County Information

Central Dispatch begins equipment upgrade

On the heels of last month’s voter-approved request, St. Joseph County Central Dispatch is ready to proceed with its equipment upgrade. During last week’s county commission meeting, agency director Dennis Brandenburg was granted approval to enter into a contract with Motorola for nearly $3.5 million. The lease-to-own plan will allow central dispatch to replace all communication equipment at its Centreville …

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Sturgis City Commissioner resigns

Three days after a recall effort against her was dismissed, Ina Taulbee has resigned from the Sturgis City Commission. The 2nd precinct commissioner announced her resignation Thursday. A key factor in her decision centers on controversy related to medical marijuana in the city. Taulbee said the topic has brought with it a great deal of negative interaction that has become …

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Man arrested following lockdown

Officials from the Three Rivers Police Department have provided an update regarding a situation that resulted in lockdown status at Hoppin Elementary School last week. The Three Rivers school was in lockdown mode twice Thursday following reports of a suspicious man possibly in possession of a gun. Shortly after noon, the department received a number of reports of a subject …

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Man arrested after Sturgis break-in

St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested a man in connection with a breaking-and-entering incident last week at a residence in Sturgis Township. Deputies were called Thursday to the 25000 block of U.S. 12 in response to a home invasion that had been just discovered. Upon further investigation, deputies made contact with a suspect at another residence in the same …

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Suspect in custody following Hoppin lockdown

Hoppin Elementary School was in lockdown mode twice Thursday following reports of a suspicious man possibly in possession of a gun. The first lockdown took place following a call from Central Dispatch, which reported the situation to Hoppin personnel at 10:45. The school went into lockdown for nearly a half hour until the Three Rivers Police Department confirmed the situation was …

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Mayor says majority of residents support sports complex

Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry said he stands behind the claim that the majority of the city’s residents support the idea of a multi-field sports complex. Lowry on Thursday also lamented the proposal’s latest potential setback, as a group of opponents submitted a petition Wednesday to county clerk Lindsay Oswald. The petition seeks to have voters in the two municipalities …

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Petition filed over contested land

A citizen-led initiative could see voters in Three Rivers and Lockport Township deciding the fate of a 77-acre property contested by the two entities. A petition was filed Wednesday with St. Joseph County Clerk Lindsay Oswald. Thirty-five pages in all, the petition seeks to have voters in the two municipalities decide whether the land should remain in Three Rivers or …

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Recall petition submitted

A petition to recall the president of Constantine Public Schools Board of Education was submitted Wednesday. St. Joseph County Clerk Lindsay Oswald said the petition seeks the recall of John Shuler. Details about who filed the petition were not clear. According to the petition, its origin stems from a May 7 school board work session at Constantine High School. The …

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Miller’s new teachers bill passes senate

The state senate this week unanimously approved state Rep. Aaron Miller’s plan to eliminate burdensome requirements to educators, giving new teachers more time to work with students in the classroom. New teachers are issued a standard teaching certificate with a professional certificate available after three years classroom experience, over 150 hours of professional development and additional post-graduate coursework. New instructors …

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Judge settles city/county legal matter

A Berrien County judge has settled a legal matter between St. Joseph County and the city of Three Rivers. County officials confirmed late Tuesday afternoon that Judge John Donahue concluded Three Rivers did not breach terms of its contract with the county. The issue stems from the county’s attempt to recoup $755,000 it advanced the city to purchase the 77-acre …

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