St Joseph County

A Sturgis Hospital employee is spearheading a fundraising effort to benefit a rural Filipino community devastated by this month’s typhoon. Noel Fontanilla, a native of the Philippines, is hoping his effort will help the village of Cangumbang. The community is where a pair of Sturgis High School graduates, Elsa Thomasma and Carter Brown was working on a community/evacuation center. Fontanilla, …

Appointments and re-appointments were made by members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners last week. Constantine-area resident David Miars was reappointed to another three-year term on the county’s Board of Public Works. His current term expires at the end of the year. Deb Leyes of Sturgis was tapped to serve a one-year term as a general-public representative on …

History repeated itself Friday, as the Mendon Lady Hornets for the second consecutive year bowed out of the state’s Class C volleyball semi-finals. After coming up short against Beal City in 2012, Mendon fell Friday to Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, there games to one. The Lady Hornets finish the season with a record of 49 wins, eight loses and two …

The St. Joseph County Probate Court will celebrate on Tuesday the 11th annual Michigan Adoption Day during a program at the county courthouse. Staged in conjunction with the Department of Human Services, the event takes place in Judge David Tomlinson’s courtroom from 10 a.m. to noon. “Giving Thanks for Families” is the theme of the 2013 celebration. Organizers said Tuesday’s …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department responded to a two-car collision at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Lockport Township. According to a department media release, one of two cars going in opposite directions on M-60 near Mahnke Road crossed the center line and collided with the other vehicle. One of the vehicles rolled several times and the driver had to be …

St. Joseph County United Way is joining #Giving Tuesday  to inspire people to improve their communities by creating a better world. Next week, #Giving Tuesday will leverage social media to create a national movement dedicated to giving, just as Black Friday and Cyber Monday have been positioned to be synonymous with holiday shopping, according to Kelly Hostetler, St. Joseph County …

The Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education is looking for a new member, as president Tom Robertson announced his resignation this week. Robertson on Monday told board members he is accepting a new job as juvenile court director, and the position has the potential to put him in a conflict of interest as a school board member. A successor to …

St. Joseph County District Judge Jeff Middleton has issued a statement regarding the anniversary of a grim case in Three Rivers. Middleton said Dec. 2 marks the 25-year anniversary of the homicide of Cathy Swartz. The case remains unsolved. Middleton recounted that Swartz was brutally murdered in her apartment at the Riverside Townhouses while her young daughter was in the …

Officials from Enbridge, the company installing a pipeline across the southern end of the state, said they plan to complete pressure testing a portion of the new line within the next week. A 33-mile portion of the pipeline, from Mendon west to Niles, has been subject to pressure testing to ensure the integrity of the infrastructure. Eventually, the pipeline will …

St. Joseph County animal control director Tom Miller said the department saw a revenue increase from 2011 to 2012. In addition, Miller said fewer dogs were euthanized in 2012 compared to 2011. Miller addressed the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioner Tuesday, presenting to the five-member panel his annual report. The department euthanized 111 dogs last year, 77 fewer than …