Politics

Longtime Sturgis resident Mark Dvorak was appointed to the Sturgis City Commission Wednesday. With a seat to the nine-member commission open as a result of Michael Wilson’s move from the city’s Third Precinct, Dvorak received four votes from the commission. Kimberly Wilson received two and Mark Ritter earned one endorsement. Dvorak will serve until the term expires in November 2016. …

A Three Rivers resident has announced his candidacy for the 59th District House of Representatives. Bob Sills, a former Michigan Senate employee, made the announcement this week. Sills is a past chairman of the St. Joseph County Republican Party and serves on its executive committee. He is the recipient of the 2011 Republican Mackinac Conference leadership award for his work …

A week after firing its village clerk, the Centreville Village Council has discussed options for a replacement, including holding off on filling the position. Village president Jeff Johnson suggested at last week’s village council meeting that the board takes its time in replacing Terrie Tully. Tully was fired April 2 from office duties, in part, for a faulty financial budget, …

The St. Joseph County Board of Election Canvassers completed a once-every-four-years task Wednesday. According to state law, every county’s board of election canvassers must complete an inspection of ballot boxes and bags. County Clerk Pattie Bender said the task previously was performed over a two-day period, when she and the four-member board traveled to all 16 townships and the cities …

The St. Joseph County Road Commission has announced it is closing its Colon Township and Three Rivers-area garages. The move means three area foremen, including the Centreville area foreman, will be offered an early-retirement incentive. The positions will be eliminated effective May 1. Operations from Colon, Centreville, and Three Rivers garages/districts will be gradually folded into the central facility in …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners has set a time and date for a work session to meet with the county road commission. The meeting, set for 3 p.m. April 30 at the county courthouse, will center on the road commission’s millage renewal request this year and an update on road conditions in general. County administrator Pat Yoder said he …

The Sturgis City Commission has a vacancy to fill following a resignation announced last week. Mike Wilson has moved out of the city’s Third Precinct, making him ineligible to represent the area. The nine-member board is moving forward with plans to replace Wilson, who was on the commission for more than two years. Interested parties must submit an application to …

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley has signed a package of bills, including one authored by state Rep. Matt Lori, which remove the words “retarded” and “retardation” from current laws. Last week’s bill-signing, attended by lawmakers, Lansing school officials and Special Olympians, took place at Hill Vocational Center in Lansing. Lori, who serves as a member of the Michigan Mental Health and …

The city of Sturgis will move its municipal elections to even-numbered years, following a unanimous vote taken this week by community leaders. Starting Jan.1, the city will implement the even-year vote, as 2015 will not be an election year. Instead, the next vote to select city commissioners will be decided in 2016. Consequently, current commissioners whose terms would have expired …

Three Rivers Fire Chief Dan Tomlinson has announced he is resigning from the position later this summer. In a prepared statement, Tomlinson said he will step down around Aug. 1, but a firm date will be set once a replacement has been hired and adequately trained. Tomlinson, who has spent nearly 30 years in the industry, said philosophical differences over …