HILLSDALE — The deadline for Camp Hope to remove a tent housing Hillsdale’s homeless has come and gone The city of Hillsdale previously granted Camp Hope, a shelter located behind Hillsdale Community Thrift on M-99 near Mechanic Street an extension through April 30 to have the tent removed as it violated the city’s zoning ordinances Jennifer Wortz (R-Quincy) toured the shelter days before the deadline to learn more about the group's mission and impact on addressing Hillsdale’s homelessness problem with compassion and resources The city denied a request to extend the deadline past April 30 to give organizers more time to find a permanent solution and the matter was slated to go before Hillsdale City Council for further discussion Monday executive director of Hillsdale Community Thrift and Camp Hope was issued a civil infraction by the city May 1 She has two weeks to remove the tent or face legal action More: Camp Hope in Hillsdale provides resources and rehabilitation Desjardin said she's working to move Hillsdale Community Thrift to downtown Hillsdale in order to allow for the building itself on M-99 to be renovated into a permanent transitional housing facility which once housed Hillsdale’s Big Boy Restaurant Desjardin is asking where Hillsdale’s homeless are supposed to go between Camp Hope being forced to shut down and Hillsdale’s Share the Warmth Shelter at Sozo Church having closed for the season Hillsdale’s unhoused previously set-up camp along North Country Trail a paved recreational trail running from Sandy Beach at Baw Beese Lake to Jonesville The Hillsdale City Council’s Public Safety Committee successfully passed an ordinance banning camping on public lands in 2023 Desjardin said the pending closure of Camp Hope will be detrimental to people needing assistance While she mandates drug and alcohol testing for those staying at Camp Hope she's also worked with social workers and others to help Hillsdale’s homeless obtain identification said there's a possibility of having a permanent shelter privately funded once renovations are complete at the building on M-99 she should be able to house up to 30 residents at once Hillsdale County’s latest point-in-time count for homelessness places numbers around 70 many have returned to the trails or wooded lots around Hillsdale — Contact reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@hillsdale.net or follow him on X But if institutions of higher learning really want to assert their independence they should emulate a school with a lower profile and fewer resources that won its freedom by cutting ties with the government decades ago: They should follow the example of Hillsdale College What began as an investigation into poor treatment of Jewish students at Harvard and other universities especially during pro-Palestinian protests after the Hamas terrorist organization's October 7 quickly turned into a laundry list of demands the Trump administration dictated terms to Harvard on which further federal funding is conditioned and added "viewpoint diversity in admissions and hiring" as a criteria for receiving money from the federal government "Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting 'Sickness?' Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!," President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social But here's the thing: Those reforms should not be dictated by the government private organizations get to choose their policies and internal culture—good "Under the First Amendment, tax exemptions have to be distributed without discrimination based on viewpoint; that means that evil views have to be treated the same way as good views," The Hoover Institution's Eugene Volokh commented for the Reason-hosted Volokh Conspiracy he added: "Though 'the Government is not required to subsidize' speakers once it chooses to provide such a subsidy—including through 'tax deductions for contributions'—it must abide by 'the requirement of viewpoint neutrality in the Government's provision of financial benefits.'" "The executive branch lacks the authority to impose conditions on the receipt of federal funds just because the president or his underlings are justifiably upset with what American higher education has become," agrees Case Western Reserve University School of Law's Jonathan Adler and any other school challenging the Trump administration's conditions on funding The federal government can't condition grants and tax treatment on ideological grounds But the Trump administration may well respond by entirely cutting higher education off from taxpayer funds; after all the government has a huge spending problem and colleges and universities are already held in low regard by much of the public "An increasing proportion of U.S. adults say they have little or no confidence in higher education," Gallup's Jeffrey M. Jones reported last year Americans are now nearly equally divided among those who have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence (36%) or little or no confidence (32%) in higher education." Harvard has more than enough money fund its own preferred policies and peculiar ideological institutions In 2007, as the