County Commission

St. Joseph County’s plan to establish itself as a premier location for softball tournaments and other outdoor sporting events was solidified Tuesday, when county commissioners approved more than $1.6 million in funding toward a four-field complex in Sturgis. The financial commitment to Sturgis officials came exactly six months after it allocated $2.8 million to the city of Three Rivers for …

A Florence Township man who came up short in his bid for the county’s board of commissioners two years ago, announced he will try again. Tim Carls, a 55-year-old, full-time farmer, will run as a Democrat in the primary election Aug. 2. If he is unopposed in the primary, Carls will be a candidate in November’s general election. Carls is …

St. Joseph County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wenzel said 171 Soil Erosion and Sediment Control permits were issued in 2015, a figure he presented during his annual report Tuesday before the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Other information Wenzel shared included the fact that 25 drain-maintenance permits were authorized to local farmers and constituents last year. The maintenance work was …

Florence Township Supervisor Gordon Evilsizor criticized the St. Joseph County Road Commission for what he called a questionable effort clearing roads in the southwest quadrant of the county last week. During Tuesday’s county commission meeting, Evilsizor said the Feb. 24 storm left several inches of snowfall on the roads until it melted later in the week. Evilsizor said he called …

A downward trend related to births in St. Joseph County continued in 2015, as 11 fewer babies were born last year compared to 2014. Presenting her inaugural annual report to the county commission Tuesday, clerk and register of deeds Lindsay Oswald provided a variety of statistics related to the three departments she oversees. She said the register of deeds office …

Five annual reports highlight today’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting. The reports will start with District Court, followed by Circuit Court, succeeded by Friend of the Court. Commissioners will then hear the juvenile court report, before concluding with the county clerk and register of deeds. Also on today’s agenda is a request from the sheriff’s department for an …

St. Joseph County’s emergency management director was given approval last week to attend a national conference this summer. The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners passed a motion to allow T.J. Baker to attend the 2016 National School Safety Conference in Orlando in late July. According to a memo from Baker to commissioners, the conference will focus on all aspects …

The St. Joseph County Road Commission repaired potholes in more than 800 miles of roads and removed snow from more than 1,000 miles of roadways in 2015. The information was presented last week to the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners as part of the road commission’s annual report. Past board chairman John Bippus said other work completed last year …

A 62-year-old Mendon woman will seek the District 2 St. Joseph County Commission seat in August. Kathy Pangle has declared her candidacy for the seat, which represents Burr Oak, Colon, Leonidas, Mendon and Park townships. Burr Oak Township resident Don Eaton is the incumbent. Pangle is serving her 14th year on the Mendon Village Council and the Mendon Township Fire …

Two weeks after approving ballot language for a May millage request being sought by the county road commission, St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners heard additional discussion on the issue during Tuesday’s meeting. Road commission board members John Bippus and chairman Dave Allen were on hand to give the agency’s annual report. Bippus recapped several projects the commission tackled last …