St Joseph County

Saturday’s collection of household hazardous waste, tires, paper, paint and electronics was the most successful in the 13-year history of the spring event. Pat Kulikowski, secretary of the St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee – the event’s sponsor – said she can attribute its success, in part, to the fact it was a free drop-off. There was no charge for …

Tuesday was the filing deadline for county commission seats, and other local and state positions appearing on the August primary ballot. Barring a write-in candidate, Republican county commissioners Allen Balog and Kathy Pangle will be uncontested. They are seeking two-year terms; Balog represents the city of Three Rivers, and Fabius and Flowerfield townships, while Pangle’s jurisdiction covers Burr Oak, Colon, …

Glen Oaks Community College Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to move forward with a USDA loan application for concourse renovation. The loan is for up to $2.2 million, according to Glen Oaks president David Devier. He said the interest rate for the loan has been locked in at 3.79 percent. Devier anticipates closing as early as next week, and then …

Constantine municipal officials plan to work with the local school district to install a resource officer at Constantine schools on a full-time basis. Village manager Mark Honeysett said he has had conversations with superintendent Steve Wilson and a representative from Michigan Fraternal Order of Police, and plans are to draft a contract to provide an officer for the position. If …

Members of the White Pigeon school board have approved the purchase of new wireless access points. The budgeted item will cost more than $56,000. However, associate superintendent Carrie Erlandson said the district could use E-rate funds for the purchase, so the purchase would have a budget impact of less than $20,000. The district currently has about 75 access points. Erlandson …

The St. Joseph County Road Commission has awarded asphalt projects to Michigan Paving and Materials, which will perform work on Constantine Road, a Sturgis Township subdivision and sections of the Tamarac subdivision in Lockport Township. The effort will complete four-tenths of a mile stretch of Constantine Road north to Mintdale Road, and also the section of Constantine Road between Fairchild …

A proposed tax increase to fund additional staffing in its police and fire departments will be at the center of a Sturgis City Commission public hearing. According to a media release from director of public safety Geoff Smith, the hearing will take place at 7:30 p.m. May 9 at city hall. The proposed funding would be used to hire an …

State Rep. Aaron Miller has announced his monthly, in-district office hours with local residents. Emphasizing the importance of being available to the community, Miller said he enjoys the opportunity to connect with people and hear what matters most to them. Miller will hold office hours Friday at three area locations: 6 to 7:30 a.m. at Rachael’s in White Pigeon; 8 …

Indiana Michigan Power’s commitment to greener energy earned it the designation as a 2018 “Environmental Champion” from a study by Market Strategies International. I&M is one of just 43 utility companies in the country given the distinction. To become an Environmental Champion, a utility needs to demonstrate to customers its dedication to supporting the environment by promoting clean energy, empowering …

Lawsuits against St. Joseph County, its board of commissioners and a pair of county officials have been thrown out by a Calhoun County judge. The legal matter was brought upon the county, the county board, former county administrator Pat Yoder and past board chairman Allen Balog by Liz O’Dell. O’Dell, former director of Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services …