Government

Commissioner now full-time

The job of St. Joseph County Drain Commissioner is now a 40-hour-a-week position. Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved the increase from 28 hours weekly. Drain Commissioner Jeff Wenzel, who is being contested for the post in the November election, will see no pay raise, as his salary will remain $33,000 a year. Wenzel, …

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Positions filled by Board

A number of seasonal positions were filled Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. The St. Joseph County Sheriff Department’s marine patrol unit will have a roster of seven part-time employees, headed by Sgt. Jeff Terpenning. A Centreville High School teacher, Terpenning will be paid $17 an hour. Joining him as marine patrol officers will be Jaymes MacDonald, …

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Man jailed after high speed chase

Investigators from the Sturgis Police Department have released the name of a local man who led officers on a two-state, high-speed chase last week. Sturgis resident Nelson L. Wooster, 34, was taken to the LaGrange County Jail after leading Sturgis Police on a high-speed chase the evening of May 29. Police attempted to stop Wooster near the intersection of Chicago …

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Commission approves bid

The Three Rivers City Commission on Tuesday approved a $15,000 bid for a new mower and deck. The low bid was received from Three Rivers-based Fillmore Equipment. City officials said the majority of the cost will be covered by the municipality’s insurance company, as the previous mower caught fire and was damaged beyond repair.

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Four vehicle crash

The Michigan State Police investigated a four vehicle crash that occurred on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at 1:50 pm. A pickup truck being driven by Todd Marks 50 of Jones, was stopped waiting to make a left turn from US 131 onto River Heights Rd. A second vehicle traveling south being driven by Lorren Springer 17 of White Pigeon stopped …

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Commission approves new budget

The Three Rivers City Commission has approved a new budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year, which begins July 1. During Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Tom Lowry and commissioners endorsed a plan that will see more than $4.2 million in budgeted expenditures. A public hearing took place prior to the commission approving the budget. The city plans to levy 20.2562 mills.

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New MSU Extension agent

            St. Joseph County’s new MSU Extension agriculture agent was introduced Tuesday to the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners.             John Zirkle, an Indiana native, recently graduated from the University of Vermont with a master’s degree in plant soil science. Zirkle’s work will cover a variety of issues, including helping with field trials, pest-management testing and lending a hand …

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County plans to levy

St. Joseph County plans to levy 4.5482 percent of taxable value in excess of $1.8 billion, following a vote taken by the board of commissioners Tuesday. Money generated from the levy, which is applied to county property owners, accounts for almost two-thirds of the tax dollars the county collects annually, according to county administrator Judy West-Wing. She said money generated …

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Two males arrested for home invasion

At 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Three Rivers police re­sponded to the 600 block of Erie Street, where two males were attempting to enter an apartment building. Police said two 17-year-old boys, one from Mendon and one from Three Rivers, were followed to Maplecrest Apartments, where they were seen attempting to gain access to vehicles in the parking lot. The investigation re­vealed …

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Accepting applications for grants

The Three Rivers Area Community Foundation is accepting applications for mini-matching grants, supporting schools, government entities and other 501(c)3 organizations. Final grant awards will be based on community support and local dollars raised to match the amount offered to prospective recipients. Selected grant recipients will be notified by mid-August the award amount the foundation will match and details regarding their …

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