Council member Hedges died this morning

Portland City Council member Mark Hedges died this morning.

Hedges, 48, had been recently diagnosed with brain cancer. Jay Emergency Medical Service was called to his home this morning, and he was later pronounced dead at Jay County Hospital.

Survivors include his wife, Judy, and children, Candler and Lilly.

A 1986 graduate of Jay County High School, Hedges earned a degree from Ball State University in 1990. He worked in quality assurance at Accelerated Curing in Portland, and had previously worked as a quality engineer at Stoneridge Electronics in Portland.

He was in the midst of his second term on city council. He originally won a seat in 2011 when he defeated Republican Ralph L. Claytor Jr., and then ran uncontested in 2015.

Hedges attended Trinity United Methodist Church, and was a member of Jay County Historical Society, Jay County Landlord Association and American Society for Quality.

Arrangements for visitation and services are pending at Williams Spencer Funeral Home in Portland.