County Information

The makeup of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board of St. Joseph County is under scrutiny. To be in compliance with the state’s Mental Health Code related to such panels, it must include members who themselves or are related to someone who – past or present – has undergone some form of counseling. The debate centers on …

A Three Rivers man was injured after the motorcycle he was driving went off the roadway earlier this week in Lockport Township. Sheriff’s deputies said the motorcycle was heading west at 5 p.m. Monday on Hoshel Road, when it failed to navigate a curve near Lutz Road and went off the north side of the road. The motorcycle overturned and …

Teresa Belote signed a contract with the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District for a total salary package of $146,000 at a special board meeting Monday in Centreville. In a separate special meeting later in the day, Bronson Community Schools Board of Education accepted Belote’s resignation as superintendent. The Bronson board voted to use the Michigan Association of School Board …

Students at Burr Oak Middle and High School were granted outside support as they use robots to build skills in science and engineering. The Monsanto Fund awarded a one-time $5,000 grant to the Bobcat High School Robotics Team and $1,500 to the Bobcats Middle School Robotics Team. The funds will support robotics activities and encourage local students who participate in …

Members of the Three Rivers City Commission last week threw their support behind a proposed state grant to help cover the cost of a pedestrian trail. A resolution endorsing the plan is required for the city to potentially qualify for a Michigan Department of Transportation grant. The proposed trail, which would run adjacent to U.S. 131 between Hoffman and Broadway …

Officials with the St. Joseph County Commission on Aging recently observed the one-year anniversary of the Sturgis Enrichment Center. Opened in April 2016 on North Franks Avenue, the Sturgis Enrichment Center has fulfilled its purpose as a gathering place for senior citizens on the east side of the county, according to COA director Tim Stoll. Last week’s fanfare included a …

Following action earlier this month by the Centreville Village Council regarding a golf-cart ordinance, the village of Constantine recently discussed the issue. During last week’s Constantine Village Council meeting, municipal officials agreed to pursue an ordinance that would also include provisions for penalties or violations. Village manager Mark Honeysett said concerns he has include whether it’s OK for someone whose …

Saturday’s collection of household hazardous waste and electronics generated more than 50,000 pounds of televisions, computers and related accessories. The 12th annual collection featured a flow of traffic that arrived an hour before the four-hour event began at 8 a.m., according to Pat Kulikowski, secretary for the St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee. The line of traffic continued through the …

St. Joseph County District Court Judge Rob Pattison last week staged his fourth “Courts in the Schools” program. Before a group of nearly 100 upperclassmen at Centreville High School, Pattison sentenced Megan Kucks, a 22-year-old Kalamazoo resident, and Thomas Polston, a 24-year-old Burr Oak man, for their separate cases of driving while impaired. In part because they agreed to have …

Organizers behind Saturday’s “31 Flavors of Magic” in downtown Colon are calling the third annual event a success. Boosted by a strong array of talent at 10 different venues, “31 Flavors” drew more people than it had at either of the two previous events, according to coordinator Ron Carnell. Spectators were treated to a variety of magic genres, including stage …