Andy LaBarre Wins

The Reverend Jesse

The Rev. Jesse Jackson used his influence Sunday night in Ann Arbor in hopes of giving Christina Montague a boost in her campaign for county commissioner. But he didn't talk about typical county government issues. He spent most of his speech talking about national civil rights issues and gun control. Read the story.

Horse Of A Different Color

Sometimes you don't realize you've struck photographic gold until you go back and look more closely at your outtakes and realize you've caught two politicians sitting in the crowd at a basketball game, and one of them — who earned a master's degree from Michigan State University — is wearing the rival school's colors and cheering them on. That would be Dan Smith, Washtenaw County commissioner, seen here in Michigan maize and blue, sitting next to state Rep. Mark Ouimet.

Going Green

Conan Smith, chairman of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, shows off the LEED Silver award the county won for its new 14A-1 District Court. County officials were presented with the award at Wednesday's county board meeting, recognizing the new facility for its energy efficiency and environmental design. The certification comes from the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable building design and construction. Read the story here.

Learning The Ropes

Washtenaw County commissioners Barbara Levin Bergman and Yousef Rabhi, both Democrats representing portions of Ann Arbor, share a laugh at a recent county board meeting. Rabhi, a 22-year-old recent University of Michigan graduate, is new to the board. Bergman has served since 1993. They're focusing efforts right now on addressing a $20 million structural deficit.

New Crop

Four newly elected Washtenaw County commissioners and seven returning commissioners were sworn into office Wednesday night. The makeup of the board for the next two years includes eight Democrats and three Republicans — one more Republican than before. New members include Alicia Ping, R-Saline (second picture); Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor (third picture); Dan Smith, R-Northfield Township (fourth picture); and Rob Turner, R-Chelsea (fifth picture). Read the story here.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washtenaw

Conan Smith was unanimously chosen by his peers to take over as chairman of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners Wednesday night. Representing the north and west sides of Ann Arbor, Smith, a Democrat, is the third generation of public servants in his family. He is married to state Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, and is the son of Alma Wheeler Smith, who recently finished her final term in the state House. His aunt, Nancy Francis, is a county judge, and Al Wheeler, his grandfather, was Ann Arbor's mayor in the 1970s. Smith also is the executive director at the Ferndale-based Michigan Suburbs Alliance. Read the story here.