County Information

A Porter Township man died last week after a tree he was cutting down fell on him. Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called to the 12000 block of Old 112 shortly after 2 p.m. Friday. Deputies arrived to find 83-year-old Gordon Jackson deceased. An investigation at the scene along with physical evidence indicated that Jackson was in …

March’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County was seven-tenths of a percent lower than one month previous. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed the county’s 3.5 percent March unemployment rate marked a decrease from February’s 4.2 percent. St. Joseph County remained below the state unemployment average, which was 4.8 percent in March. …

Glen Oaks Community College has announced the promotion of Morgan Balcom to head women’s basketball coach. Balcom takes the reins after Michael Mosley stepped down from the position in early February. Balcom has fielded the head-coaching responsibilities in an interim role since that time. “Morgan has done an exceptional job since being put in a tough position in February,” according …

State police investigators are looking into the breaking-and-entering of a residence around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday last week in the 58000 block of Covered Bridge Road. The suspects are believed to have gained access to a garage and shed by going through the back yard of the residence. Multiple totes full of items were reported stolen as well as a bench …

The St. Joseph County Grange Fair is beginning a program to replace its decades-old trees with new ones starting this year. Fair manager Bill Johnson said a common scene in photographs of the St. Joseph County Grange Fairgrounds from its earliest years to current times is the numerous trees that surround the property. These same trees are now being replaced …

The longest-serving probation officer in St. Joseph County’s history is the recipient of the 2017 St. Joseph County Bar Association Liberty Bell Award. Steve Wilson, who is retiring following a 40-year career as a probation officer with the Michigan Department of Corrections, was announced Thursday as the winner of the award, first given in May 1985. A Sturgis resident, Wilson …

Two members of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board of St. Joseph County were excluded from Tuesday’s executive session because they were not attending in person. Rebecca Black and Janelle Hart joined the meeting at its onset via speaker phone. When it came time to discuss an attorney-client matter subject to closed session, board member John Dobberteen …

State Rep. Aaron Miller this week voted in favor of the state budget, joining his colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee in approving the fiscal blueprint and sending it to the full House for consideration. Miller, who serves as chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State Police, said local K-12 classrooms will see more money and local governments will see …

Members of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board of St. Joseph County have agreed to re-establish a finance committee. Board member John Dobberteen suggested the idea near the conclusion of Tuesday’s monthly board meeting. He suggested the reformed finance committee be made up of one or two CMH board members and also include finance directors from both …

A milestone event sponsored by the St. Joseph County Conservation District took place this week in Lockport Township. The agency on Tuesday and Wednesday staged its 50th annual “Conservation Tour Day” at Covered Bridge Park. Fourth-grade students from all nine school districts in the county, as well as from Lake Area and Factoryville Christian schools, took part in the day-long …