college grew its endowment to $265 million, it similarly cut financial ties with the state of Michigan. Hillsdale had no complaints about state meddling. But a representative told The Chronicle of Higher Education at the time that "this is a prospective move in keeping with Hillsdale's tradition and mission." Students who need financial aid are provided with funds from private donations. Hillsdale's fundraising has grown its endowment to over $900 million to finance the college's activities according to its own principles and philosophical outlook Students who share the school's perspective can apply; those who don't look elsewhere knowing their money won't be used to support ideas they oppose With more than 53 times that sum in its own investment funds, Harvard is well-positioned to emulate Hillsdale. In fact, Hillsdale suggested on its X account that Harvard should "refuse taxpayer money." That would leave Harvard free to fund its own activities without battling the federal government or further antagonizing taxpayers who don't care to support the school's prevailing ideas or campus shenanigans A truly independent Harvard could be a model of open inquiry and debate Or it could be the woke seminary many of its inmates crave That's a path that all colleges and universities seeking to decide their fates should consider The Rattler is a weekly newsletter from J.D If you care about government overreach and tangible threats to everyday liberty Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" J.D. Tuccille is a contributing editor at Reason Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" N.J.— The Hillsdale Free Public Library brimmed with color and community spirit the evening of Thursday May 1 as the Hillsdale Access for All Committee hosted its fifth annual art show a celebration of artistic expression by individuals with disabilities This year’s theme — “What Does It Mean to Be Included?” — inspired deeply personal works and meaningful conversations around belonging Approximately two dozen gathered to admire acrylics and collaborative pieces submitted by artists from Hillsdale and nearby communities Each work reflected a unique perspective—some playful some poignant—all affirming the power of inclusion through art Artists chose as their subjects quiet personal moments and calls to action: We Rise by Lifting Others “This event is about showing what you all can do,” said Ron Miller “It’s not just about the art—it’s about the voice it gives The evening acknowledged the absence of longtime art show chairperson Ruta Fiorino an accomplished mixed media artist who lives with a prosthetic right leg who typically installs the exhibit and designs the event brochure was recently injured during a skiing trip in Utah and is recovering Committee member Gia Schneider said “Ruta was involved even from afar and we’re so grateful to the whole committee for pulling this together in her honor.” The Hillsdale Access for All Committee includes residents and professionals who represent both the Hillsdale community and regional support networks vice-chair and a representative of the Family Support Organization of Bergen County which provides peer-led services to families of children with behavioral health needs secretary and a representative of Bergen’s Promise a care management organization supporting youth with complex challenges Schneider introduced the evening’s artists celebrating both returning and new contributors presented two emotionally rich pieces titled Feeling Included and Being Left Out using expressive characters to explore the show’s theme a 21-year-old artist and aspiring animator from River Edge earned praise for his vibrant animal portraits Newcomers Nora Cleary and Annie Fan made strong impressions with vivid acrylics—Cleary’s Cloudy Rainbow and Untitled and Fan’s Peacock and Toucan in marker who also creates origami and traditional Chinese artwork “loves creating—that’s when she’s happiest,” Schneider said Collaborative pieces from Spectrum for Living the Valley Chabad Teen Leadership Initiative’s Friendship Circle and the Arts Access Program at Matheny complemented the depth provided by individual entrants The Friendship Circle was praised for its inclusive programs and its recent library art day with Access for All A standout, Puzzle Pieces, was submitted by Spectrum for Living The show also featured sculptural garden stakes by Jennifer Romanoff a former special education teacher and Access for All committee member her pieces “sparkle with personality and sustainability,” Schneider noted Michael Popolo worked wonders reflecting the majesty and quieter moments of the natural world For the full list of artists and pictures of their work see Hilldale Access For All on Facebook they were invited to the front to receive a certificate and a framed display box—a token of appreciation and a way to showcase their work beyond the show “Some of these pieces are ready for gallery walls,” one organizer said Organizers also shared the success of the committee’s inclusive art workshop series co-hosted with the library and led by local artists such as Susie Geraci of DreamWorks Studio The workshops brought people with and without disabilities together for shared creativity and conversation “We want to keep offering these opportunities,” the committee said inviting the public to suggest future programming The evening concluded with a warm invitation to enjoy refreshments “Thank you again for participating and joining us tonight,” Miller said “This year’s art show came together with a lot of anticipation.  