County Commission

Despite concerns from a pair of commissioners, a plan to allocate $2.6 million toward construction of a senior center in Sturgis was approved Tuesday. The funding marks a major step in what has been a four-year process to build such a facility to benefit seniors on the east side of the county. Proponents of a new Sturgis site have said …

In addition to a few personnel matters, St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners last week made an appointment to the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board. Three Rivers resident Roger Rathburn was appointed to fill a vacancy on the CMH board. Also, the commission approved hiring Dixie Strawser as a temporary, part-time employee for MSU Extension; Kathy Kline …

Funding for a proposed recreation trail between Three Rivers and Fabius Township has received a $10,000 boost from the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. The amount was requested during Tuesday’s county commission meeting by River Country Recreational Authority member Lindsay Oswald. Oswald, who also serves as the county’s grant writer, said a significant amount of money in matching funds …

A full agenda featuring 12 items of new business awaits the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners this afternoon. Four matters of employment, a request for funding in support of the Three Rivers trail project, a soil-erosion and sedimentation-control ordinance, and review of the annual child-care and fund-plan budget are included on the agenda. Today’s meeting begins at 5 o’clock …

A need for a central source of information was the recurring theme expressed during a public-input session Monday in Sturgis to help with the establishment of a river trail master plan. About a dozen people attended and told officials from Edgewater Resources that a website, blog, link through the county’s homepage or some easy-to-track source be established to keep paddlers …

Key staffing positions were filled Tuesday for the county-backed College Access Network. The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners hired Ann Happel, Brian McDaniel and Anita Schlabach as service providers for the countywide program. College Access Network stemmed from the Sturgis SUCCESS program, which helps students become better prepared for secondary education, whether it’s at the community college level, a …

  The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has approved the change of fiscal-year end for four of six funds. During action at last week’s commission meeting, the board changed the fiscal-year end from September 30 to Dec. 31 for funds related to secondary road patrol, community corrections advisory, community corrections program and victim rights advocate. The change was made …

  The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners last week gave approval to the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce for a special event to be staged next year. As a part of the chamber’s “Discover the Treasures of St. Joseph County” program, the courthouse will provide the setting for a murder-mystery dinner. In response to the request from chamber …

  The courts building of the St. Joseph County Courthouse will soon receive attention in hopes of a remedy from perpetual humidity. Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday agreed to a $13,000 expense for the architect and engineer firm Tower Pinkster. A separate arrangement for $2,300 was reached with HVAC contractor C.L. Mahoney Co. of Kalamazoo …

St. Joseph County Commissioner Allen Balog was voted to two more years of duty Tuesday. The incumbent candidate for the county’s District 1 post defeated challenger Del Martin, 647 votes to 340 tallies. Balog, 58, is an insurance salesman wrapping up his fourth year as a county commissioner. A Three Rivers resident, Balog said he was grateful to have the …