St Joseph County

St. Joseph County commissioners plan to review all non-operational expenses and potentially make some adjustments in the county’s 2017 budget. The plan was discussed during a commissioners’ work session Wednesday. Commissioner John Dobberteen broached the subject by asking county administrator Pat Yoder for a list of the non-mandated services, adding it is time to re-prioritize. He said the scrutiny is …

State police troopers are investigating the theft of hay bales from a Fabius Township retreat. Troopers were called at 11 a.m. July 30 to Camp Eberhart after it was discovered between 50 and 60 bales of hay were stolen from the property, located off County Line Road. Camp officials said the hay bales were likely stolen overnight between July 26 …

The Paul H. Casault Senior Center Memorial Fund recently awarded its first grant: a skilled-trades scholarship for Glen Oaks Community College student Jasmine McClish. The Paul H. Casault Senior Center Memorial Fund was established with a gift from the sale proceeds of the Paul H. Casault Senior Center building. The purpose of the fund is to support the Manufacturing and …

Last weekend’s cleanup of a portion of the St. Joseph River yielded more than 400 pounds of debris, according to officials from the St. Joseph County Conservation District. The 2 1/2-mile route started at River Run Road and concluded at Angevine Road in Nottawa Township. John Nelson, a board member of the Centreville-based agency, said tires, burn barrels, bottles and …

St. Joseph County Animal Control is reporting an incident of canine parvovirus at the Centreville shelter. Parvo is a highly contagious disease that can turn into a life-threatening illness. Because animals in the shelter are in such close quarters, extreme measures are being taken to quarantine, move and clean to reduce the spread of the disease, said deputy Josh Shook, …

Three Rivers Community Schools Superintendent Jean Logan is inviting the public to a community pep rally taking place later this week. Logan said the Three Rivers Athletic Department is hosting the season’s first rally at 5 p.m. Friday at Armstrong Field. Parents, fans and community members will be introduced to the 2016-17 fall sports teams during the program. Hot dogs, …

An annual giveaway by the St. Joseph County United Way starts today in Three Rivers. The St. Joseph County United Way is staging its annual “Donut Drive” as its way of thanking county residents for their continued support. United Way volunteers will spend the next seven weekdays distributing donuts free of charge at major intersections between 7:30 and 9 a.m. …

A public open house for the new Covered Bridge Healthcare facility in Centreville takes place 2 to 4 p.m. Friday. The 1,980-square-foot facility, remembered by many locals as a former doctor’s office operated by the late medical specialist, Frank Olney, is located just east of the sheriff’s department. The center is funded through a $990,000 annual federal grant renewed every …

The former executive director of St. Joseph County Commission on Aging received a six-month severance package, shortly after a Kalamazoo consulting firm recommended that she be terminated for creating what it called a “toxic and manipulative” work environment at the agency. Lynn Coursey denied that charge and said it was her decision to leave the job she had held for …

A St. Joseph County employee who took charge of the register of deeds office at a critical time in 2010 left her job last week. Jennifer Wall, 44, said she turned in her two-week notice Aug. 3, a day after Lindsay Oswald was elected to a four-year term as county clerk and register of deeds. She said her decision was …