Politics

Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners recently made clear their support for House Bill 5223, which establishes a program of substance-abuse testing as a condition of eligibility for Family Independence program assistance. The measure prohibits recipients of such aid from continuing if they test positive for substance abuse or refuse to comply to the test. Copies of …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency recently recognized Pat Swan, environmental health clerk in the Coldwater Office. Swan, who was originally hired as a receptionist, has retired after a 27-year career with the three-county agency. Agency officials said Swan wound up spending most of her career taking applications, handling questions and serving as a resource person to clients in need …

Members of the Sturgis City Commissioners recently awarded an Industrial Facilities Exemption Certificate toLTiPrinting, Inc. The 12-year certificate is to not exceed $874,000 Company officials said LTi is investing in equipment for a new six-color offset printing press, fork lifts and air conditioning unit. LTi representatives said the investment in the press will open new markets and industry segments currently …

Recommendation for a liquor license was given last week by Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry and city commissioners. The license request, made by a microbrewery considering a location at 56 N. Main St., will go before the state for its approval. During last week’s city commission meeting, an official from Zapf Brewing Company indicated a time frame of about eight …

About 75 people attended last week’s open house for “Sturgis 2022,” an initiative focusing on the direction of the community over the next decade. City officials said in addition to points made by keynote speaker Ron Kitchens, CEO of Southwest Michigan First, input from residents on the 10-year vision for Sturgis will be taken into consideration to help municipal officials …

State legislators last week honored a St. Joseph County community for its contribution to the world of magic and an upcoming milestone. The Michigan Senate passed a resolution honoring the village of Colon and the impending 75-year anniversary of the Abbott’s Magic Get-Together. Led by Sen. Bruce Caswell, Resolution No. 154 was read on the senate floor before a small …

The Michigan House last week approved legislation known as “Dominick’s Law” to strengthen penalties for child abuse in Michigan and create penalties for abuse in front of other people. The two House bills, co-sponsored by Reps. Matt Lori and Joseph Graves, are named in memory of Dominick Calhoun, a 4-year-old who was beaten to death in 2010 in Genesee County. …

St. Joseph County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wenzel was appointed this week to serve as the administrator of soil-erosion permits. The move taken by St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners Tuesday means the permits will no longer be the responsibility of the county’s conservation district. In addition, commissioners accepted Wenzel’s recommended revised fee for soil-erosion permits. The conservation district in November …

The filing deadline for county offices was Tuesday, and voters in St. Joseph County in August will have choices to make in at least three contests. Five candidates are vying for the post of probate judge, a position currently held by the retiring Tom Shumaker. The contestants are John Barnes, Tom Robertson, David Tomlinson, Christine Yancey and Robert Dutka. Three …

Urged by a capacity crowd, St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners Tuesday agreed to place a millage renewal request before voters regarding the county’s Commission on Aging. Fifteen people addressed commissioners, asking that they consider placing a six-year renewal of three-quarters of a mill before voters in the Aug. 7 primary election. Commissioners had previously debated whether to ask for …