Recent Posts

Travel request approved for training

An out-of-state travel request for two St. Joseph County employees was granted recently by county commissioners. The circuit court and county clerk employees were approved a five-day training in Cleveland. The training would allow them to become system administrators on the ImageSoft program. The training amounted to a $6,000 cost and travel expenses were to not exceed $2,000. In an …

Read More »

County commissioners make board appointments

The terms of two Animal Control Advisory Board members were renewed by members of the county board. Veterinarian Suzanne Lee and marketing/community awareness coordinator Laura Barley were recently approved to serve three-year terms, beginning retroactively to Jan. 1. The reappointments were made at the request of animal control advisory board chair Emily Frohriep. In another appointment, county treasurer Judie Ratering …

Read More »

County treasurer presents report

Ninety-five percent of the income St. Joseph County Treasurer’s Office took in last fiscal year was from two sources. During her annual report to county commissioners earlier this month, treasurer Judie Ratering said the department had revenue of nearly $943,000. Two-thirds of that – more than $660,000 – was from delinquent-tax fees, while investment earnings generated the balance, about $235,000. …

Read More »

Awards presented to 18 companies

Eighteen companies received recognition for employing adults who have mental illness with the support of Clubhouse employment and recovery centers across Michigan. Seventeen state legislators earlier this month at Michigan’s Capitol building presented awards to the companies in recognition of their leadership in choosing to give people who have mental illness an opportunity to re-enter the workforce, with support. The …

Read More »

Officials conducting flood damage assessments in Michigan

The U.S. Small Business Administration is working with the state police and local emergency managers to conduct damage assessments following flooding last month in Michigan. The survey is taking place in eight Lower Peninsula counties after Gov. Rick Snyder recently requested the assessments so people could be eligible for more aid. If approved, the SBA disaster assistance program would make …

Read More »

K-Wings find pot of gold on Green Ice Night

The Kalamazoo Wings (30-26-4-2)have been struggling as of late, but luck was on their side during Saturday nights 37th Annual Green Ice Game at Wings Event Center. The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-24-2-0) were in town for the festivities and so was a standing room only crowd of 5,279 festive K-Wings fans. The Cyclones scored early in the first period to take …

Read More »

Michigan shipwreck hunters find schooner that sank in 1873

Michigan shipwreck hunters have found the remains of a schooner that sank in Lake Michigan in 1873 during a storm. The Lizzie Throop was found in 280 feet of water along western Michigan’s coastline some 15 miles northwest of the city of South Haven, the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association announced this past week. The vessel set sail from Muskegon on …

Read More »

Substitute teacher accused of choking 8th grader in Kalamazoo

A woman says her 13-year-old son had red marks and bruises on his neck after being choked by a substitute teacher at a Kalamazoo school. Mona Thompson tells WWMT-TV her son was asked to leave the classroom Tuesday at Kalamazoo’s Milwood Magnet School after another student threw a tennis ball at the teacher. She says the teacher grabbed the 8th grader by …

Read More »

Man who turned self in to police convicted in murder case

A southwestern Michigan man who authorities say walked into a police department and confessed to killing his girlfriend has been convicted. Berrien County Trial Court says 52-year-old James Parker Huffman of Niles was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder. He faces a mandatory term of life in prison without the possibility of parole at his sentencing, which is scheduled for April …

Read More »

Sturgis superintendent search – Finalists announced

The field of six candidates for Sturgis Public Schools’ superintendent position has been whittled to a list of two names. Nicole Airgood, the district’s current assistant superintendent, and Arthur Ebert, deputy superintendent of West Bloomfield Schools, were chosen as finalists this week. Airgood has been with the district for nine years. She previously served in administrative and teacher positions at …

Read More »