Government

Four reappointments to the St. Joseph County Planning Commission were made by the county commission last week. Returning to the planning commission to serve three-year terms are Gregg Dohm of Sturgis, Three Rivers-area residents Robert Horton and Rick Shaffer, and county commission board representative Kathy Pangle, a Mendon resident. Their terms begin Jan. 1.

St. Joseph County’s board of commissioners Tuesday approved a resolution calling for a hiring freeze. The mandate affects general-fund positions and takes effect immediately, according to commission chairman Allen Balog. He said it will remain in place as long as necessary and will be reviewed for continuation annually during the board’s budget process. In addition, the county is offering for …

The 27th annual Jail Ministry Banquet took place recently, an event staged through the Correctional Chaplaincy Corporation of St. Joseph County under the direction of Chaplain Jake Schwartz. The meal was provided by several area churches and prepared by parishioners of Calvary Chapel. The annual pie auction added several hundred dollars to the total raised for the annual benefit, which …

St. Joseph County Administrator Pat Yoder ended his career Tuesday on a high note, receiving numerous accolades from members of the county commission. The 67-year-old Yoder announced three months ago he would be retiring at the end of 2017. Instead, Tuesday was his last day and consequently his final county commission meeting, as well. Yoder conceded he was intentionally tight-lipped …

State police investigators are looking into a series of breaking-and-entering incidents at a residence in Lockport Township. According to a department media release, troopers were called at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 15 to the 18000 block of 6th Avenue. The victim told authorities construction supplies, copper wire and tools were stolen on at least three previous occasions. Troopers were able to …

State police are investigating a hit-and-run incident that occurred over the weekend in White Pigeon Township. According to a department media release, a large mailbox was struck between 8 p.m. Saturday and dawn Sunday on Indian Prairie Road near Marl Lake Road. The vehicle was heading in a southeast direction and may have been a beige-colored Ford passenger car. Investigators …

Authorities say a western Michigan woman died after a car hit a deer, it flew into the air and struck the windshield of her vehicle. Kent County sheriff’s officials say 49-year-old Susan Fries of Ada Township died Monday evening in Cascade Township after the deer broke through her vehicle’s windshield. The animal was first struck by a car going the …

Northern Indiana police say an 11-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car as he pulled a wagon along a rural road. A report released Monday by the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department says the boy died Friday evening along a road a few miles north of the town of Topeka. The 63-year-old motorist told officers that by the time …

A ballot committee proposing to legalize the use of marijuana for recreational purposes in Michigan has submitted more than 360,000 voter signatures in a bid for a statewide vote in 2018. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol turned in the signatures to state election officials in Lansing on Monday. Michigan already allows for the use of marijuana for medical …

Republican Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan has ruled out running for U.S. Senate next year. Upton, of St. Joseph, has held southwestern Michigan’s congressional seat for 30 years. He said Friday there was “a path” to running, but he has chosen “not to follow it.” He instead will seek re-election to the House, saying “we need focus and fortitude in …