County Board, set work session

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners set a time and date for an upcoming work session, an informal gathering that will take place at 3 p.m., June 5 at the county courthouse.

Commissioner Don Eaton during Tuesday’s twice-a-month meeting said the much-discussed work session and its continued postponements was becoming a problem. He voiced his frustration over perpetual postponements of the work session, noting a few critical matters must be discussed sooner than later.

Though an agenda for the work session has not yet been developed, one matter commissioners are likely to discuss is the status of a proposal to market St. Joseph County as a prospective retirement destination for the retirement-age demographic in the greater Chicago area.

York leaves position

Three Rivers City Commissioner David York plans to leave his elected position at the end of June.

York announced during Tuesday’s city commission meeting his purchase of a residence outside the city limits where he plans to live, forcing him to give up the seat he gained in November 2011. His two-year term expires at the end of the year.

Mayor Tom Lowry and commissioners commended York for his commitment to the city.

An at-large commissioner, York will be replaced by either Larry Matson, Linda Gearhart or Matt Mosher. The three will be on the August primary ballot.

Project to move forward

Members of the Centreville Village Council have been advised that a sidewalk project planned through a $400,000 grant will proceed, despite objections from a group of village residents.

Council members Monday were told village attorney John Barnes was contacted last week following a special meeting to hear some residents’ opinions against the sidewalk construction.

Village president Jeff Johnson indicated Barnes said conveyed that since the project had gone as far as it has and is in the hands of the Michigan Department of Transportation, it’s too late for the board to halt the matter.

More than a dozen residents complained last week about the plan showing sidewalks will be going through their yards. Village officials, however, said a construction-site manager would be available once the project started to work out problems with the project plans, residents and engineers.

MDOT is expected to approved the project plans by June 7.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Fundraiser

More than 40 people took part in Saturday’s “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” fundraiser for the Three Rivers-based Domestic And Sexual Abuse Services agency.

Staying consistent with the event’s name, most of the male participants wore high-heeled shoes as they walked a mile on the Three Rivers High School track.

Event co-chair Rose Parshall said the second-annual walk was fortunate to once again draw a number of representatives from law enforcement, as well as prosecuting attorneys from St. Joseph and Cass counties.

DASAS provides services for women in St. Joseph, Cass and Van Buren counties.

Residents oppose plan

A group of Centreville residents is voicing opposition to a sidewalk plan in their neighborhood.

Nearly two dozen residents attended this week’s Centreville Village Council meeting to voice concern over sidewalks to be built through a Safe Routes To School grant. The $416,000 to help cover the sidewalk-development cost was awarded last September.

Comments ranged from the need for the sidewalks to concern tax dollars will be used for construction. Village officials reiterated the grant will cover all expenses.

The project is now in the hands of officials from the Michigan Department of Transportation. The agency is expected to approve the village’s sidewalk plan early next month, with bids awarded by the end of June.

Construction would likely start in July, with the work done before the start of school in September.

Limited use of rifles for hunting

The House Tourism Committee last week approved a bill allowing limited use of rifles for deer hunting in an area now limited to shotguns, muzzleloaders and pistols.

Introduced by State Rep. Matt Lori, the bill would allow the use of a straight-walled pistol cartridge in rifles that can accommodate such ammunition. The pistol cartridges do not travel as far as conventional rifle rounds and pose less of a safety risk, Lori said. The use of rifles in the southern part of Michigan is currently restricted because of the safety risk posed in more heavily populated areas of the state.

Lori said the measure will bring Michigan in line with Indiana, which has approved use of such ammunition for rifle hunting

A Constantine-area resident, Lori said the cartridges also cause less recoil than shotguns, which could appeal to youth, female and senior citizen deer hunters.

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