St Joseph County

Christina Bainbridge has been named principal at Eastside Elementary School in Constantine, and Darrin Vandenberg will serve as principal at Riverside Elementary School. Their appointments, which are in effect next month, were made Monday by members of the Constantine Public Schools Board of Education. Bainbridge succeeds Jessica Barth, who will become the district’s athletic director at the end of the …

Klinger Lake resident Paul Watters, a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, joined state Rep. Aaron Miller on the House floor Tuesday to mark the 71st anniversary of the allied victory in Europe over the Axis forces. VE Day occurred May 8, 1945, when Germany surrendered. Watters served in the Pacific Theatre of Operations during the war and was …

Six ballot questions – including two funding-increase requests – will appear on the August primary ballot in St. Joseph County. The deadline for questions to appear on the ballot was Tuesday. Sturgis Public Schools submitted its sinking-fund request shortly before the deadline after district officials agreed Monday to move forward with the request. St. Joseph County’s largest school district is …

St. Joseph County voters in August will decide between two candidates for county clerk and county treasurer. Incumbent clerk Lindsay Oswald, who was appointed to the post in July 2015, is seeking the four-year term. A Lockport Township resident, the 36-year-old Oswald is being challenged by Melissa Marsh, 30, of Fabius Township. Judie Ratering, incumbent county treasurer, is vying for …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners will see at least two new faces starting in 2017, as commissioners Robin Baker and Rick Shaffer have decided to not seek re-election. White Pigeon’s Dan Czajkowski, 60, is running unopposed and will replace Baker to the two-year term as District 4 representative. Four contestants are competing to replace Shaffer as commissioner of …

A White Pigeon man was injured last week after the motorcycle he was driving was struck by a car that had failed to yield near an intersection in Fabius Township. Sheriff’s department officials said the man was driving south on U.S. 131 shortly after 9 p.m. Friday when a SUV driven by a 72-year-old Mendon woman entered the roadway near …

Glen Oaks Community College celebrated its 48th graduation ceremony Friday, when nearly 200 certificates or degrees were awarded to 175 students. College officials said 113 people took part in the ceremony. According to data compiled by the college, the average graduate is 26 1/2 years old, with the youngest graduate 18 years of age and the oldest, 66. The average …

The St. Joseph County Animal Control has started a countywide dog census. Led by animal control officers Greg Musser and Josh Shook, the count is expected to take a number of months after it started in a White Pigeon Township mobile home community a month ago. Sheriff Brad Balk said a surprising number of dogs in the county are not …

Constantine municipal officials have approved a pay raise for elected leaders in office after the November election. Village manager Mark Honeysett said the raise for the village president and trustees is the first in 18 years. The president’s monthly pay was adjusted from $75 to $100, and per-meeting pay was raised from $100 to $125. Monthly salary for the village’s …

A longtime Glen Oaks Community College professor with a strong dedication to military veterans was named the 2016 E.J. Shaheen Teaching Excellence Award winner. The honor recognizing Bill Furr was announced during the college’s 48th graduation ceremony Friday. A Detroit native and Sturgis resident, Furr has been a Glen Oaks business professor full-time since 2003 and is credited with establishing …