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Kalamazoo

Here’s where to celebrate Juneteenth in Kalamazoo and Three Rivers this week

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Culture
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June 18, 2026

Communities across Southwest Michigan will mark Juneteenth this week with celebrations centered on history, culture, music and community gatherings honoring one of the nation’s most significant milestones in the fight for freedom. In Three Rivers, a community Juneteenth celebration is scheduled for Friday, June 19 at 6 p.m. at the new downtown amphitheater. Longtime Watershed Voice collaborator and supporter Debbie Allen will perform and serve as MC for the event.

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Local theater celebrating Pride Month with anniversary screening of Moonlight
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Culture
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June 10, 2026

On the film's 10th anniversary, organizers hope audiences recognize its significance. Monoform member Gabe Ybarra described the film not only as an important work of queer cinema, but as a film that belongs within the broader canon of American cinema. “Now more than ever it’s important that theaters of all kinds continue to screen films like Moonlight because representation does matter. It matters on the surface level that queer and non-white people deserve a space in the industry, but on a deeper level we need these kinds of movies because they build empathy. In the same way that watching international cinema can broaden your understanding of the world and introduce you to a culture or entirely different way that people exist, movies like Moonlight can open your eyes to how different existence can be even for the people standing right next to you.”

Southwest Michigan Pride events return throughout June and July
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Culture
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May 27, 2026

As Pride Month approaches, communities across Southwest Michigan continue to offer spaces for celebration, visibility, and connection for LGBTQIA+ residents and allies alike.

Kalamazoo approves Portage Street road redesign, advances rail relocation planning
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News
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May 13, 2026

The Kalamazoo City Commission approved a $1.04 million agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation Monday to move forward with a Portage Street redesign. The project will reduce the road from four lanes to three, and add bike lanes between Cork Street and Stockbridge Avenue. The project, approved on a 6-1 vote with Vice Mayor Drew Duncan dissenting, is funded with $750,000 in federal grant money and $289,402 from the city’s Major Streets Capital Budget. City officials say the redesign is intended to improve safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians along one of Kalamazoo’s busiest corridors.

May 5 Election results: Voters weigh in on school bonds, a trash ordinance, and commissioner terms
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Local
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May 6, 2026

Kalamazoo County voters considered several school funding proposals, along with the high-profile Portage single-hauler trash ordinance proposal, which generated significant public debate ahead of Election Day. The proposal would require waste haulers to register and publish fee schedules while prohibiting the city from creating an exclusive single-hauler trash contract. The measure failed with 44.73% of the vote in favor (5,381 votes) and 55.27% opposed (6,649 votes).

Find your polling place: Southwest Michigan Election Day guide
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News
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May 5, 2026

It’s Election Day! Watershed Voice has compiled key information you might need — from polling locations to hours and what’s on your ballot.  Voters can still register on Election Day at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency. They can register and vote in person there until 8 p.m. Acceptable documents include a driver’s license, utility bill or bank statement showing a current address.  Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across Michigan.

Making a mess on purpose: Anna Barnhart’s path to art
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Culture
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April 30, 2026

One of Anna Barnhart’s guiding principles as an artist is to try new things, no matter how ridiculous they might seem. She uses nontraditional tools like Saran Wrap, bubble wrap, spatulas, and even frosting to create textures impossible with a traditional artist’s toolkit. “I’m looking at shapes in general and thinking of new ways of making marks,” Barnhart said. “It’s more about what the subject demands. Bubble wrap is probably really good for dotty things like pebbles or flowers. I look at the general shape, make the mark first, play around with that, and then figure out what might work later.”

Flock cameras dominate Kalamazoo public comment as commission approves housing items
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Kalamazoo
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April 21, 2026

Supporters described the cameras as a public safety tool that can help solve crimes and locate suspects. Opponents argued the system raises civil liberties concerns, and could contribute to broader surveillance networks with limited public oversight. Roughly 15 residents spoke in favor of continuing the program, while about 10 residents spoke against it. While public attention centered on Flock cameras, the commission also approved several agenda items involving housing, infrastructure, and economic development.

Women in media panel in Kalamazoo explores progress, persistent challenges in journalism
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Kalamazoo
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April 17, 2026

Hosted by the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative, the event — “Women in Media: Behind the Headlines” — featured professionals from print, radio, nonprofit and academic media backgrounds who reflected on both the progress women have made in the industry and the barriers that remain. The panel included Sue Ellen Christian, professor at Western Michigan University’s School of Communication and former Chicago Tribune reporter; Sehvilla Mann, news director at WMUK Public Radio; Kristie May, managing editor at NowKalamazoo; Aya Miller, reporter at MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette; and Theresa Coty O’Neil, managing editor at Second Wave Media. The discussion was moderated by Marie Lee, editor and publisher of Encore Magazine.

‘If kids aren’t here, how can they learn?” Rural Southwest Michigan battles to bring back absent students
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Local
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April 15, 2026

Some high schoolers miss school because they have been “parentified,” kept home to look after younger siblings while a parent works. Others hold down jobs to help support the family. Others “just don’t want to be here,” Bangor High School Principal Tammy Wilson says. School attendance secretary Hailey Marbut grew up in the area, where school takes a back seat for many teens in families barely scraping by. “They aren’t looking to the future and thinking of, ‘What could I do, where could I go, who could I be?’” she says. “They’re just trying to survive.”

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