A write-in candidate who was challenging an incumbent township supervisor in southwestern Michigan has lost a tiebreaker for the Republican nomination. Robert Baker, who wants to be on the November ballot for the Ross Township post, picked a piece of paper marked “not elected” out of a box Tuesday at the office of the Kalamazoo County clerk. WWMT-TV reports both …

Michigan officials say they will appeal a federal judge’s ruling against eliminating straight-party voting. The Detroit News reports Secretary of State Ruth Johnson on Monday filed a notice to appeal. That came two weeks after U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain said preventing voters from checking a single box to vote for all of a party’s candidates discriminate against blacks, who tend to …

A special police unit is seeking to curb burglaries and thefts from businesses including recreational vehicle companies in northern Indiana. Police in the Elkhart County city of Goshen say their unit was formed to deal with such crimes in the city’s industrial areas. The department says thefts had been increasing over the last several months, with items such as televisions …

Vera A. Ruge, age 99, of Colon, passed away Monday, Aug. 13, 2018, at Maple Lawn Medical Care Facility in Coldwater. Vera was born March 7, 1919, in Chicago, a daughter of the late John and Alice (Gooley) Mansell. On Jan. 12, 1946, she married Howard J. Ruge in Chicago. He preceded her in death Oct. 1, 1988. Vera retired …

Mary E. Houck, age 82, of Sturgis, passed away Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018 at Thurston Woods Village. Mary was born April 22, 1935, in Goshen, Ind., to Archie and Katherine (Oswald) Robinson. On June 14, 1953, she married the love of her life, Allen Houck, at Trinity Lutheran Church, where she continued to attend as a longtime member. Mary lived …

Pauline Lucinda Nash (nee Modert) of Three Rivers, passed away on Friday, August 10, 2018. Pauline was born January 17, 1923 in Branch County, Michigan and was united in marriage to Otto Nash on August 30, 1946. Pauline worked at Miller’s Soda Fountain and JJ Newberry’s in downtown Three Rivers. Pauline was preceded in death by her parents, Jesse and …

Patricia Ann Quirin, age 84, of Sturgis, passed away May 13, 2018, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. She was born March 14, 1934, in Kalamazoo, a daughter of the late Warren Burnette and Gladys June (Shigley) Clancey. Pat was a longtime Sturgis and also lived in Portage for many years, where she graduated from Portage schools and continued her …

Adhering to state law, members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners agreed Monday to adopt a resolution to not proceed with a petition seeking voter input on a contested piece of property in Three Rivers. Commissioners during the hour-long special meeting conceded that technicalities in seven areas of a detachment petition filed by Lockport Township residents prohibited them …

Sheriff’s deputies investigated a single-vehicle crash that injured a Centreville man over the weekend. Deputies said 20-year-old Brady Reynolds was driving east on South River Run Road in Nottawa Township Sunday when he lost control of his vehicle. The car left the roadway and came to rest on several trees, according to deputies. Reynolds was treated at the scene by …

Five people ranging in age from 24 to 64 were arrested last week on drug-related offenses in Cass County’s Porter Township. The Cass County Drug Enforcement Team responded Friday to the 15000 block of Guyer Street on a tip regarding the sale of methamphetamine. Authorities were also advised that there was stolen property on the premises. Three male subjects were …