News

Tracie Pueschel is the 2018 recipient of the John E. Oster Award for Teacher Recognition and was honored last month at the Sturgis Rotary Club luncheon. Pueschel has taught at Sturgis Public Schools since 1993, mostly at Wenzel Elementary School. She became the Title I Reading Teacher in 2010 and added Lead Teacher responsibilities to that role in 2018. Nominations …

Continued effort toward a balanced budget, development of a new Commission On Aging facility and progress toward updating the courts building are a few of the goals the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners faces in 2019. Dennis Allen, chair of the five-member board, said there is no shortage of work ahead for commissioners. Regarding the county’s finances, Allen said …

Three Rivers police are investigating a shooting incident reported Friday night at the Meadows Lane Village trailer park. Officer responded to the area of 13th and Madison streets in response to multiple shots fired. A caller to central dispatch, however, said several people apparently involved in the incident fled the scene before officers arrived. K9 officer Django was brought to …

Alcohol is believed to have been a factor in a single-vehicle accident last week in Branch County’s Coldwater Township. State police said troopers were called shortly before 2:30 a.m. Thursday to Garfield Road, near North Behnke Road, in response to a car that had struck a tree. Authorities said the 38-year-old driver was trapped inside the vehicle and required the …

Tools, electronics and liquor were reported stolen from residences at Long Lake in Fabius Township, according to state troopers. The incidents were reported Sunday morning and occurred in the 10000 block of Walnut Drive. Victims told investigators that the incident occurred between Nov. 9 and Saturday.

State troopers are investigating a breaking-and-entering incident that occurred at a business last week in Union City. Troopers were called Saturday morning to Ed’s Auto, where it was reported that the business had been burglarized between 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday. The victim told authorities that $220 in cash, a DVR box to an indoor/outdoor surveillance system, and …

A bid was awarded to Serv-Pro to clean bat droppings from a historic building owned by the St. Joseph County Parks Department. During last week’s county commission meeting, the board approved a contract necessary as the result of a bat infestation in the attic of the mill portion of Rawson’s King Mill in Leonidas Township. County administrator Teresa Doehring said …

Three Rivers Department of Public Works Director Amy Roth has announced details regarding an impending bridge closure. Roth said work will begin Jan. 14 on the replacement of the Hoffman Street bridge over the Portage River, near the intersection of Wood Street. Hoffman Street between Portage Avenue and M-60 will be open to local traffic only, and the bridge will …

Approval was given last week by county commissioners to Westside Recycling and Disposal to allow drop-off of e-waste items on Saturdays. The action took place during last week’s county commission meeting. No budget amendment was necessary but the action appeared before commissioners because the matter was a change to the contract between the two parties. According to the amended agreement, …

A month after supporting a tentative agreement, St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners made official its agreements with nine county unions. Commissioners approved the three-year proposals, which had already been ratified by the respective unions. In all, the nine unions represent more than 100 employees; nearly two-thirds of whom work for the sheriff’s department. County administrator Teresa Doehring noted that …