Portage's Kathleen Hemingway has been appointed by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to Kalamazoo County's 8th District Court. Hemingway fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Robert Kropf.

Hemingway has been an assistant prosecuting attorney in Kalamazoo County since 2007, where she is assigned cases involving controlled substance and firearms offenses, as well as violent crimes against persons. She is currently the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team prosecutor, where she has played a key role in launching the priority offender program, focused on prosecuting the most violent offenders. - Governor's office press release.

Hemingway must seek election in November 2018 for the remainder of the term.