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The St. Joseph County Intermediate School District has authorized a May 6 request to restore nearly three-tenths of a mill to the maximum rate of 2.75 mills previously approved by the county’s voters. The restoration of the Headlee Reduction request fell by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent last August. At stake is more than $633,000 to be …

Road commission boards in St. Joseph and Cass counties have agreed to a restructuring that will involve each entity being governed by their own manager. During a joint meeting Jan. 29, current manager Christopher Bolt recommended each agency continue to collaborate on sharing services in accordance with an agreement reached in 2010. Bolt, however, said in the face of numerous …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has renewed a five-year lease agreement with 911/Central Dispatch. During last week’s commission meeting, commissioners approved the agreement for 911/Central Dispatch to continue using the 4,000-square-foot space at 620 E. Main St. The annual rent is $788. When St. Joseph County’s 911 was formed in the 1990s, it constructed its headquarters. The county …

The St. Joseph County United Way raised more than $765,000 during its 2014 campaign, officials from the agency announced Thursday. About 200 people gathered at the Sturgis VFW to find out whether the campaign’s goal of $740,000 would be met. In the end, the final amount raised was $765,983, more than $30,000 over what was raised a year ago. Top …

One person was injured Thursday after a roof collapsed at Omni Source Corporation, at 2160 S. Centerville Road, in Sturgis. Sturgis fire crews responded at the scene and found a 100-by-200-foot section of the main building had collapsed. Two employees were in the building at the time, and both escaped. One suffered minor injuries. Gas and power were shut off …

Discussions regarding a potential sidewalk snow-removal ordinance in Three Rivers began Tuesday, when the Three Rivers City Commission explored the issue. Mayor Tom Lowry said a final proposed ordinance could be several meetings away, but he said hearing that children are walking in the street to and from school because sidewalks are not shoveled by adjacent property owners is alarming. …

The city of Three Rivers has granted an Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption for W.E. Slitt Sheet and Co. During Tuesday’s meeting, the city commission agreed to the 12-year abatement for personal-property improvements in excess of $467,000. As a result, the Jefferson Street company expects to retain 28 jobs and create one new position. A company official said the majority of …

A 33-year-old Constantine man suffered injuries as the result of a firearm malfunction last week. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s office said the man was shooting target practice at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the 53000 block of Olney Road in Leonidas Township. A malfunction resulted in injury to his right hand and a wound to his chest. He was treated …

The December unemployment rate in St. Joseph County increased by one-tenth of a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 7.3 percent December unemployment rate was more than November’s 7.2 percent. December’s unemployment rate was three-tenths of a percent less than the same month …

A 41-year-old man from Niles was arrested last week, following an incident of aggravated domestic violence in Florence Township. State police said the man was involved in an incident with a 47-year-old Three Rivers woman at a residence on Constantine Road. The suspect had fled the scene prior to police arrival, but was located a short distance away. The man, …