We began five years ago in the height of the pandemic Many of our participants have been with us since then and look forward to having their talent and artwork represented each year.” “We’re lucky to receive such great support from our community and participants They are committed to the show’s success This year we had submissions from as far as Somerset County which tells us there is a need to showcase the art of people with disabilities.”  She added “We intend to continue to grow the show as we look ahead to its sixth year The committee takes great pride in serving this community and looks forward to another successful and unique art exhibit each year.   The Access for All Committee advises the mayor and council and works to ensure individuals with disabilities can participate fully in community life ‘Woodcliff Park’ opens to cheers; SpringFest school affirm roots: Meadowbrook Arbor Day plantings draw cheers All content on this website is the property of The Press Group and is protected by copyright. Reproduction, distribution, or use of any material without prior written permission is strictly prohibited, unless otherwise stated. To report any misuse, please contact us at PascackPress@ThePressGroup.net Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker HILLSDALE COUNTY — Congratulations to Hillsdale freshman softball player Kherington Ladd Ladd received 51-percent of the total votes for the Week 4 HD Mechanical Heating Cooling and Plumbing Supply House Female Athlete of the Week honor winning her second honor of the spring sports season and she was nominated again after an impressive week helping the Hornet softball team earn two big wins In a 14-11 win for Hillsdale softball against Battle Creek Pennfield She also recorded the win in the circle for Hillsdale The runner-up honoree for Week 4 was Pittsford senior girls track athlete Chloe Fowler The senior won three events in Week 4 to help the team earn a SCAA jamboree victory She helped lead the 4x400 team to a win at home (5:06.52) She took first in pole vault (10-feet) and first in the 100 dash (14.78 PR) She also had a second-place finish in pole vault at the Hinsdale Invite More: Kade Shannon wins Week 3 HD Mechanical Athlete of the Week; Kast named Daily News Choice atHillsdale Tune Up Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photographyChippewa Throwers Jumpers Compete at Hillsdale Tune Up4/25/2025 7:22:00 PM | Track & Field Three Chippewas attain personal bests at Hillsdale Instead of fighting the administration’s efforts to cut its funding But a small liberal arts college isn’t a practical example for Harvard turning aside funding would free Harvard from federal obligations — but it would also cripple the academic infrastructure that has led to lifesaving research it would hollow out part of Greater Boston’s economy “For Harvard to become like Hillsdale means for Harvard to give up its preeminence as a research-intensive university in the modern world,” Jeffrey Flier the former dean of Harvard Medical School and an academic freedom advocate for whatever combination of reasons that someone might give to give up everything that makes Harvard great.” That’s no shade to Hillsdale — it’s becoming the premier liberal arts destination for brainy conservative students. But it isn’t the sort of sprawling research institution that does world-changing scientific projects like Doug Melton’s efforts to cure diabetes through research being done in Harvard’s Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology which would most likely include vital basic research And while it’s true that Harvard has been slow to tackle antisemitism — and has plenty of other problems, including what the university has called a lack of “intellectual vitality” on a campus dominated by progressives — those are problems more present in the humanities and that the university has been taking steps to fix and the university’s efforts should continue to be scrutinized by the media Harvard, though, isn’t just a humanities department. And while the administration has signaled that Harvard’s affiliated hospitals will be spared such a large sum of money under review likely implicates the biomedical and engineering research happening at the university said “The only way you get to $3 billion is with everything In fiscal year 2024, Harvard received $686 million from federal agencies, most of which came from the National Institutes of Health Eighty-eight percent of Harvard’s sponsored expenditures the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering Some conservatives might shrug and figure that if the research is so important market pressures will resurrect it in the private sector there’s been an understanding that free market economics can only go so