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St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Chairman Allen Balog has assembled a six-person panel, called the Roads Committee, whose members will strive to improve roads throughout the county, according to a memo Balog distributed during Tuesday’s county commission meeting. A summary Balog provided states that the purpose of the Roads Committee is “to establish mutually acceptable responsibility and cooperation between …

Security at St. Joseph County’s historic courthouse and its courts building is in store for a significant enhancement following action this week by the county board of commissioners. The boost will cost more than $500,000 in personnel alone. Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite told commissioners Tuesday quotes regarding several other precautions – including external and internal security cameras, replacing glass and doors, …

Michigan’s jobless rate dipped to 4.6 percent in June, a slight drop from May but the lowest in 15 years. The state says it was the second consecutive monthly decline and the fourth so far this year. Jason Palmer, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, attributed the June decline to fewer people active in the …

A former western Michigan postal employee has been sentenced to two months in prison for opening mail belonging to other people. WZZM-TV reports 24-year-old Samantha Rose Gentz learned her punishment on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. She pleaded guilty in March to a charge of unlawfully opening mail from the route she worked in Muskegon County. She …

A Michigan man who authorities say was trying to illegally return more than 10,000 cans for 10 cents apiece is heading to trial. The Livingston Daily Press & Argus of Howell reports  a judge ruled Wednesday there’s enough evidence against Brian Edward Everidge of Columbiaville for the case to move forward. State police Motor Carrier Officer Clifford Lyden testified he …

Experts are predicting unhealthy levels of ozone Thursday for certain areas in western Michigan. State regulators say children and people with respiratory ailments should limit their exertion outside. A plume of Chicago air will be hitting counties along Lake Michigan, from Holland to Ludington. Temperatures will be in the 90s in parts of Michigan through the weekend. Some farmers say …

A serial home invader who was confronted by an 11-year-old girl with a shotgun in Lapeer County has been sentenced to at least 25 years in prison. James Wasson was sentenced Tuesday for a series of robberies. He owes his victims more than $10,000. Prosecutor Tim Turkelson says Wasson finally was stopped as he tried to flee the county in …

Local entrepreneur Anthony Blodgett of SERVPRO of Cass & St. Joseph Counties was recognized with the MILLIONAIRE’S Gold award for outstanding revenue performance during an Awards ceremony at the 47th Annual SERVPRO® Convention. A record-setting group of more than 2800 franchise owners, key staff and corporate representatives attended the convention, which was held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas from …

A Colon High School graduate has been named the new executive director of the St. Joseph County Commission on Aging. Tim Stoll, 44, was offered and accepted the position Monday. Stoll replaces Lynn Coursey, who resigned last month after a 13-year reign as the agency’s leader. Stoll, a Sherwood resident, said he was excited to be recruited for the position …

St. Joseph County manufacturing companies are having a problem finding qualified labor to fill well-paying jobs, according to a Southwest Michigan First official. But, the situation is not unique to the area, noted Ken Jones, chair of the agency’s Economic Development Corporation Board. Jones provided county commissioners a quarterly update during last week’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners executive …