County Information

The Covered Bridge has re-opened following damage

The Langley Covered Bridge re-opened to traffic Tuesday, eight days after it was closed due to damage caused by a horse trailer. St. Joseph County Road Commission Manager John Lindsey said the height restrictor at the north end of the bridge was knocked off its base Sept. 19 by a trailer attached to a southbound pickup. Lindsey said the height …

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Schedule — Fresh Food Distribution

Here’s a look at this month’s Fresh Food Distribution in St. Joseph County. The first will take place at 4 p.m. Thursday at First Presbyterian Church in Sturgis. Next, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, east of Centreville on M-86, will host an event at 4 p.m. Sept. 13. Three distributions will occur Sept. 15. The first at 10:30 a.m. at Gateway Village …

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Discussion continues – American Rescue Plan funds for SJC

The process of how St. Joseph County will administer $1 million of its American Rescue Plan Act funds was discussed during the county commission’s executive committee meeting last week. Commissioners entertained a number of options regarding the money and its recipients. In the end, it was decided the five county board members will individually review the 28 different requests submitted …

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Baker defeats incumbent in District 3

A Mendon Township man defeated incumbent Kathy Pangle from the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners following Tuesday’s primary election. Unofficial results show District 3 challenger Rusty Baker topped Pangle by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent. Baker still has a general election ahead of him in November. Barring an unlikely upset in that contest, Baker will secure …

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Voters approve Transportation millage renewal

The St. Joseph County Transportation Authority received strong support in its request for renewing one-third of a mill to continue operations at their current level. The request was approved by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. The Three Rivers-based agency was also successful in 2010, 2014 and 2018 in identical requests. They, too, were supported by roughly a 2-to-1 margin. Agency director …

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Increase in unemployment rate

May’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County increased by seven-tenths of a percent from April. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget was released last week and it showed St. Joseph County’s unemployment rate climbed from 3.4 percent in April to 4.1 percent in May. The rate was 6 percent 12 months earlier. Meanwhile, …

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Four local bridges are in need of upgrades

St. Joseph County Road Commission Manager John Lindsey said the agency has identified four bridges under its jurisdiction for potential funding from Michigan Department of Transportation. The bridges are in need of upgrades and Lindsey said an application to the state agency as part of its “bridge bundling” program will soon be on its way to Lansing. Lindsey said the …

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St. Joseph County announces labor agreements

St. Joseph County Administrator Teresa Doehring announced Tuesday tentative contract agreements have been reached with the county’s 10 different labor unions. Doehring said with two exceptions, annual raises of 2 percent will be given in each of the next three years. Meanwhile, corrections officers will receive 3 percent raises annually over the next 36 months while the command group for …

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Report from the county commissioners meeting

During Tuesday’s county commission meeting, commissioner Jared Hoffmaster said the five-county Southwest Michigan Solid Waste Consortium has been dissolved. He said St. Joseph County, however, will continue to keep its own Solid Waste Committee. On an unrelated note, Hoffmaster said the St. Joseph County Transportation Board is in need of members. The board meets the third Tuesday of the month. …

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SJC commissioners met on Tuesday

A Florence Township resident will replace a long-time member of the St. Joseph County Road Commission Board. County commissioners Tuesday appointed David Miars to the six-year term, replacing David Allen. Allen had indicated he was ready to step down from the road commission board after completing a six-year term of his own. Miars, who is chairman of the county’s Public …

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