far when it comes to public goods “The deepest mining of basic biology to discover fundamental principles is not efficiently done without some government help,” Flier said So while a popular cancer treatment might have a clear market incentive basic research on the link between nutrition and cancer has less clear of a draw But it also has the potential for massive innovation Chavarro said that thanks to his five years researching nutrition and cancer he was able to discover significant links between nutrition and fertility which culminated in a book about boosting one’s fertility “Had NIH not invested for decades in Harvard to be able to study nutrition and cancer … I would have never been able to write that book,” he said While there are no doubt some ways to make NIH funding more efficient Decreasing money for research wouldn’t just lower the number of research projects — it could also deter potential students “There’s going to be fewer postdoctoral trainees There’s going to be fewer doctoral trainees And it can trickle down all the way to undergraduate education If you are thinking about going to medical school and you want to be involved in research to make a stronger case for your application for medical school there’s going to be fewer of those opportunities,” Chavarro said And as flawed as Harvard might be, wiping away its decades of collective scientific research wouldn’t just set Harvard back — it would set the United States back. It’s not practical to imagine Harvard becoming Hillsdale — and more importantly, the federal government shouldn’t want it to, either. Home Delivery Gift Subscriptions Log In Manage My Account Customer Service Delivery Issues Feedback News Tips Help & FAQs Staff List Advertise Newsletters View the ePaper Order Back Issues News in Education Search the Archives Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Purchase Work at Boston Globe Media Internship Program Co-op Program Do Not Sell My Personal Information (assuming one would still have access to the Bible) “still doin time” and “he stopped loving her today,” George Jones) The Sanctus movement of the Requiem is a sublime achievement I’m not really qualified to understand George Jones because I have not been unfortunate in love But as near as I can get to understanding it is to listen to him sing about it “A Man For All Seasons” is in my opinion one of the great performances of one of the great stories Some fraternity boys did something naughty once Then they asked if they could come over to watch a movie I told them it was a story of faith and understanding put into action Courtesy | Avedis Maljanian My family’s phones screamed with alerts at about 6:30 p.m... When I nannied for millennial parents who raised their kids with the “gentle parenting” philosophy After 40 hours of work and two tons of ice blocks four men from Simpson Residence constructed an igloo outside.. Irma Waldo during her 100th birthday celebration in Copake on Friday Irma Waldo examines a baby during her time as a pediatrician and certificates from organizations at her 100th birthday celebration in Copake on Friday signs her book "The Doctor Wore High Heels" during her 100th birthday celebration in Copake on Friday HILLSDALE — A Hillsdale resident is celebrating a big milestone — turning 100 and recently celebrated joining the centenarian club with an open-house celebration at the Copake Community Center Friday afternoon Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content More Columbia County Email notifications are only sent once a day Get the Register Star and Daily Mail E-edition delivered directly to your inbox Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Have the latest food and drink articles delivered to your inbox every Thursday Have the latest local news delivered every afternoon so you don't miss out on updates Sign up today to receive email newsletters of local daily obituaries Have the latest local news delivered every morning so you don't miss out on updates Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here By: 5:30 am on February 14 Bohannon Development Company and Northwood Investors own the mall Bohannon is the original owner and developer of the popular shopping center Northwood was brought in as a partner in 2021 “we are excited to bring our mixed-use capabilities to Hillsdale and look forward to a long relationship with the Bohannon family and the community of San Mateo.” Hillsdale Mall Redevelopment programming vision is to establish a walkable mixed-use neighborhood that nurtures community The plans add that their ambition is that “Hillsdale will reaffirm its role as the heart of the Peninsula.” The programming map and plans show a low-rise retail village and public square built across the existing North Block shops with high-density offices and retail close to El Camino and housing centralized on the western edge of the lot and on 36th Avenue where there’s a mall-owned surface lot at the moment The full buildout of the project will create over two dozen structures to expand the overall commercial capacity add nearly two million square feet of housing for 1,392 units The commercial floor area will