Members of the Lockport Township Board of Trustees approved St. Joseph County Equalization Director Josh Simmons to serve as the County’s new Designated Assessor at a regular meeting Monday evening. The other 15 townships in the county must also approve Simmons’s appointment to the position, which was required in a change to state laws two years ago. The position exists to take over a township’s property assessment duties in the event that the regular assessor has failed to perform in compliance with state requirements and the trustees do not step in to intervene.

As of 10:59 p.m. Tuesday night, with just under 72 percent of St. Joseph County precincts reporting, Republican Steve Carra led Democrat Amy East for the seat of 59th District Representative in the Michigan Legislature by a margin of approximately two to one. At that time, Carra carried 12,200 votes in the county to East’s 6,775. He also held a significant lead in Cass County. Speaking from St. Joseph County Republican Party Headquarters in Three Rivers around 11 p.m., Carra said his campaign was declaring victory. Results are also in for several other contested, local races.

Watershed Voice sent out questionnaires to over 30 candidates in contested local, state, and national races in St. Joseph County and the surrounding area for the November 3 General Election. In the days leading up to Election Day, Watershed will publish the answers it has received. Von Peterson, a Democratic candidate for Treasurer of Lockport Township, filled out our questionnaire. These are his answers.

Watershed Voice sent out questionnaires to over 30 candidates in contested local, state, and national races in St. Joseph County and the surrounding area for the November 3 General Election. In the days leading up to Election Day, Watershed will publish the answers it has received. Christy Trammell, a Republican candidate for Lockport Township Clerk, filled out our questionnaire. These are her answers.

This week, Watershed Voice heard from several readers who reported rumors were circulating that in some townships, up to two-thirds of absentee ballots had been tossed without being counted. After an inquiry to her office, County Clerk Lindsay Oswald, who serves on the BOC, provided the minutes of the August 6 BOC meeting, when its members reviewed the sealed ballot boxes that the townships submitted.