News

An annual allocation to a three-county agency was approved Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. With unanimous support, commissioners agreed to quarterly payments totaling $307,700 to finance a portion of the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency. The county also agreed to commit its annual $1 contribution to fulfill terms related to its building lease agreement with CHA …

County commissioner Allen Balog gave one, final attempt to revisit a matter related to the St. Joseph County Road Commission Board. At the conclusion of Tuesday’s county commission meeting, Balog made a motion to accept road commission chairman Dave Allen’s offer to step down and yield his seat to Rick Anderson. The issue dates to the county commission’s Jan. 2 …

A Sturgis woman was arrested on drug-related offenses earlier this week. Sturgis officers on routine patrol noticed a woman acting suspiciously shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday in the 100 block of South Nottawa Street. After questioning the 37-year-old woman, officers found she was trespassing on private property. During the course of the investigation it was learned she was in possession …

A longstanding agreement was renewed Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Commissioners adopted the annual memorandum of agreement between the county and Michigan State University regarding extension programs and services for 2019. The agreement defines the programs, staffing and funding relationship between MSU and the two parties. The base assessment and additional staff total nearly $130,000. The …

A pole barn and its contents were destroyed by fire late Monday at Nissley Disposal. The blaze was reported around 9 p.m. Nissley is located in the 70000 block of South Centreville Road in Sturgis. At least five fire departments responded. Several explosions could be heard from up to a mile away, according to witnesses. An investigation is ongoing.

Republicans who control the Michigan Senate are making the reduction of auto insurance rates a top priority. The first bill introduced in the new two-year session could let older drivers use Medicare or other health insurance to cover their medical costs in an accident. Younger drivers could opt out of Michigan’s mandatory unlimited medical coverage and choose less coverage. The …

NEW YORK (AP) — Sears will live on— at least for now. The company’s chairman and largest shareholder and chairman, Eddie Lampert, won a bankruptcy auction for Sears in New York, averting liquidation of the iconic chain, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The person agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to …

The date for members of the St. Joseph County Planning Commission to hear details of a proposed solar-panel development in Mendon Township has been set. The planning commission will assemble at 7 p.m. Jan. 30. Location of the meeting, however, remains a moving target. Commission secretary Pat Kulikowski said the panel typically meets in the parks and recreation department’s office. …

Glen Oaks Community College is moving forward with a renovation project at a cost of nearly $7 million. Its board of trustees last week voted to approve planning for the project and follows a recent announcement that the college has received nearly $3.5 million in capital outlay funding from the state. The funding requires a 50/50 institution match and since …

St. Joseph County was one of several counties in the state Friday to stage a program marking the 50th anniversary of Michigan’s district court system. In Centreville, current and former judges, staff, members of the bar and courthouse personnel were present in District Court Judge Jeff Middleton’s courtroom to recognize the milestone and share memories of the early days. Middleton …