increase from 1.49 million to 2.06 million with an unspecified mix of retail and office areas Total parking capacity will increase significantly Hillsdale Mall Redevelopment retail village pedestrian view Hillsdale Mall Redevelopment townhouses overlooking the Edison Greenway Hillsdale Mall Redevelopment block C3 housing Building heights will vary across the site pushing the taller structures close to El Camino Real and the shorter buildings by the western edge of the property where the mall meets a low-rise residential neighborhood The tallest structures will both reach 160 feet tall at Parcel E1 and S1 with several three-story multiplex homes set back from Edison Street Gehl Studio and HOK are jointly responsible for the design Preliminary drawings and structure elevations show that the developers are going for a diverse range of facade treatments that fit within the contemporary modern style Most of the glassy offices will rise over El Camino and the apartment blocks will be articulated between oversized windows and balconies Hillsdale Mall area outlined approximately by YIMBY The Hillsdale Mall spans around 44.7 acres in southern San Mateo The mall is less than half a mile from the Hillsdale Caltrain Station and the transit-adjacent 83-acre Bay Meadows masterplan the nearly complete mixed-use development led by Wilson Meany The estimated cost and timeline for construction have yet to be established but one can be sure that it will be expensive and work will not be starting any time soon Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews Reminds me of the Stownestown and Eastmont plans We don’t need more office space here it could be better if there’s more parking but they should really make this into an outdoor mall like Palo Alto By the time this gets built the world will be 3 degrees warmer… I have been expecting this for a while and wondering when the announcement would happen whenever I cruise by the mall on Caltrain It was pretty rad when it was an outdoor mall but they pretty much wrecked it when they converted it to an indoor mall Although I would not describe Hillsdale as a dying mall this kind of reuse is a good one for the thousands of dead and dying malls across the country I know urban/suburban infill is way more complex than greenfield development but this type of development should be prioritized and even incentivized to discourage exurban sprawl in the southern Santa Clara Valley and the San Joaquin Valley Let’s build in the cities and leave the countryside for everyone to enjoy The mall is definitely showing it’s age The North Block is a great attraction and building more open walkable community space like that is very much needed It’s just too bad they can’t get some of the properties between the Caltrain Hillsdale Station and El Camino Real so you could have more residential and a walkable space from Caltrain right into this entire neighborhood If the plan includes townhomes/condos for sale and not just rental units Hard to nurture community if they residents are just tech workers living in the Bay Area temporarily On top of the significant redevelopment of this mall (adding thousands of new residences is nothing but a positive) please don’t overemphasize office for residential Downtown San Mateo has a massive plot for office and too much commercial that sits empty with more on the way with the loss of Dragers and others Pretty sure not all the offices near the train tracks are at full capacity What needs to be of primary focus is how formidable the crossings of El Camino are That dying furniture store and the empty plots across the street are dead zones inspiring nothing The Michaels/Jersey Mikes combo is crazy busy but why is there no entrance from the station to that area?? but that’s from some brave citizen who cut a hole into the steel fencing If they can get any traffic calming along El Camino there is genuine potential to make this area more liveable Adding almost 2,000 new parking stalls isn’t inspiring any big change That fence at the Michaels parking lot is so funny to me Crossing El Camino as a pedestrian is definitely not confidence inspiring I wonder if a pedestrian bridge is a realistic alternative if traffic on that road can only be reduced so much Dump the office component for 100% residential San Mateo city and county have plenty of places for people to work but not enough places for people to live I hope this project includes many new apartments For the people saying it should have less parking please really think through how it would be to live your life as a family right there without a car Don’t imagine that others would do be doing it Less parking will make it less desirable to live there for families Caltrain and Samtrans do not make up for it This new neighborhood is not going to be large enough nor safely connected to an area diverse enough to claim that you can walk or bike everywhere that you may have to or want to go Much of it will be out of reach from there without a car Less parking should be a result of a good city environment You can’t force it by taking away parking or move out quickly after realizing what a nightmare it is to get