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St. Joseph County’s former equalization director will be the Democrat opponent to face Republican incumbent Dennis Allen in the November general election. Nottawa Township resident Judy Nelson topped Tim Carls in Tuesday’s primary election. She earned 410 votes while Carls claimed 310 in what turned out to be a high-profile election for the right to represent the party in November. …

Dan Czajkowski said he still has plenty to learn despite nearly two years as a county commissioner. The 62-year-old White Pigeon resident will have another 24 months of experience to gain after voters in District 4 backed him over Republican challenger Joshua Goodrich, a Constantine Township resident. Unofficial numbers show the incumbent earned 534 votes to Goodrich’s 370 endorsements. Czajkowski …

Flowerfield Township voters approved a request to increase their millage for fire protection and ambulance services. By a tally of 170-to-112, voters agreed to support an increase of up to 1 mill for a five-year period. As a result of Tuesday’s endorsement, the request will raise more than $64,000 annually to be disbursed to Three Rivers Ambulance Service, Fabius/Park Fire …

Colon Township voters on Tuesday approved renewal of a five-year millage sought by the township library. Voters by a margin of 345 to 108 supported a request to renew nearly nine-tenths of a mill to help fund operating, maintaining, constructing and equipping the library, and for all other library-related purposes authorized by law. The request will allow the district to …

Former legislative leader Gretchen Whitmer will lead Michigan’s first all-female statewide ticket in the November election, winning the Democratic nomination for governor and pitting her against Republican state Attorney General Bill Schuette, an ally of President Donald Trump. Schuette and Whitmer — both veteran officeholders — easily bested their opponents in Tuesday’s primary to set up their head-to-head race to …

I must apologize to my Canadian friends. I failed to mention earlier that yesterday was Civic Holiday in Canada. I’ll try to do better when it comes to holidays celebrated by our neighbors to the north. As we begin the month of August, there aren’t any real days of celebration this month, unless you want to consider the fact that …

A plan to redevelop the former Three Rivers Inn into a senior housing center and Commission On Aging agency headquarters has entered a new phase. COA director Tim Stoll met with county commissioners at their executive committee meeting Wednesday and stated the project is at a point where financing options need to be decided. Stoll said the agency will seek …

Animal Rescue Fund of St. Joseph County had a record-breaking fundraiser over the weekend. ARF president Loralee Knepper said the agency’s 15th annual Doggie Spa Day resulted in 111 dogs getting a bath and towel-dry. Nail-clipping service was also available. The by-donation event netted nearly $1,400, Knepper said, and surpassed the old record of 104 dogs. Knepper wished to acknowledge …

A 20-year-old Sturgis man faces a number of felony charges after fleeing from police and crashing into a Sturgis patrol car. The incident occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m. Friday outside a residence in the 200 block of North Lakeview Avenue, where officers responded to a report of a fight in progress. Upon arrival, officers noticed a subject attempting to leave …

Michigan officials are raising concerns about an outbreak of dog flu in the southern part of the state. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says there have been 49 confirmed cases of canine influenza since mid-July. They’ve occurred in Huron, Kent, Macomb, Oakland, Ottawa and Wayne counties. Only nine cases were reported statewide in all of 2017. Canine influenza is a …