Cass County town hall to discuss data centers and local impact
SaveCassCounty is hosting a town hall in Cassopolis Sunday to discuss concerns around data centers, Fibrosan, and solar farms across Cass County. The organization has invited the public and elected officials to attend the second of two town halls organized by the group.
The town hall will be held on Sunday, September 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Ross Beatty High School Auditorium, 22721 Diamond Cove Street, Cassopolis, Michigan.
SaveCassCounty is hosting a town hall in Cassopolis Sunday to discuss concerns around data centers, Fibrosan, and solar farms across Cass County. The organization has invited the public and elected officials to attend the second of two town halls organized by the group.
The purpose of the meeting is to offer residents an opportunity to learn more about data centers and related developments in their neighborhoods and beyond. There will be a brief informational presentation before a lengthy Q&A session during which attendees are encouraged to express their concerns and seek answers to their questions.
“I saw what happens when townships and counties don’t work together,” Sherie Dooly-Jones from SaveCassCounty told Watershed Voice. “The local government setup that we have in Michigan is fantastic for developers and for big business. It’s not great for the people who live here because these companies come in and do a divide and conquer situation.”
SaveCassCounty is a local nonprofit organization that seeks to protect water, air, health, and property values to “stand united against irresponsible economic development.”
The town hall will be held on Sunday, September 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Ross Beatty High School Auditorium, 22721 Diamond Cove St., Cassopolis, Michigan.
Dooly-Jones says 152 people came to the first town hall including a few local officials. She hopes more representatives come the second time around.
“This is an information gathering session. [Elected officials] need to hear what concerns the public because they really don’t listen,” Dooly-Jones said. “That’s what we’re finding. We split all of the township and village meetings up between us all and attend them, and the commissioners and planning commission, they’re just not listening.”
Dooly-Jones says elected officials are missing the bigger picture.
“They’re all concentrating on individual little things. They’re not looking at a big picture, and that’s our biggest danger: is that none of the officials that are in place understand the game that big tech is playing.”
Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
Author
Related Articles
Cass County interim prosecutor sworn-in through 2028
Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman appointed Sarah Scoggin to the position on an interim basis on May 28 following the resignation of former Prosecutor Victor Fitz.
Scoggin has now agreed to serve through the end of the term, which ends in 2028, and may choose to seek election to a subsequent term.
Cass Swim builds water safety skills as community works to secure program future
Cass Swim began with Diamond Lake residents Jeanne Jourdan and her late husband, Tom Swartz, who believed local children should have access to swimming and water-safety instruction. Working with the YMCA and other community partners, their idea grew into a program that has become a longstanding tradition for Cassopolis students.
Jourdan remains a passionate advocate for Cass Swim, hosting several days of instruction each year in her own backyard pool. Close friends Tom and Jill Vihtelic joined the effort six years ago and have since become community leaders for the program, helping spearhead fundraising and volunteer efforts alongside Jourdan.
Dowagiac City Council selects Ward 1 replacement
After two split votes, Mayor Patrick Bakeman voted for David Fair as the successor to former Councilmember Tharan Suvarna, who resigned during their last meeting after accepting a job near his parents outside of Dowagiac.
Fair will serve the remainder of Suvarna’s four-year term. Suvarna was elected in November 2025.
