St Joseph County

April opening set for Sturgis senior center

Representatives from the St. Joseph County Commission on Aging will open the new Sturgis senior citizen center on April 8. Lynn Coursey, COA executive director, said the event is being planned in conjunction with Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce and will include a ribbon cutting at 5 p. m., followed at 7 p.m. by a ticketed event that serves as …

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Mendon School Board approved millage renewal request

Members of the Mendon Community Schools Board of Education have authorized a special election for the renewal of 18 operating mills. The non-homestead property tax renewal ended its 20-year life with the 2015 tax levy. Its continuation will allow the district to collect tax dollars from properties that are non-homestead within its boundaries. District officials said the 18 mills generate …

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Constantine residents voice concern over assault weapon ban consideration

Nearly two dozen people voiced an opinion Monday on the Constantine Village Council’s recent discussion about consideration of a ban on assault weapons. In December, president Pat Weiss distributed two articles about federal assault weapons to the council. Weiss said her intention was not to pass a law, but never said anything about banning assault weapons. The council took no …

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Commissioners renew contracts

St. Joseph County’s board of commissioners renewed contracts with three high-ranking employees Tuesday. The County administrator’s contract was extended through 2016. J. Patrick Yoder, 67, joined the county in April 2013. His new contract includes a 2 percent raise, which gives him a base salary of nearly $118,000 annually. Finance director Joni Smith, 53, agreed to a one-year contract renewal. …

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Boil water order remains in White Pigeon

Despite the hope for a clean reading, White Pigeon village officials on Wednesday said a boil-water notice must remain in effect village-wide. Municipal officials had notified residents Jan. 7 that the presence of coliform bacteria had been detected in the water supply. Since then, they have been urging residents to boil water before use or use bottled water. White Pigeon …

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Commission approved recreation facility agreement

Four months after verbally committing to a multi-field sports complex in the Three Rivers area, the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners followed through on its pledge. During Tuesday’s board meeting, commissioners approved a recreation facility agreement that formalizes the $2.8 million commitment. County administrator Pat Yoder said an inordinate amount of legalities had to be sorted through by the …

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White Pigeon remains under boil-water notice

A boil-water notice remains in effect in the village of White Pigeon nearly two weeks after the recommendation was yielded. Village officials Jan. 7 notified residents that the presence of coliform bacteria had been detected in the water supply. Since then, they have been urging residents to boil water before use or to use bottled water. White Pigeon Department of …

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Mendon agrees to continue Rathburn’s contract

Mendon Community Schools Board of Education members gave interim superintendent Roger Rathburn a vote of confidence Monday, as the seven-member panel agreed to extend Rathburn’s contract through the 2016-17 academic year. Rathburn joined the district after board members agreed last spring to not continue to participate with Centreville Public Schools in a shared-superintendent agreement. Rathburn said he’ll confirm his decision …

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Woman arrested following traffic stop

State police arrested a 31-year-old Indiana woman for alleged drunken driving following a traffic stop over the weekend in White Pigeon Township. Authorities said a motorist phoned police at 7:15 a.m. Sunday to report a vehicle with two flattened tires traveling east on U.S. 12 in the village of White Pigeon. The caller indicated the vehicle was not staying in …

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Sturgis man faces multiple charges incident with gun

A Sturgis man faces four counts of felonious assault and additional charges after he allegedly pointed a handgun at his girlfriend’s ex-husband during a child-custody exchange. Sturgis police said officers were called at 7:30 p.m. Sunday to the 600 block of North Lakeview Street in response to a man with a gun. Officers were told the 43-year-old man was intoxicated …

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