Author

Maxwell Knauer

Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Maxwell Knauer attended Ohio State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in philosophy and political science.

He previously worked for Ohio State’s student newspaper, The Lantern, and interned with the Columbus lifestyle magazine CityScene before relocating to Kalamazoo.

Knauer, 23, enjoys watching movies, reading books, and playing basketball. Some of his favorites include RoboCop, My Dinner with Andre, and Ludwig Wittgenstein.

Maxwell's Latest Articles

Early voting begins July 25; Watershed Voice candidate questionnaire update

By Maxwell Knauer

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Elections

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July 24, 2026

Early voting begins Saturday, July 25, and continues through Sunday, August 2. Hours may vary depending on your municipality and voting location, so check with your county clerk before finalizing your plans. In St. Joseph County, voters may cast an early ballot at the St. Joseph County Training Center, 602 E. Main St., Centreville. On weekdays during the early voting timeframe, the center will be open to voters from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on weekends, the center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Any eligible St. Joseph County voters will be able to vote at this location during those times, regardless of where they live in the county.

Three Rivers commission permanently relaxes residency requirements for housing board

By Maxwell Knauer

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Sturgis

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July 23, 2026

If the amendment had failed, the Three Rivers Housing Development Corporation board would once again be subject to the original residency requirements, making several current members ineligible to continue serving. According to the proposed bylaw language, most current board members live outside the city. Mayor Angel Johnston began her portion of commissioners comments by going through each commissioner's comments sharing her thoughts on them. Johnston then moved to questioning City Clerk Leslie Wilson about whether the housing board's IRS Form 990 filings were up to date and why her FOIA asking for that information was delayed if the documents “should be available online.” Soon after Johnston began this questioning, Commissioner Pat Dane interrupted and “called the question,” a parliamentary motion to end debate and proceed to a vote. After the meeting, Mayor Johnston went live on her YouTube channel in a video titled, ‘Your mayor was silenced. Here’s what she wasn’t allowed to say.’ In the video, Johnston criticized the vote and argued the amended bylaws would allow nonresidents to oversee decisions involving taxpayer-funded housing projects.

After months of turmoil, Andrew Kuk says goodbye to Sturgis City Commission

By Maxwell Knauer

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News

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July 23, 2026

Vice Mayor Jeff Mullins and Commissioner Aaron Miller have argued Kuk's resignation is directly tied to an environment created by Mayor Frank Perez and several other commissioners. Perez has denied wrongdoing, and specific allegations have not been publicly disclosed because commissioners and the city attorney have said they stem from confidential closed-session discussions. Several commissioners used their closing comments Wednesday to thank Kuk for his service. Miller said Kuk deserved to retire from the position rather than leave under the current circumstances. "There really are no adequate words," Miller said. "I've always appreciated just how high your character is and just how good of a job you do and how thorough you are and how knowledgeable you are. "This has not been your city your entire life, but you have given to it as if it was."

Local meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission

By Maxwell Knauer

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Sturgis

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July 21, 2026

The Sturgis City Commission will meet tonight, Wednesday, July 22 at 6 p.m. for a regular business meeting at City Hall. Commissioners will set a budget discussion public hearing, consider allowing the Sturgis Historical Society (SHS) to host cemetery tours, and consider a property transfer and an AEP pole line purchase. Wednesday will also be City Manager Andrew Kuk's final city commission meeting as his resignation goes into effect July 24.

Michigan Nurses Association sues Sturgis Hospital over closure notice

By Maxwell Knauer

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Sturgis

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July 16, 2026

The Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) has filed a federal lawsuit against the recently closed Sturgis Hospital, alleging the hospital violated the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act by failing to provide the required advance notice before laying off employees. The law generally requires employers to provide 60 days’ advance notice of certain plant closings and mass layoffs to affected employees or their union representative. In a statement shared with Watershed Voice, MNA said nurses only received 72 hours’ notice, violating the federal 60-day requirement.

Watershed Voice sends out candidate questionnaires for August primary election

By Maxwell Knauer

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News

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July 16, 2026

This Thursday, July 16, Watershed Voice sent out candidate questionnaires to candidates in the following August primary elections: State Senate District 17, State House District 36, and Three Rivers City Commission 2nd District. Candidates in those elections will have exactly one week, until Thursday, July 23 to complete the questionnaires. Once completed, Watershed Voice will publish the responses in the order they are received the week before the August 4 election.

EPA proposal could reduce public input on some data center permits as Dowagiac debate continues

By Maxwell Knauer

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Dowagiac

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July 15, 2026

According to reporting by NBC news, the EPA has proposed eliminating a federal requirement that states provide a 30-day public comment period before issuing certain air permits for facilities the agency classifies as “minor sources” of pollution. Instead of it being federal law, states would individually decide whether public comment is offered. The proposal comes as the Trump administration has pushed to accelerate artificial intelligence infrastructure across the country.

Hyperscale CEO breaks silence at contentious Dowagiac city council meeting

By Maxwell Knauer

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Dowagiac

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July 14, 2026

“You are not investors, you are invaders,” resident Garrett Maverick began, addressing Hyperscale. He then turned to the city council, “Your scolding, your distance, and your lack of transparency on this issue is embarrassing and disqualifying.” The final public comment of the night left a clear message from residents as Peter Gibbons shared his thoughts on the Hyperscale buyout offers. “If somebody’s got their boot on your head, when they lift their boot off your head, they’re not a hero,” he said.

Congress passes major housing bill as Southwest Michigan faces affordability challenges

By Maxwell Knauer

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News

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July 14, 2026

For communities across Southwest Michigan, the bill could eventually affect how local housing projects move forward. In areas like Kalamazoo County, where housing development has increasingly become part of conversations around population growth and affordability, faster development approvals and expanded federal funding could create more opportunities for new construction. In smaller communities throughout St. Joseph and Cass counties, where older housing stock and limited inventory often create challenges for both renters and buyers, easier access to smaller mortgages and expanded manufactured housing options could provide additional paths to homeownership. Housing experts caution, however, that the bill is not expected to produce immediate results.

Sturgis approves Doug Terry as interim city manager

By Maxwell Knauer

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Sturgis

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July 9, 2026

Commissioners unanimously approved Doug Terry’s agreement and he will start work on July 20. Once Terry begins, he will have a week of overlap with current City Manager Andrew Kuk. Despite the unanimous approval, Commissioner Jeff Mullins said he remains disappointed in the fact that they were there in the first place and said the city was spending over $300K on a process that shouldn't be happening. Mullins included the $170K to be paid to Terry, the full year salary that will be paid to Kuk as part of his separation agreement, and the costs to pay an outside firm to help the commission find a new manager. “Those are just the tangible numbers that are in front of us. We shouldn’t be here in this spot and it disappoints me that we are because Andrew is very much capable of doing his job,” Mullins said. “I’m very sad that we're in the position that we are in that made him make the decision to walk away.”