A new take on the classic American diner is coming to downtown Three Rivers this week. Farrand Hall will open its diner concept on Thursday, February 5, bringing counter service, seasonal cooking and a casual, energetic atmosphere to the historic downtown.
Three Rivers Mayor Angel Johnston cited specific examples of language from the city code that she said was troubling. “Of the prohibited things that you can and cannot do, homosexual and other deviant behaviors. Now that bothers me to my core. I don’t believe that homosexuality is deviant, and I hope that nobody in this room does either,” Johnston said, reading from the ordinance.
Multiple speakers, including members of the advocacy group We the People, urged commissioners to remove the cameras and asked city leaders to state they would not assist federal immigration officers if they came to Kalamazoo. In response, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief David Boysen described how the department uses Flock cameras and outlined what he said are prohibited uses of the technology.
The dispute began last fall, when the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a request that would have consolidated Michigan’s 10 Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs) regions—funded primarily through Medicaid behavioral health dollars—into three “super-regions.” Regional PIHPs later learned that they, as the current providers, were excluded from bidding because they are statutorily restricted to operating within their designated regions. The PIHPs filed a lawsuit, arguing the RFP violated Michigan law and threatened locally administered mental health care that has existed since the 1990s.
For Haak-Frost and Watershed Voice, affordable housing has long been more than a policy topic—it is a core part of the newsroom’s mission-based community journalism. Haak-Frost has written and overseen coverage that explores affordable housing both as a concept and as a lived experience, asking what it truly means, who it serves, and where it falls short.
Commissioners will consider an airport easement acquisition agreement, set dates for the city’s 2027 budget discussion meeting and public hearing, and decide whether to grant a special exception use permit for a proposed massage establishment.
The most contentious item on the agenda was the Burning Ordinance First Reading, a proposed update to the city’s Fire Prevention and Protection chapter that, according to the city manager’s report, has not been revised since 1969.
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.
Residents spoke for nearly three hours during the public hearing portion of agenda, with nearly every speaker voicing opposition to the rezoning.
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.
A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR
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