Staff writer reporting live from Philadelphia

Just over a year ago, after graduating from Ohio State, I moved to Kalamazoo to become Watershed Voice’s staff writer. I was nervous, completely unsure of what the future had in store for me. But I knew I wanted to be part of a newsroom doing meaningful, accessible local journalism, and Watershed Voice felt like the perfect fit. 

The one complication was that my partner, Claire, was still living in Columbus. 

A couple months later, though, she decided to join me in Michigan. Despite all my efforts to convince her to do so, I didn’t really expect her to trade Columbus for southwest Michigan — but she did. She chose us. 

When Claire made the move, she was studying for the LSAT, so we knew another big decision was on the horizon. We hoped she’d end up somewhere in the Midwest so I could continue living and working in southwest Michigan, but life had other plans. After many late conversations, we chose Philadelphia. Or, for her, Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. 

Just as she moved for me, I was ready to move for her. 

At first, I thought that meant my time at Watershed Voice was coming to an end. A prospect I dreaded because in just over a year, I’d not only become invested in the communities we cover, but it felt like we had found our footing and had many stories yet to tell. 

After talking with our founder and editor-in-chief, Alek Haak-Frost, we realized neither of us were ready to call it quits. After several more conversations — this time without the romance, sorry Alek — we worked through the details and decided to keep building Watershed Voice together. 

The reality is that much of modern reporting already happens from wherever your laptop is. Interviews happen over the phone or Zoom, government meetings are — sometimes — streamed online, and public records are requested electronically. 

When a story requires someone on the ground, Watershed Voice will still be there. We’re still based in Three Rivers. Alek and our office manager, Steph Hightree, remain there, and our board members are spread throughout southwest Michigan. We’ll continue showing up where it matters and telling the stories when they happen. 

For many of the communities Watershed Voice serves, we’re one of the only organizations consistently covering local government, schools, and community issues. That responsibility isn’t something we take lightly, and it’s one of the biggest reasons I wanted to continue in this role. These stories must be told, and our readers deserve consistent, fact-based journalism. 

None of this works without trust. I’m grateful for the confidence Alek, our board, and our staff have placed in me, and I want our readers to know my commitment hasn’t changed. I’ll continue covering St. Joseph, Cass, and Kalamazoo counties with the same curiosity, vigor, and accountability that I’ve brought to every story so far. 

Philadelphia is where I’m living. Southwest Michigan is still the community I’m covering. Those are two different things. 

Thank you for trusting Watershed Voice over the past year. I look forward to continuing to earn that trust by telling the stories that matter in Three Rivers and throughout southwest Michigan. 

As always, feel free to reach out with any tips, questions, or just a simple hello to maxwell@watershedvoice.com.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.