Home

As winter continues and temperatures stay unbearably cold, Watershed Voice has compiled a list of warming centers in St. Joseph and Cass counties. If you know of any additional resources, please share them with maxwell@watershedvoice.com so they can be added to this list.

Keep Your Voice Down hosts Alek Haak-Frost and Doug Sears Jr. are joined by frequent collaborator and friend Layne Deuel to talk about distractions that helped them endure the past year. The trio discuss the benefits of going to the movies alone, why Sinners was easily the best film they saw all year, books that made them laugh (shout out to Princess Donut and Dungeon Crawler Carl), and the video games Layne plays in the wee hours of the morning because parenting is a full-time job.

Residents spoke for nearly three hours during the public hearing portion of agenda, with nearly every speaker voicing opposition to the rezoning.

Layne Deuel of Lockport Township writes, “I humbly ask that all of us stand up to ICE and demand immediate, tangible change to this armed force. By speaking out, it does not make you less conservative or more liberal, it makes you truly American. The rebellious spirit to stand up to the wolf at the door is something that has been instilled in all of us. We cannot let that fire burn out now. We must stand together and push for change immediately. As Americans, we cannot fail the spirit of Americans before us or those who come after us.”

A first reading of proposed updates to the city’s burning ordinance is also on the agenda. The ordinance, which falls under Fire Prevention and Protection in the city code, has not been comprehensively revised since 1969, according to the city manager’s report.

We are officially taking our annual three-week publishing pause to give our staff some much needed rest, and an opportunity to reset before hitting the ground running in 2026. We will return on Monday, January 26.