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Cass County prosecutor resigns as board tensions continue over pay dispute
The resignation comes less than a week after a contentious May 7 Cass County Board of Commissioners meeting, where prosecutors warned commissioners that more attorneys could leave if the county did not provide additional support to retain staff.
Watershed Voice has previously reported on the growing dispute between the prosecutor’s office and county commissioners over attorney retention, compensation, and the county’s recently implemented classification and compensation study.
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Watershed Voice is an independent, nonprofit civic news magazine based in Three Rivers, Michigan. We seek to highlight solutions to your pressing concerns in an effort to make our community a better place.
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Local meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission
Sturgis city commissioners will meet Wednesday for their first regular meeting since a contentious April 22 session in which Vice Mayor Jeff Mullins publicly asked Mayor Frank Perez to resign, two efforts to formally discipline Perez failed on tied votes, City Manager Andrew Kuk announced his resignation, and Commissioner Linda Harrington announced she was stepping down from the commission.
Glen Oaks celebrates student excellence at annual award ceremony
The awards recognize students nominated by faculty, student organizations, and college leaders for their commitment to learning, service to others, and contributions to the Glen Oaks campus community. Honorees represented a wide range of academic pathways, including nursing, allied health, agriculture, computer science and technology, welding, business, communications, art, chemistry, English, criminal justice, and more.
Three Rivers commission debates housing board appointment tied to ongoing litigation
The dispute began during board appointments listed near the end of the meeting agenda. Commissioner Torrey Brown questioned why Anthony Mayer — whose previous term on the housing board had expired — was not included among the recommended appointments. Brown later moved to appoint Mayer to a new term, arguing the board benefited from members with experience and institutional knowledge.
Mayor Angel Johnston said the city had moved away from automatically reappointing board members in an effort to bring in new members and perspectives.
Early in discussion of the motion, City Manager Joe Bippus said Mayer had ongoing legal disputes and multiple civil infractions involving Lockport Township as another reason why his reappointment got “pulled,” though he also stated the issues did not legally disqualify Mayer from serving on the board.
Aundrea Sayrie: Introducing Good Grief. Creating space for awareness, honesty, and repurposing pain
Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie is introducing a new series exploring how loss lives in everyday lives, and its impact on mental health. This month she will examine the “mother wound,” and how a month she once looked forward to feels different, forcing her to “confront the distance” between who she is and who she wants to be.
Construction begins on South Front Street streetscape project in Dowagiac
The project received support through a $668,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Revitalization and Placemaking 2.0 program, along with matching local funds from the city. City officials said Market One assisted with the grant application process.
Assistant City Manager Amanda Sleigh said the funding strategy allowed the city to combine infrastructure improvements with downtown-style streetscape work.
May 5 Election results: Voters weigh in on school bonds, a trash ordinance, and commissioner terms
Kalamazoo County voters considered several school funding proposals, along with the high-profile Portage single-hauler trash ordinance proposal, which generated significant public debate ahead of Election Day.
The proposal would require waste haulers to register and publish fee schedules while prohibiting the city from creating an exclusive single-hauler trash contract. The measure failed with 44.73% of the vote in favor (5,381 votes) and 55.27% opposed (6,649 votes).