anywhere I agree with the other comments; if there is an excess of office space it may be a good idea to consider adding more apartments to the project It appears that some other BA cities are taking growth and density seriously enough to actually address housing shortages this is a fairly transit friendly location In the interest of minimizing climate change and congestion and improving livability it’d be great to see less car parking and more transit orientation at this exciting development I shop at Trader Joe’s and enjoy Barnes & Nobel Does anyone know which stores will survive Why don’t you just stop building all these ugly apartments Looks like over crowding the city in this area I can just imagine going to my grocery store I’m a YIMBY but as a local this really hurts Hillsdale mall is one of the last remaining unique It’s a “third space” and one of the few hangout spots left in the Hillsdale area All the kids hang out there after school and it’s just a really nice place to be without having to pay to enter I’d like to see the entire thing turn into a downtown shopping area Apartments and offices would ruin the public space that it is turning it into a neighborhood like Bay Meadows would be an act of gentrification Housing could easily be placed in all of the dying stores around it an on El Camino Pretty crazy given the really poor office occupancy Office leases have simply not recovered from Covid and there is no sign of it doing so I agree with other comments that office space is a non-priority There is already too much of it taking up space where homes By the time this gets built world war 3 will be here too many commenters here worry about ‘climate change’ Completely ruining San Mateo with unattractive glass apartment complexes and commercial buildings U.S developers miss the mark time and time again and not prioritizing small daily needed businesses I see projects in this form trying to play catch up For what should have been built up gradually over 60 years is being built over a 5 year period If I was this wealthy family who had site control I would have made a small lot master planned high density walkable neighborhood Where the developer and a board of architects served as the primary planning officials This would involve selling lots and or pre approved plans to smaller developers while building out your own smaller projects on site Architects from all over could be invited to draft and design conceptual plans that could be offered in an idea menu and freely progressed by anyone interested in being involved in the project but producing the smaller more interesting scale we actually want In world where there are infinite examples of amazing neighborhoods like Mexico city and Buenos Aires we are still here doing projects at this wack scale If you’re going to build all this housing and bring more people into the area then at least fix the roads and build more grocery stores so you don’t have to wait in line for an hour to buy food and then try and get home on a weekday Just build a cemetery then your killing the neighborhood and its local people Great so more over priced apartments that people can’t afford More traffic to an already heavily trafficked area Why destroy the majority of the shopping to add in more residential – don’t you need to be able to shop locally if you want to keep people nearby Just saw a news blurb that they “don’t know if TJ’s can stay” at Hillsdale in the plans hardware store should all be included in planning … or people need more cars to go elsewhere to get what they need for daily living ga('send', 'event', ‘Robert ‘Becker, 'Impression', 'https://sfyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/desktop-ad.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'SF YIMBY', 'Impression', 'https://sfyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/sfyimbyadnews.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'SF YIMBY', 'Impression', 'https://sfyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/sf-yimby-dot-com-graphic.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY LLC HILLSDALE — KFC is working on returning to Hillsdale Hillsdale County Commissioner Brad Benzing announced March 11 that the store will be built on the northside of Hillsdale along M-99 where Hillsdale's new Meijer and ALDI's locations have been built "It's still far from a done deal," said Sam Fry Hillsdale City's Economic Development Coordinator Fry added that KFC has submitted a site plan and renderings of its proposed facility to be built near Hawkins Motor Sales near M-99's intersection with Beck Road we're seeing a lot of positive momentum that’s been building on the north side of town,” Fry said “We’re seeing a lot of companies excited about investing in Hillsdale When companies are choosing to invest in a community it’s a vote of confidence in that community It’s something that every Hillsdale resident should be thrilled to see This is something that’s going to help grow the city’s tax base to ensure critical services like police and fire thrive." KFC Corporate Headquarters did not immediately return a call requesting comment on the expansion March 11 Fry said the