Seventh graders across St. Joseph County will soon climb aboard a new mobile classroom designed to introduce them to the world of advanced manufacturing. The traveling lab will make stops at all nine partner districts — Burr Oak, Centreville, Colon, Constantine, Mendon, Nottawa, Sturgis, Three Rivers and White Pigeon — giving every seventh grader a chance to spend 45 minutes exploring its equipment.
The commission updated its general shut off rules, bringing them into compliance with new state law and allowing utilities to disconnect service for nonpayment during the "heating season." Mayor Frank Perez expressed concern about what the policy shift means in practice. “Now we’re going to be shutting people off?”
City staff will present third-quarter financials, reflecting 75 percent of the year’s budget. Finances are generally stable, with higher-than-expected revenue in the ambulance, water, and sewer funds. However, the Doyle Community Center continues to struggle, and the Local Development Financing Authority (LDFA) took a hit from a recent tax tribunal ruling that reduced its tax capture.
“Gary Nissley, who runs a local trash service here in town, told us that without recycling, the amount of trash people set out — and the size of the Toters they’ll need — will increase drastically. In my own family of six, our recycle bin is full every week, while our trash is just a couple of small bags. Most of what we generate goes into recycling, and if that ends, everyone’s trash bill will go up,” Aaron Miller said.
Commissioners will consider whether the city should join the new national settlement with Purdue and the Sackler family. Funds are first allocated to states and then distributed to participating local governments.
Brittany Shank's father, Greg Wallace, said St. Joseph County Sheriff Chad Spence and members of his command staff told him Thursday the county will work jointly with an MSP detective to re-examine the case file from the beginning, with "fresh eyes" from both agencies. Thursday's developments come almost seven years after Shank, 23, vanished on November 30, 2018 following a crash along Fawn River Road near Sturgis.
The change comes as part of a broader push to improve communication. The city's updated website, which launched this week, now features a direct link to the livestreams.
City Manager Andrew Kuk presented the budget in detail, noting $11.74 million in total revenue and transfers against $12.31 million in expenditures and transfers. The general fund's largest spending areas include police and fire services at $5.75 million, general government at $1.88 million, and recreation and culture at $808,488.
At 21, David Munoz, a lifelong Sturgis resident, is a father of two and the son of first-generation Mexican immigrants. Both of Munoz's parents made sacrifices to build a new life in Sturgis. His father worked long hours as a welder; his mother raised three children while navigating a new country with limited resources. They never owned a home. They never took a vacation. But they gave their son something more enduring, a sense of purpose.
The $5,000 micro-grant from the Three Rivers Area Community Foundation closes a $3,700 shortfall the association faced in its fundraising efforts. The total project cost is about $170,000 and will add three new courts to the existing two at Armstrong Park.
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