Government

A four-month detour on a major route that feeds into Centreville is scheduled to be lifted next week. Work crews are expected to finish the M-86 bridge replacement project over the Prairie River Wednesday, according to Nick Schirripa, MDOT spokesman. He said the open-to-traffic date comes after a delay of about two weeks from original projections. He said if history …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department’s Explorer Post 478 is selling 9-1-1 mailbox signs. The signs are 6 inches by 17 1/2 inches, with a green background and reflective three-inch numbers on both sides. Numbers may be placed vertically or horizontally. Signs cost $15.50 each, and proceeds are used by the post for uniforms and educational training. Signs can be …

St. Joseph County Probate Court and the Department of Health and Human Services will celebrate the 14th annual “Michigan Adoption Day” next week. An adoption ceremony will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Monday in Probate Courtroom B before Judge David Tomlinson. Michigan Adoption Day is staged annually around Thanksgiving with the theme, “Giving thanks for families.” The celebration …

Two soon-to-be-former members of the county commission were nominated to separate boards Tuesday over the objections of Commissioner Robin Baker. Don Eaton was appointed to fill an impending vacancy on the Commission on Aging Board, while Rick Shaffer was reappointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Both terms begin Jan. 1. They will serve in the capacity as citizens at …

St. Joseph County commissioners agreed Tuesday to renew for 2017 the board’s contract for services with MSU Extension. Commissioners approved terms of the contract, though, with the exception of language and action related to the extension’s educator position. At the request of Commissioner John Dobberteen, the $39,300 allocation for educator was pulled and the rest of the agreement was subsequently …

The St. Joseph County Board of Canvassers has completed its election-related duties, and tallies from last week’s general election are now official. In Constantine, six village trustee seats went to three candidates and three write-ins. The elected seats went to Willy Harder, Cathy Piper and Richard Larrance. Joining the board through write-in votes are Rita Ganus, Kenda Cartagena and Anthony …

St. Joseph County’s government website will soon have a new, fresher look, but some aspects of the update were questioned by a county resident Tuesday. Prior to commissioners approving a $34,200 expense for Sturgis-based eStudio Design Content Marketing to handle the upgrade, Nottawa Township resident Tammy Rigby expressed her concerns about the matter. Rigby’s concerns centered on the cost to …

Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department were called to a Sturgis Township residence early Tuesday in response to a home invasion in progress. The incident took place at 2:40 a.m. Tuesday in the 29000 block of U.S. 12. The caller reported that two males fled from the house, eastbound into a wooded area. They were apprehended without incident, …

State Police investigators recovered a variety of stolen items last week in Branch County. According to a department media release, troopers were following up on the theft of a 2006 Jeep Commander taken Wednesday from the city of Bronson. The following day, troopers recovered the Jeep, along with a stolen Basstracker fiberglass boat and boat trailer, near Orland and Whipple …

The Michigan State Police plan to change how troopers record the race of drivers during traffic stops following a complaint from the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. MLive.com reports that the agency is making the change so officers’ electronic daily records no longer default to “unknown” for the driver’s race, attempting to get more accurate data. The ACLU had …