city's Planning Commission will discuss the site plans in April Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news and high school sports content. Benzing said construction could begin as soon as May with the store opening in the fall Hillsdale previously had a KFC franchise which closed in the 1990s when the property was sold for the development of Walgreens at the intersection of M-99 and Fayette Street — Contact Reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@hillsdale.net or follow him on X Thanks for visiting Victor Davis Hanson will be the commencement speaker for the class of 2025 The provost’s office announced the selection of the historian and political commentator in an email on Feb “I am deeply honored to have been invited to present the 2025 Hillsdale College graduation address,” Hanson said in an email to The Collegian “It marks the high point in a 24-year relationship as a visiting professor with the college one which has enriched my own life immensely and forged some of the closest friendships with Hillsdale faculty and students of my life.” As the Wayne and Marcia Buske Distinguished Fellow in History at Hillsdale College Hanson teaches courses in military history and classical culture each fall semester “Victor is one of the most cited classical scholars a commentator on public affairs of profound influence,” College President Larry Arnn said in an email to The Collegian “He brings depth to everything he thinks and says Popularly known as “VDH,” Hanson is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution a public policy think tank on the campus of Stanford University and is a professor of classics emeritus at California State University “Hillsdale College has a long tradition of inviting speakers who are not only accomplished in their fields but also deeply committed to the principles of liberty Victor Davis Hanson embodies these ideals,” Provost Christopher VanOrman said including “The Case for Trump” and “The Second World Wars.” His latest book is “The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation.” and politics offer invaluable perspectives for our graduating students as they embark on their own journeys,” VanOrman said “We believe his address will be both intellectually stimulating and inspiring challenging our graduates to think critically and engage thoughtfully with the world around them.” Senior Class President Gavin Listro said the class officers’ process to select Hanson as speaker was lengthy and I am excited to hear what he has to share with our class,” Listro said “He knows Hillsdale well and he knows some of us who have had a chance to take a class with him so I expect that he will not disappoint in terms of speaking to the uniqueness of the Hillsdale experience.” Hanson’s journalism appears in The Wall Street Journal He also contributes video commentaries to the Daily Signal “He’s lived a lot of life and done a lot of great work in his time so there’s a lot of wisdom there that everyone attending can walk away with a little bit of,” Listro said Hanson’s extensive experience in the realm of education will benefit commencement attendees and graduates “We come to college to grow in intellect and character into fine people,” Arnn said A state police emergency support team (EST) along with two state police tracking dog units and a sergeant and trooper from the Region of Irish Hills Narcotics Office tracked down Eric Michael Fiddler of Jonesville about 3 hours and 15 minutes after he shot and killed Deputy William Butler Jr during a traffic stop on Beecher Road near Lamb Road in Jefferson Township during the afternoon of June 27 A resident called 911 to alert police to Fiddler's location near Osseo Road and North Street on the north side of Osseo and officers tracked him into a densely wooded area east of Osseo Road South and south of Culbert Road and ordered him to surrender After Fiddler fired one shot from his pistol at the troopers "Under all the facts and circumstances known to troopers on this date they were justified in their use of deadly self-defense," a news release from the attorney general's office said "Law enforcement officers have the same privilege of self-defense as anyone else Shooting a gun in self-defense requires an honest and reasonable belief that an officer is in danger of being killed or seriously injured If that person’s belief was honest and reasonable they can act immediately to defend themselves." It is the policy of the Michigan State Police to send all officer-involved shootings to the attorney general's office for review, the release said. The attorney general's office also released its report of the investigation Tuesday The report identifies the troopers and other personnel involved in the search for Fiddler and provides details about the search in the report that was released to the public There was an outpouring of support for Butler's family and the sheriff's office following his death. Hundreds of law enforcement personnel and other first responders from across the country and Canada, as well as active-duty military personnel and veterans, attended his funeral at Hillsdale College's Christ Chapel and