Government

County commission makes hiring freeze exceptions

Four exceptions were made to the county’s hiring freeze Dec. 15. St. Joseph County commissioners granted permission for District Court to fill two deputy clerk positions, Juvenile Court to fill its director/referee position and treasurer’s office to hire a deputy treasurer. In a separate matter, the board heard from emergency services director Erin Goff regarding an update on the 2020 …

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Michigan lets high schools, entertainment venues reopen

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration on Friday lifted a prohibition on in-person instruction at Michigan high schools and said movie theaters and other entertainment venues can reopen with capacity restrictions following a decline in coronavirus cases. Universities and colleges can let students return to campus next month, with a voluntary commitment to wait until Jan. 18 to restart face-to-face classes. Indoor …

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County commissioner recognized after 10 years on board

St. Joseph County officials said goodbye to the dean of the five-member county commission board Tuesday. Allen Balog is wrapping up his 10th year on the panel. That follows a four-year tenure as mayor of the Three Rivers City Commission. A resolution recognizing Balog and his contributions to the county board was approved by commissioners. Balog, a 64-year-old Three Rivers …

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Whitmer cites progress checking virus; no Thanksgiving surge

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration reported progress Tuesday in the fight against the coronavirus, saying new cases continue to decline and Michigan has seen no spike related to Thanksgiving travel. Officials warned, though, that the case rate remains high. Whitmer, a Democrat, said “hope is on the horizon” now that a vaccine is being distributed. She again urged the Republican-led Legislature …

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Michigan expects 257,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses initially

Michigan expects to receive about 257,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines initially if the federal government authorizes them for emergency use this month, enough to immunize roughly 128,000 residents, a top doctor said Thursday. The priority remains frontline health care workers and people living and working in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief …

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Senate: Let drivers renew license in person less frequently

Michigan drivers could renew their licenses more frequently online or by mail instead of having to go to a secretary of state branch office under bipartisan legislation that received unanimous Senate approval on Thursday. Residents now can renew their driver’s license or state ID card by mail or the internet once, for a four-year term, but must go in person …

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3 people dead in series of crashes in western Michigan

A person with a disabled vehicle who stepped into U.S. 131 was killed Thursday in western Michigan, causing traffic backups that led to more crashes that killed two more people, police said. The crashes occurred on northbound lanes in Allegan County, between Martin and Bradley, roughly 30 miles south of Grand Rapids. The first incident occurred shortly before noon. “A …

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Executive committee recommends several appointments

St. Joseph County commissioners recommended appointing Sarah Apwisch to the county’s Transportation Authority Board. The matter was brought up at Wednesday’s executive committee meeting. Other loose ends addressed at the meeting include the recommended re-appointments of Rick Shaffer, Dan Czajkowski and Ken Malone to the county’s Parks and Recreation Commission. Commissioners also agreed to continue meeting via Zoom as long …

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Whitmer administration extends partial shutdown by 12 days

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday extended a partial shutdown of businesses and schools to Dec. 20, rejecting desperate appeals to lift a ban on indoor restaurant dining while the state tries to stop a wave of new coronavirus cases. The 12-day addition will enable the health department to assess how Thanksgiving travel affected the spread of COVID-19, Whitmer, a Democrat, …

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Whitmer may extend partial shutdown of schools, businesses

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday that her administration may extend portions of a three-week partial shutdown of schools and businesses next week because of the “sheer volume” of coronavirus cases in Michigan. The Democratic governor said no decision had been made, but that hospitals can’t be overrun with COVID-19 patients. Although the infection curve has leveled off, it is a …

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