February’s unemployment rate was 2.3 percent less than the same month a year …

A 20-year-old Constantine man escaped injury last week after the vehicle he was driving went off the roadway and struck a tree in Sherman Township. Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff Department were dispatched at 5 p.m. Wednesday to Balk Road, where they found Jason Gagliardo. He told police he was traveling north on Balk Road when he swerved …

Officials from Centreville-based St. Joseph County Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect spent portions of the day Wednesday and Thursday placing almost 400 pinwheels outside city hall in Three Rivers, and at Free Church and Thurston Woods parks in Sturgis. Eventually, the pinwheels will be in locations throughout all 16 townships in St. Joseph County, according to Myra …

Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department responded last week to a breaking-and-entering incident in White Pigeon Township. Investigators were called to the 20000 block of Saunder Shores Road. The incident occurred within the past month, according to deputies.

St. Joseph County could be just a few months from having its first dog park. Members of the St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation Board this week gave its endorsement to the concept, explained Wednesday by parks and recreation director Jaymes MacDonald. The proposed 4 1/2-acre park would be developed at the 150-acre Meyer Broadway Park in Fabius Township. MacDonald …

Sturgis Township trustees have agreed to join a consortium of townships from at least four southwest Michigan counties to establish a central building code information library that will have its headquarters in Mottville Township. The idea of establishing a regional code library began recently when an existing law began to be enforced. The law requires governmental units with building-code authority …

Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman last week sentenced three men involved in the robbery of two vendors in 2014 at the St. Joseph County fairgrounds. Samuel Davis, 28, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced to 16 to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of armed robbery. John Earl Gregory, 35, of Toledo, was sentenced to 14 to …

The Three Rivers Department of Public Services has announced it is ending the water-trickle notice for residents as of Tuesday. All water services that were frozen over the winter have now thawed and frost is out of the ground.

Organizers of the 2015 Sturgis Toy Run have announced the 32nd annual event will feature more vendors, it is accepting sponsors and providing a higher level of entertainment. To that end, tickets for this year’s headline act, Big Smo, go on sale at 10 a.m. today. Big Smo is an American country musician, songwriter, producer and film director who appears …