burial at Lakeview Cemetery on July 3 Butler served a total of 12 years with the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office. He also served in the Michigan Army National Guard and was deployed forward during the Global War on Terrorism multiple times including the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003 He returned to the road patrol after his military retirement A sheriff's sergeant had stopped the vehicle Fiddler was in after recognizing its driver a 33-year-old Litchfield man who had outstanding warrants for his arrest When they attempted to take Fiddler into custody Fiddler pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot Butler Deputies immediately placed Butler in their patrol car and took him to Hillsdale Hospital where he died from his injuries Six troopers of the EST and two K9 officers and their dogs were dispatched to track and apprehend Fiddler A state police sergeant and trooper from RIHNO joined in the pursuit After receiving the information from the 911 caller the officers spotted Fiddler heading into wooded land south of Culbert Road and east of Osseo Road South and the search team entered the dense woodland nearby "A K9 indicated Fiddler’s presence in a shed and a trooper thrice issued loud verbal commands for Fiddler to come out with his hands up," the release said the team made entry upon the shed and found it empty." a trooper saw Fiddler laying behind a short degraded concrete foundational wall about 50 feet from the shed and ordered him to show his hands and all six members of the EST returned fire with their rifles for several seconds More: Fallen Deputy Bill Butler to be inducted into Hillsdale County Veterans Hall of Valor but no life-saving measures were attempted as Fiddler was obviously deceased having been shot in the left side of his head His 9 mm pistol remained in his hand following his death and a fired cartridge case from his pistol was found near his body Toxicology tests on Fiddler’s blood showed an extremely high level of methamphetamines all shootings by officers are first assigned to investigators from a different district than where the incident occurred Hillsdale County is in the state police's First District The initial investigation was conducted by the Fifth District Special Investigation Section which then referred to matter the attorney general's office Support local news: For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content. Attorneys at the attorney general's office reviewed state police reports signed statements from troopers who were at the scene video footage from patrol car and body-worn cameras the Jackson County medical examiner’s report the Hillsdale County Dispatch call summary "The legal issue in this case was whether the troopers acted in a legal manner during their interaction with Fiddler when they used deadly force by discharging their weapons," the release said "Law enforcement officers have the lawful authority to use force to protect the public welfare and in self-defense but a careful balance of all human interests is required An officer’s decision about the level of force necessary to control an individual will be based on the officer’s perception of the threat and the subject’s apparent ability to carry out that threat under all of the facts and circumstances presented the Department concluded the MSP troopers acted in self-defense and defense of fellow officers and did not act in a manner that would substantiate criminal charges." — Contact reporter David Panian at dpanian@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian Thanks for visiting I started my career as a broadcaster with Radio Free Europe in Prague My work has taken me literally around the world (The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story) Word that City of Hillsdale elected officials could be getting a salary bump of about 700% raised eyebrows around town the Mayor of Hillsdale makes $3,700 a year the City of Hillsdale Officer's Compensation Board sets salaries for its elected officials Mayor Pro Tem Joshua Paladino says the Board met last week for the first time in about a decade.. Board Chair Russell Richardson says: "When I was asked to sit on this board I was surprised how little the Mayor and the City Council is paid..." Richardson says Council salaries would go from $1400 to $10,000 per year — and that that's well under state averages Richardson explains: "What we're thinking about deliberating on is how do we justly compensate them for that time that they're spending trying to fix the city." But Richardson says he's been listening to the feedback: "If the city isn't ready to do that Nothing has been sent up to Council for their deliberation." Richardson says he will likely call another Board meeting to revisit the decision Paladino told me what he thinks of the idea of raises: and we're charging special assessments for infrastructure and fees and rates for everything are going up…and we have crumbling infrastructure then I don't think it's appropriate for the City Council to take pay raises at that time." Want to see more local news? 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