County Commission

A St. Joseph County department head was suspended for a day without pay over a hunting-related incident last month. John Pence, parks and recreation director, served the one-day suspension Nov. 21 after it was discovered he gave permission for a party of four to hunt at Cade Lake County Park. The hunters were found on the 52-acre, county-owned parcel after …

A three-year contract with St. Joseph County’s Central Dispatch Unit was approved Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Effective Jan. 1, the contract covers 11 employees and will offer a 2 percent pay increase in each of the first two years, and a 3 percent wage improvement in the third year. Matters related to health insurance and …

With little fanfare, members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved the county’s 2013 fiscal year budget. The $28.8 million budget goes into effect Jan. 1. It is more than $780,000 less than the 2012 fiscal-year budget, thanks in part to a lower-than-expected allocation sought by the St. Joseph County Road Commission. According to a breakdown of …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners is expected to approve its 2013 budget at today’s 5 o’clock meeting. The proposed $28.8 million budget would go into effect Jan. 1. There was no comment made during a public hearing on the proposed budget two weeks ago. Also on the agenda for today’s meeting is an update on foster-care initiatives from Probate …

Kelly Hostetler, executive director for St. Joseph County United Way, has been appointed as St. Joseph County’s representative on the Department of Human Services Board of Directors for the state of Michigan. The three-year term started Nov. 1. DHS Director Maura Corrigan appoints members from county DHS boards to collaborate with the state DHS to focus on removing social disabilities …

The purchase of a trained dog to be used for therapeutic and calming purposes is being considered by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. The potential action is based on an agreement with Linda Baker, victims’ rights coordinator who works for the county prosecutor’s office. Baker said three other counties in the state have dogs used for victims or …

A Nov. 5 motion related to a proposed senior center in Sturgis was rescinded Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. The action came after commissioners discussed the $10,000 they authorized earlier for legal fees and design costs relevant to the footprint of the proposed facility. Commissioners agreed their Nov. 5 action was done too hastily, and a …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners will decide today whether to reconsider a motion made earlier this month regarding development of a proposed senior center in Sturgis. Also before commissioners is a public hearing related to the county’s proposed 2013 fiscal year budget. The $28.8 million proposed budget is more than $785,000 less than the budget approved for the …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners has agreed to allocate $10,000 toward legal fees and preliminary architectural drawings related to a proposed senior center in Sturgis. The action came this week and marks a major step toward the potential development of such a facility. Led by Commissioner Don Eaton, the concept has been in the discussion stages for years and …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners last week renewed its snow-removal and plowing contract with Scott Adams, of Centreville-based Adams Excavating Inc. The contract calls for the service when a significant amount of snow falls and must be cleared before the start of the workday at the county courthouse, the county annex building, and the county sheriff’s department and adjoining …