County Information

A pair of funding requests from the St. Joseph County E-911 Central Dispatch was approved by county commissioners last week. The agency was allotted $4,128 for security cameras to replace black-and-white cameras that are 15 years old, and $74,200 was granted to repair and make improvements to the Centreville communications tower. County administrator Pat Yoder said the upgrade for security …

Organizers behind the twice-a-year collection of electronics and household hazardous waste would like the public to be aware of an important change coming next month. Due to circumstances impacting recyclers of electronics, there will be a $10-per item charge for all televisions and computer monitors when the annual spring collection takes place April 18 at the county fairgrounds. There will …

Indiana Michigan Power has announced that customers have the option to be notified by text message or email when their home or business is affected by a power outage. Customers enrolled in I&M ON THE GO – Mobile Alerts, will receive a notification when an outage has been reported in their area. Customers will continue to get immediate updates as …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners this week was introduced to someone they’ll be seeing more frequently later this year. Lindsay Oswald, who last week was appointed to serve the remaining 18 months of Pattie Bender’s term as county clerk and register of deeds, was presented by Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman. Oswald will start her appointed term July …

St. Joseph County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wenzel said 2014 was another good year for his office. Addressing the county’s board of commissioners, Wenzel said with the additional duties of administering soil-erosion permits, the office is keeping busy and maintaining a high profile in the county. The office in 2014 issued 147 permits and more than 600 inspections were conducted over …

Plans to begin pursuing a major addition to a portion of the St. Joseph County Courthouse were approved Tuesday by members of the county commission. The idea calls for a two-story addition to the west side of the current courts building. Each floor of the proposed rectangular-shaped addition would exceed more than 7,000 square feet and be designated for circuit, …

All seven members of the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority Board were reappointed to serve two more years following action this week by the county commission. The terms of every board member expire April 1, prompting the county commission to act on the reappointment Tuesday, their last meeting before the first of the month. Returning to the transportation authority board …

St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman announced Thursday the appointment of Lindsay Oswald to the position of county clerk/register of deeds. The choice was made two days after Stutesman and a panel of county officials convened Tuesday to discuss the appointment. Second interviews were conducted last week with finalists Oswald and Tabitha Wedge, a 28-year county employee and …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a breaking-and-entering incident in Leonidas Township. According to a department media release, force was used at some point in the past three weeks to gain entrance into the residence in the 32000 block M-60. The residence was unoccupied at the time of the incident. A department media release does not indicate if …

St. Joseph County Friend of the Court would like to remind the public that it has started using the so-called Denver Boot as a manner of collecting delinquent child-support obligations. The vehicle-immobilization device has been available to the agency for two years but was introduced for the first time over the winter on two separate occasions, according to Friend of …