An unknown person or persons spray painted “White Lives Matter” and “Keep America Great” at the intersection of 8th Street and W Avenue sometime before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22nd in Prairie Ronde Township, Schoolcraft. By 8 p.m. however, a group of nearly 40 people had chalked over the graffiti, writing “Hate has no home here,” “Let Black people live,” “SHS supports BLM,” and other phrases.

Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman heard arguments Wednesday on the admissibility of evidence during a motion hearing for Wade Allen of Sturgis, who is accused of the murder and dismemberment of Kelly-Jien Warner-Miller and has been in custody since last year. The hearing was ultimately continued to allow Stutesman to review materials and transcripts pertaining to the case before issuing a decision.

“What kind of a town is Three Rivers? If you are from here, and you’re seated next to a stranger on a plane, how do you describe this place? You can, of course, talk about its size and its location: ‘oh, it’s a little town in farm country about 35 minutes south of Kalamazoo.’ But what about its character? What things make it alike with, or set it apart from, other places? Where does it fit into the catalog of typical small towns across the United States? What would you say defines the essence of Three Rivers and makes it what it is?”

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues with an uptick in cases in St. Joseph County and elsewhere in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer continues to issue orders that modify or add to existing orders regarding mask use. In light of the tighter rules, Watershed Voice spoke with some local law enforcement officials to find out how they are treating mask usage around Three Rivers and St. Joseph County.

A group of constituents of the St. Joseph County Commission, including several elected officials, along with three Branch County residents, submitted a letter to the commission Monday morning. The letter, whose 26 signatories include 59th District State Representative Aaron Miller and several township officials, asks the commission to call for County Prosecutor John McDonough’s resignation.

In Episode 8 of Keep Your Voice Down, Doug and Alek interview Larry Walton, a Republican candidate for the Michigan State House of Representatives and the 59th District. Walton is one of five candidates vying for the seat in the Republican primary on Tuesday, Aug. 4, while Democratic candidate Amy East is running unopposed.

The St. Joseph County Commission’s Executive Committee heard several proposals for review, as well as some project updates, at a meeting held Wednesday morning. County Administrator Teresa Doehring introduced a recommendation to sell a building to Covered Bridge Healthcare of St. Joseph County, which is based in Centreville. Covered Bridge currently occupies the building but leases it from the county.