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Voters reject Sturgis Public Schools $98.4 million bond proposal

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Sturgis
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May 6, 2026

Voters rejected the $98.475 million proposal with 54% voting no (1,501 votes) and 46% voting yes (1,277 votes). A total of 2,778 votes were cast on the proposal.  Superintendent Arthur Ebert says the district will now need to reevaluate how — or whether — many of the projects it had planned to pursue will move forward.  “All of the projects contained within the bond proposal will either need to find an alternative funding source, be reduced in scope with an alternative funding source, or not be completed."

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Disaster support hotline available for those recovering from March tornadoes
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Dowagiac
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May 6, 2026

Through a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant administered by Cass County, the three-county region including Cass, Branch, and St. Joseph counties, has partnered with After the Storm to provide long-term disaster recovery support. The program will deliver comprehensive, client-centered disaster case management services to individuals and families recovering from the storm.

Local meeting primer: Three Rivers City Commission
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Three Rivers
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May 5, 2026

The Three Rivers City Commission will meet Tuesday, May 5 at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 333 W. Michigan Ave. Commissioners are set to consider more than $1 million in road work, a roughly $28,500 motor pool funding request, and hold a public hearing on proposed changes to the city’s massage licensing ordinance. Watershed Voice livestreams all Three Rivers City Commission meetings on its Facebook page and uploads them to YouTube after.

Three Rivers gives tentative support to second farmers market, pending next steps
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Three Rivers
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April 22, 2026

DDA board members spoke during the meeting, admitting they were underprepared and moved too quickly, putting the city in a position to deny the request. However, they said they plan to develop a more thorough plan to present to city staff. “I do think that we did get a little ahead of ourselves,” DDA board member Jason Ballew said, explaining that the DDA will come back with a full work plan outlining how the market would function. Ballew also asked the commission not to make any formal decisions Tuesday night.

Local meeting primer: Three Rivers City Commission
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Three Rivers
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April 21, 2026

The Three Rivers City Commission will meet Tuesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. in City Hall for a regular business meeting. Commissioners will have the opportunity to give input on a proposed second farmers market in Three Rivers that city staff rejected, consider amendments to city code removing inflammatory language characterizing massage therapists as sex workers and labeling homosexual behavior as “deviant,” and review a series of budget amendments reflecting differences between projected and actual revenues and expenditures. Watershed Voice livestreams all Three Rivers City Commission meetings on its Facebook page and uploads them to YouTube after.

Debate grows over second farmers market proposal in Three Rivers
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Three Rivers
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April 17, 2026

What began as a request to use park space has since developed into a broader public debate over downtown priorities, city process, and whether Three Rivers can support two farmers markets at once. Three Rivers has an established weekly market operated by the Huss Project. Supporters of the proposed Scidmore Park market say a second event could create more activity downtown, and offer families another community gathering space. Critics, including some existing vendors, say the city may not have enough customers or vendors to sustain both long term.

‘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.”

After halting park project, Cass commissioners to reconsider key funding vote
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Dowagiac
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April 9, 2026

During their March 19 meeting, commissioners split 4-4 on two funding requests tied to the project, effectively halting it despite more than $100,000 already spent on design and preparation by the county.  Commissioners are now scheduled to vote again on a proposal to allocate $249,192 from the Bombardie bequest to help close the project’s funding gap.

Three Rivers Commission approves nearly $3 million in road and infrastructure projects
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Three Rivers
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April 8, 2026

The most contentious agenda item Tuesday was the Department of Public Services parking lot replacement project, where Commissioner Lucas Allen sharply questioned the city’s decision not to select the lowest bidder. The exchange underscored broader tensions over cost, contractor selection, and the quality of infrastructure work across the city. During discussion, Director of Public Services Amy Roth said the city plans to present a six-year road repair plan as part of the FY 2027 budget process, with initial discussion scheduled for May 12.

Local meeting primer: Three Rivers City Commission
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Three Rivers
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April 7, 2026

The Three Rivers City Commission will meet Tuesday, April 7, at 6 p.m. at City Hall for its regular business meeting. Commissioners will consider several new business items, including scheduling meeting dates for FY 2027 budget discussions and a public hearing, approving tornado response invoices to local contractors, and considering nearly $3 million in infrastructure projects throughout the city. The meeting will be livestreamed on Watershed Voice’s Facebook page and uploaded to YouTube afterward.

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