Government

More than 23,000 St. Joseph County residents participated in this week’s general election. The figure means about 54 percent of the county’s registered voters participated in Tuesday’s vote. County Clerk Pattie Bender said the overall number of voters was down from more than 25,000 in 2008. Park Township led St. Joseph County Tuesday with the highest number of residents voting, …

Three Rivers City Clerk Lindsay Howes said the city commission will stage an organizational meeting Monday. At that time, two newly elected commissioners – Alison Haigh and Diane Haley-Clay – will be sworn in. Commissioners Daryl Griffith and Carolyn McNary, who ran unopposed, also will be sworn in during the ceremony. The new-look commission stages its first regularly scheduled meeting …

Two children were among the injured in a Tuesday afternoon accident on U.S. 131 at Heimbach Road in Park Township. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, 42-year-old Kristina Hamilton, of Three Rivers, was driving west on Heimbach Road when she failed to stop at the southbound lanes of U.S. 131 and struck a vehicle driven by a 31-year-old …

A longtime member of the Sturgis Fire Department has accepted the post of St. Joseph County Emergency Services coordinator. Scott Hopkins, assistant chief for the Sturgis department, will replace Jim Barnes, who is retiring from the Centreville-based post next month. Hopkins will hire on in two weeks and work with Barnes during the impending transition period. As coordinator of emergency …

David Tomlinson and Rob Pattison will be St. Joseph County’s newest judges.  The two candidates claimed victories in Tuesday’s general election, as Colon-based attorney David Tomlinson topped Christine Yancey of Mendon for probate judge. Meanwhile, Rob Pattison, a lawyer for a Sturgis firm, will preside over St. Joseph County District Court after eking out a win over Park Township attorney …

There will be two new faces on the Three Rivers City Commission later this month. District 3 candidate Diane Haley-Clay defeated incumbent Larry Matson in Tuesday’s general election. Matson was appointed to the board in May to replace Ken Baker. Meanwhile, incumbent Elbert Foster, an eight-year commission member, was unable to fend off Alison Haigh as commissioner of District 2. …

A few incumbents on local, township, village and school boards were defeated in Tuesday’s general election. In Colon, challenger Tom Tenney soundly defeated incumbent village president Tom Whitford. Also, Colon Board of Education member and incumbent Eric Wagner was the odd person out in a three-person race for two seats. Incumbent Eric Bower will return and be joined by newcomer …

School districts that acted on Headlee-related proposals batted .500 in Tuesday’s election. Voters in the Burr Oak Community Schools district agreed to continue a Headlee rollback that allows the district to collect the full 18 mills its voters levied in 1995. The district stood to lose $154,000 without voter support. In Constantine, a request to renew its Headlee rate of …

All five proposed constitutional amendments were rejected by voters in Michigan, by wide margins.  They included Prop 2, which guaranteed collective bargaining rights and invalidated certain laws dealing with collective bargaining. Also rejected were Prop 3 which required 25 percent of Michigan energy generation to be from renewable sources, and Prop 4 which dealt with collective bargaining for in-home health …

A 38-year-old Kent County man was injured after causing a two-vehicle accident Thursday at the intersection of M-60 west and U.S. 131. According to state police, Manoj Mulki, of Byron Center, was traveling east on M-60 when he failed to stop at the U.S. 131 intersection. His vehicle was struck by a southbound semi tractor-trailer. Mulki, who was cited for …