South Bend

On Tuesday St. Joseph County commissioners will consider whether to hire a consultant to study whether the county should move out of the County-City Building and into the former Studebaker Building 113 on Lafayette Boulevard.

The city of South Bend, St. Joseph County and the Michiana Council of Governments would create a new nonprofit to administer the land bank program. It aims to reduce the number of vacant properties and create new affordable housing opportunities in blighted neighborhoods.

The city is giving away the meals this Wednesday and Thursday to celebrate Thanksgiving.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has consolidated its offices in South Bend and Mishawaka, which were served by many bus routes, into a lesser-served office park on South Bend's far northwest edge.

The new Dismas Hub in South Bend will let the nonprofit offer more of the types of services that studies show can reduce chances of returning to prison by 67%.

REAL Services Executive Director Karla Mapes says they've had some carryover money from last year to help the first households signing up for energy assistance but that won't last if the federal government shutdown continues much longer.

South Bend Mayor James Mueller says the city will send the Food Bank of Northern Indiana $70,000 to buy more food for SNAP recipients who've lost benefits because of the federal government shutdown.

After the Rabbi Shulman Apartments are demolished by mid-April, the city of South Bend, South Bend Housing Authority and Community Foundation of St. Joseph County will partner in a new $43 million rental housing development.

The money comes to the state from the Lilly Endowment, as part of Indiana's regional approach to economic development launched under former Gov. Eric Holcomb.

Roxann Reasor's plan to move the 1892 Z. Crepeau Building a couple of blocks south would reunite it with a former neighbor.