County Commission

The St. Joseph County Road Commission spent more than $5 million on road maintenance last year, down from $6.5 million in 2010, according to the agency’s manager, Louis Csokasy. During his annual report to the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners last month, Csokasy said the agency did manage to complete 90 miles of road upgrades through chip-and-seal work in …

St. Joseph County Commissioner Gerald Loudenslager resigned from his elected position Friday, ending his 20-year membership to the seven-member panel. Shortly after tendering his resignation, the 67-year-old Loudenslager was then sworn in as the new supervisor of Nottawa Township. The Nottawa Township post became available after his son, Kurt, stepped down as township supervisor for health-related reasons. Loudenslager had already …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners recently approved appointments to the Commission on Aging Board, including a trio who will replace three incumbents not reappointed. The seats of J.D. Yoder, Polly Oliver and board chair Lorrie Witt were awarded to other people even though the three indicated they had no plans to step down. They will be replaced by …

Chambers of commerce in Three Rivers and Sturgis, along with Glen Oaks Community College, have announced a candidate forum set to take place next month. The two-night event will feature candidates for drain commissioner and probate judge on July 18, while a forum for circuit court judge and county commission candidates will be staged July 19. The events start at …

Louis Csokasy, manager of road commissions in St. Joseph and Cass counties, said he is taking a leave of absence from both jobs starting next month in order to serve as interim administrator of Cass County. Csokasy, 64, said he was asked by Cass County officials late last week to fill the post left vacant after Charles Cleaver resigned earlier …

A part-time deputy from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department will patrol Cade Lake Park over the course of five days next month. The decision comes after members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved Parks and Recreation Department Director John Pence to use money from the Cade Lake fund to cover expenses related to patrol. …

A pay raise was granted Tuesday to St. Joseph County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wenzel. Commissioners had previously authorized Wenzel’s job be expanded from 28 to 40 hours, but no action was taken regarding his $33,000-a-year salary. After reviewing the matter Friday at their executive committee meeting, commissioners without comment Tuesday agreed to up Wenzel’s annual pay to $47,500. The amendment …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners is expected to decide next week whether to support a funding request of about $6,000 for patrol of Cade Lake and Nottawa parks. During a special meeting Tuesday, the St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation Commission agreed to ask for the funding. The money would allow the sheriff’s department to dedicate a part-time …

About 20 volunteers, including a group of local Boy Scouts, teamed up to clear a four-mile stretch of the Prairie River Saturday. Sponsored by the St. Joseph County Conservation District, the cleanup took place starting from the canoe park on North Clark Street in Centreville and concluding at Hoshel Canoe Park in Lockport Township. Jen Miller, conservation district administrator, said …

Here’s some road-construction information on two projects in St. Joseph County. The first matter comes from the Michigan Department of Transportation, which has announced a lane shift on M-86 at Industrial Drive in Centreville through 5 p.m. today. One lane will be open in each direction while crews make repairs to a water main. The other project involves the St. …