News

Three personnel matters were approved during Tuesday’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting. Kelly Stapert has been hired as part-time Commission on Aging in-home services assistant at $11.79 an hour. Nancy Franovich has been hired as part-time Victim Services clerk at $11.73 an hour. In addition, Glenn Dane has been hired as Commission on Aging sub driver at $9.27 …

An annual event that will observe its 30-year anniversary next year in St. Joseph County was promoted during Tuesday’s county commission meeting. Colon resident Nancy Percival addressed commissioners regarding the Community Action-sponsored Walk For Warmth. The fundraiser’s biggest annual event takes place Feb. 28 at the Three Rivers Community Center. Percival said funds raised through the one-mile walk provide assistance …

Nearly 1,400 new direct and indirect jobs, and more than $37 million in new investment were a few of the economic benefits provided to St. Joseph County through Southwest Michigan First in 2014. The highlights, detailed during Tuesday’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting, were presented by Ken Jones of Kalamazoo-based Southwest Michigan First. Through the first 11 months …

Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz said charges will not be authorized against a pair of Three Rivers Police officers involved in a conflict in September. Fitz was dealt the case due to a conflict of interest because the people involved are law-enforcement officers. The two were a part of a dispute that unfolded Sept. 29 outside a residence in rural …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners agreed to extension services provided by Michigan State University for 2015. Reached during Tuesday’s commission meeting, the agreement calls for the funding of one full-time extension educator and two part-time 4-H program coordinators. The services will cost the county more than $118,000. In an unrelated matter, Three Rivers resident Lee Zimmerman was appointed to …

A state House committee has heard from people who say they worry about the health effects of radiation from smart meters that utilities use to measure consumption.  Rochester Hills Republican Rep. Tom McMillin chairs the House Oversight Committee and led Tuesday’s hearing.  Michigan utilities are installing smart meters as a way to make it easier to measure customers’ use.  The …

A Sturgis police officer has pleaded not guilty on charges stemming from a traffic crash last month in Kalamazoo County. Bryan Stuck, 29, entered the plea Wednesday at an arraignment in Kalamazoo. His attorney, David Butler, entered the plea of not guilty on charges of operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level of 0.17 or higher and driving while …

A Centreville native was specially recognized by the Future Farmers of America during its national convention last month. During a ceremony staged in Louisville, Ky., Mark Trowbridge of the Centreville FFA Chapter received the highest degree possible for an FFA member, the “American Degree.” As a longtime FFA participant, Trowbridge worked his way up through the various levels of FFA …

Colon Police Chief Mark Brinkert has issued a media release indicating a telephone scam is being reported by a number of village and Colon-area residents. The perpetrator making the calls claims to be from Consumers Energy and says the recipient of the phone call is delinquent in their payment. The caller then threatens that power to the residence will be discontinued unless they …

Michigan’s 16-day firearms deer hunting season came to an end Sunday across Michigan and by most accounts, it was, as predicted, not the best of seasons for hunter success. Brent Rudolph, Deer and Elk Program Leader at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, says the number of deer checked at its various stations was down significantly from last year. He …