Kalamazoo Archives

Cass County prosecutors warn of staffing crisis in heated board meeting

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April 14, 2026

“It starts with the chairperson who has made it obvious to me in the last two years that he does not want to find a workable solution,” Assistant Drug Prosecutor Ken Stecker said. Chair Jeremiah Jones immediately interrupted him. “I’m gonna hold you up right there, man, and I’m gonna subtract that from your time and you can have your full three minutes,” Jones said. “But from you right now till anybody else that wants to come up, if you talk to anybody specifically, it’s off limits and I’m gonna end it.” Jones added he would turn off the mics of anyone who uses personal attacks at any of the commissioners. “I’m not gonna be intimidated by you,” Stecker responded before continuing. The back-and-forth highlighted the strain between the prosecutor’s office and some commissioners, tensions that prosecutors said have been building for months.

Celebrating our sixth birthday and Local News Day

By Alek Haak-Frost

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Opinion

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April 8, 2026

Watershed Voice officially launched six years ago on this day in 2020, providing a combined 3,400 stories, columns, podcasts, poems and the like to residents of St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, and Cass Counties over the last 2,191 days. Help us celebrate our birthday with a donation, and sign up for our free newsletter in observance of Local News Day on April 9.

Kalamazoo commission removes $1.25 million federal police grant from agenda, residents cheer

By Maxwell Knauer

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Kalamazoo

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April 7, 2026

“I’d ask that item H3 be removed from tonight’s agenda, given the timing and the need for additional review to ensure the commission has a full understanding of the longer-term implications,” City Manager Malcolm Hankins said. “Removing the item, I believe, is appropriate. It also effectively means non-acceptance of the grant at this time.” Hankins’ comments were met with immediate applause from a packed commission chamber, where many residents had gathered to urge officials to reject the funding. This is the second time the item has been pulled from a commission agenda in recent weeks.

Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative to host “Women in Media” event in Kalamazoo

By Watershed Voice

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Kalamazoo

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April 1, 2026

The Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative (SWMJC) will host “Women in Media: Behind the Headlines” on April 16 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Epic Center in downtown Kalamazoo. The free event, which is open to the public, will feature a panel of local women working in journalism and media. Space is limited, and RSVPs are recommended.

Racist policies shaped a neighborhood. Its lone banking institution helps people overcome

By Aya Miller, Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive

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Kalamazoo

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March 26, 2026

The Northside is one of Kalamazoo’s poorest neighborhoods. It’s also 83% Black. But the neighborhood of 4,500 residents has just one banking institution: Advia Credit Union at 706 N. Westnedge Ave. It’s carrying the load to help Northside residents build financial security.

Portage moves toward data center pause as concerns grow nationwide

By Maxwell Knauer

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Kalamazoo

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March 25, 2026

The Portage City Council on March 24 unanimously voted to move forward with an ordinance that would establish a temporary moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage systems (BESS). The action does not immediately enact the moratorium. Instead, it directs city staff to prepare an amendment to the city code for future council consideration. According to the meeting agenda, the proposed change would amend Chapter 42 of the city code to establish a temporary moratorium on the developments. If adopted at a future meeting, the moratorium would pause new development related to data centers and battery storage systems while the city considers how to regulate them.

Cass County rejects funding requests, likely nixing Lawless Park improvement project

By Maxwell Knauer

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Dowagiac

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March 24, 2026

Commissioner Samuel Barrera, who also serves on the Parks Board, expressed frustration following the vote. “I just want the members of this board to understand what just happened,” he said. “We have $110K invested into this project — now what are we going to do? We’ve successfully killed this project, so that money is on our hands. I don’t know how we’re going to recover those funds. … I’m really not proud of us right now.”

Glen Oaks names more than 335 students to fall 2025 honors lists

By Watershed Voice

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Three Rivers

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March 19, 2026

Watershed Voice would like to congratulate all students who have made the honor roll on their success and we wish you luck in your continued pursuit of excellence — academic or otherwise. Students named to the President’s List earned a 4.0 grade point average. Students named to the Dean’s List earned a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99. Students are listed alphabetically by hometown.

Whitmer appoints new judge to Michigan Court of Appeals serving Southwest Michigan

By Watershed Voice

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Local

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March 19, 2026

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has appointed Andrew Lievense to the Michigan Court of Appeals, First District, a court that hears appeals affecting residents in Kalamazoo and St. Joseph counties. Lievense, of Northville, currently serves as an assistant U.S. attorney. He previously worked as a litigation associate at Honigman LLP in Detroit and clerked for U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn.

Community input reshapes path for Winchell-Howard school safety plan

By Maxwell Knauer

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Kalamazoo

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March 17, 2026

Kalamazoo City Commissioner Chris Praedel said the process reflected strong community engagement. “It’s refreshing to see these outcomes when it happens this way. It does not always turn out this way, and I am grateful that it has — but it only happens this way when everybody is willing to lean in and try something a little bit different,” Praedel said. The project combines improvements along two corridors — Winchell Avenue and Howard Street — under a single MDOT contract, meaning the elements cannot easily be separated for approval.

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