County Information

An amended contract between St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners and the county’s E-911 Telecommunicators’ Association was approved Tuesday by commissioners. According to terms of the amendment, new hires will be required to undergo telecommunications training and be paid $12.88 an hour during training; upon completion of training, full-time employees will be placed on the current wage scale; and benefits …

The St. Joseph County-based River Country Tourism Council has unveiled a new logo that helps identify the region designated River Country. Rose Szwed, marketing manager for River Country Tourism Council, said the logo was inspired largely by confusion on the exact area covered in describing River Country. Outside of St. Joseph County, for example, there is a River Country in …

The federal government and local partners are contributing $13.6 million into an initiative to boost water quality in the St. Joseph River Watershed, which covers 210 miles in Michigan and Indiana. U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters of Michigan, and Joe Donnelly of Indiana, on Monday announced details of the project, which includes $6.8 million public investment that is …

Approval of a sheriff’s department personnel change was the most noteworthy matter of business during Tuesday’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting. In advance of Capt. Tim Schuler’s impending retirement, commissioners OK’d the department’s request to fill his position. Subsequently, the commission agreed to hire Kitty Buchner to succeed Schuler. Buchner, who has served as administrative secretary and is …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners this week agreed to a change in program description related to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority Community Development. The amendment to the funding award calls for the county to use community development block grant funds for the Homeowner Rehabilitation and Emergency Repairs program. The project will include administrative costs. St. Joseph County will …

Four personnel matters were approved Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Mark Harter was brought aboard as a full-time park ranger at $15.90 an hour. Meanwhile, Linda Wyckoff and Virginia Soule were hired as home-care aides with a pay of $10.70 an hour. Also, Melton Powell was hired as a chore worker for $9.50 an hour. The …

A number of officials representing the Free and Accepted Masons gathered Friday to attend a rededication ceremony at the Three Rivers Post Office. Staged in honor of the 100-year anniversary since the building’s cornerstone was laid, representatives from the group conducted a review of the cornerstone to assess its compliance with the building standards set by the Masons. Utilizing a …

State Rep. Aaron Miller, chair of the House Appropriations State Police subcommittee, issued a statement after Gov. Rick Snyder last week presented his budget plan to the Legislature, which includes funding for the Michigan State Police. Miller said public safety must continue to be a priority and he will work closely with the governor’s office to see that the Michigan …

Teresa Horn, cardiac rehabilitation technician, has been named Sturgis Hospital’s Associate of the Year. Horn, who has worked at the hospital nearly 25 years, was nominated by co-workers Julie Stoll and Toni Clark. Stoll and Clark wrote about Horn’s dedication and accomplishments, saying she is a dedicated and hard-working employee for both cardiac rehab and the sleep center. Criteria for …

In a plea deal accepted Wednesday in St. Joseph County Circuit Court, prosecutors dropped four perjury charges against Constantine resident Raymond McCann II. In exchange, the 47-year-old McCann pleaded no contest to a single perjury count. Under a sentencing recommendation included in the agreement, he would be eligible for release after serving 12 to 20 months. McCann has been in …