St Joseph County

A pair of employment agreements was approved last week by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. The hours for Ann Happel and Brian McDaniel were increased to 22 1/2 hours each as part of their work with the County College Access Network. They previously both worked 15 hours a week, but their workload was increased to cover the duties …

The St. Joseph County Transportation Authority saw a ridership increase during its 2014-15 fiscal year compared to a year earlier. Steve Yorks, executive director of the Three Rivers-based agency, said 97,506 rides were given during the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30. That figure tops the 95,942 rides given the previous fiscal year. Yorks said the CTA has maintained a …

Sunday’s annual Three Rivers Area Fall Color Tour was hailed a success by the event’s organizers as well as its participants. Tour coordinator Christy Trammell said hundreds of people took part in the self-guided tour, which featured 13 stops spread throughout western St. Joseph and eastern Cass counties. Trammell said the event was blessed to have perfect weather, which contributed …

A 43-year-old Burr Oak man is in stable condition after he was struck by a car over the weekend in Burr Oak Township. Sheriff’s officials said 56-year-old Kevin Mayer, of Sturgis, was driving north on Burr Oak Road shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday when he was unable to avoid striking Ricaurte Hernandez, who was lying in the roadway, south of …

St. Joseph County’s board of commissioners last week agreed to extend its auditing services for one year with a Jackson-based firm. The county and Rehmann Robson concluded a three-year contract with the company’s performance of the county’s 2014 audit. County administrator Pat Yoder said finance director Joni Smith recommended the county renew its contract with the company for one year …

The man accused of murdering 11-year-old Jodi Parrack in Constantine eight years ago was in court this week in St. Joseph County. Daniel Furlong, 65, waived his preliminary investigation Wednesday in District Court. The move is related to Furlong’s charges of unlawful imprisonment and assault with a dangerous weapon from a July 28 incident with a 10-year-old girl at what …

A major step to create more parking for people doing business at the county courthouse was taken this week. Members of the county board Tuesday accepted an $18,000 bid from Centreville-based Adams Excavating for the demolition of a two-story house at the southeast corner of Dean and Burr Oak streets. Terms of the contract include all materials hauled from the …

An annual fall event that typically draws participants from at least four states is set to take place again this weekend. The Three Rivers Area Fall Color Tour, a one-day event started in the 1950s, returns Sunday with 13 stops. Sponsored by the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce, the tour is a self-guided event in which participants are able …

The second phase of St. Joseph County’s river trails plan was approved by the county commission Tuesday. The step involves Sturgis-based eStudio Design. It will be responsible for expanding the website St. Joe H2O, which can be found through a link on the county’s homepage. The second phase will feature the expansion to include marketing information related to real estate, …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners this week approved a $1-a-year lease with the village of Burr Oak regarding the use of its water tower space for the county’s E-911 Central Dispatch. Dennis Brandenburg, central dispatch director, said a receiving antenna will be placed on the tower to improve the quality of two-way communication between dispatchers and emergency personnel …