Jackson County, Missouri

Jackson County District Judge Nicole Hughes, appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in April, faces scrutiny over her ties to County Prosecutor Kelsey Guernsey, who has endorsed her, appeared at campaign events, and door-knocked on her behalf. Fellow Judge Robert Gaecke, who backs Hughes' opponent George Lyons, publicly criticized the arrangement as creating an "appearance of impropriety." Hughes and Guernsey deny wrongdoing, calling the criticism a campaign tactic, and Chief District Judge Daniel Goostrey backed Hughes' conduct. Legal ethics experts are split: some say a prosecutor campaigning for a judge who hears that office's cases raises serious neutrality concerns, while others see no formal violation of Michigan's judicial conduct canons.

Jackson, Michigan has become the first city in the state to ban cryptocurrency kiosks, a move highlighted by AARP Michigan as part of a broader push to curb kiosk-related fraud that disproportionately affects older residents. AARP Michigan state director Paula D. Cunningham praised the move, saying local communities don't need to wait for state or federal action to address scams tied to crypto ATMs.

The ban was one of several items in a weekly roundup of Jackson-area news, which also included the closure of a local Guatemalan and Mexican restaurant after six years in business, an under-investigation fatal camper fire, local election matchups for a congressional seat and judicial race, and various county ballot measures. The crypto kiosk ban stands out as a local regulatory precedent that other Michigan municipalities concerned about elder fraud tied to cryptocurrency ATMs may look to replicate.

Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire, 59, faces two felony charges — obstruction of justice and misconduct in office — filed by the Michigan Attorney General's Office. The case stems from a Feb. 18 incident in which Hodshire allegedly disclosed confidential information about an active investigation, tipping off a theft suspect and his parents that a Williams County, Ohio, sheriff's office had a search warrant and planned to search the family's property. Testimony from Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Travis Pohl at an Aug. 31 probable cause hearing indicated phone records show Hodshire called the suspect's parents and later the suspect himself before Ohio investigators executed the warrant.

Hodshire was arraigned Sept. 2 and released on bond; each charge carries up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A probable cause conference is scheduled for Sept. 30 in Jackson. Hodshire has denied wrongdoing, saying he was assisting an out-of-state agency as a courtesy and did nothing to interfere with the investigation. First elected in 2020 and reelected in 2024, he says he intends to remain in office in full capacity, and county commissioners have voiced support, though they lack authority to remove him.

Michigan Republicans gathered in Mount Pleasant on Aug. 22 for their nominating convention, finalizing a statewide ticket ahead of a November midterm that will decide the governorship, a U.S. Senate seat and other key offices. The event ratified April's endorsement convention picks, confirming Anthony Forlini and Doug Lloyd as nominees for secretary of state and attorney general, and formally nominated state Rep. Jay DeBoyer as gubernatorial candidate John James' running mate. James and Senate nominee Mike Rogers used the stage to attack Democrats over antisemitism, socialism and economic issues, with Rogers casting Democratic Senate rival Abdul El-Sayed as untrustworthy. Party figures emphasized unity and a "positive" tone after past fractures within the state GOP.

James will face Democratic nominee Jocelyn Benson, who recently named state Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks as her running mate. Despite the enthusiasm, Republicans trailed Democrats in primary turnout and face fundraising gaps down-ballot. Chairman Jim Runestad said Michigan remains competitive and must be "earned," while Democrats countered that voters will hold Republicans accountable for economic conditions. Democrats hold their own convention the following weekend to confirm their ticket.