Government

Smoke detectors were credited for alerting a family that a fire had started in their home early Monday in White Pigeon Township. Firefighters were called to the 68000 block of Sevison Road around 1:30 a.m. They arrived to find smoke coming from the eves and a small fire near the front door. Three occupants, a husband, wife and 6-month-old child, …

The Sturgis Township Planning Commission has approved a site plan that will allow a refuse disposal company to lease part of its former Carter Lumber Company property to a local towing service. Nissley Disposal of Burr Oak received township approval in June to move its operation to the former lumberyard site, off M-66. That approval will allow Nissley to store …

Two Sturgis men were arrested last weekend after a traffic stop in LaGrange County. Juan Aguilar-Reyes, 18, and Anthony Sandoval, 19, were stopped around 8 p.m. Saturday. Sheriff ’s deputies said Aguilar-Reyes has never obtained a driver’s license. A case of beer was found in the vehicle during the stop and both men were arrested for minor in possession. Aguilar-Reyes …

Authorities say a second person has died following a series of crashes along snowy Interstate 94 in southwestern Michigan earlier this month. State police First Lt. Dale Hinz tells the Kalamazoo Gazette that 54-year-old driver Andrew Griesemer of the Detroit suburb of Northville died Sunday at a hospital in Kalamazoo. His mother, 78-year-old Carol Griesemer of Northville, was a passenger …

The St. Joseph County Road Commission Board has a new chairman. Three Rivers resident Dave Allen was nominated to head the five-person board during its meeting last week. Allen replaces John Bippus, who will remain on the board but in a different capacity. County commissioners last month agreed to appoint Allen to a six-year term to the road commission board.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has been collaborating with local health departments on a multistate foodborne outbreak of listeriosis. Rebecca Burns, director of the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, said listeriosis is a bacterial infection that causes fever and muscle aches, often preceded by gastrointestinal symptoms. Twelve people in six states have been infected with the outbreak …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners has renewed its annual contract with Michigan State University for extension services. During the board’s meeting last week, commissioners OK’d the contract that calls for the full-time equivalent of one extension educator, whose collective duties will include field-crops expertise, program coordination and additional 4-H programs. The county will provide office space, utilities, high-speed internet …

White Pigeon village officials over the weekend lifted a boil-water notice that had been in effect more than two weeks. Municipal officials had notified residents Jan. 7 that the presence of coliform bacteria had been detected in the water supply. Since then, they were urging residents to boil water before use or use bottled water. White Pigeon Department of Public …

A motion regarding an employee-assistance program for St. Joseph County’s government workers was passed during the county commission’s Jan. 19 meeting. The agreement is with Windward Employee Solutions and will provide counseling and referral services for appropriate treatment, and diagnostic and assessment services. The county’s commitment of $5,555 covers helpline and three appointments annually for its 220 employees and their …

A spay-and-neuter reimbursement grant has been awarded to St. Joseph County. County grant writer James Hissong told county commissioners last week that a $15,000 grant was received from an anonymous foundation. The grant will allow the county to provide spaying or neutering services for dogs and cats at its animal control department. Hissong said the grant will eliminate what could …