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Local meeting primer: Three Rivers City Commission

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March 17, 2026

Tuesday’s meeting has a short agenda with two business items. However, many residents are expected to attend and speak during public comment about their experiences during the tornado and the city’s response. Some residents have criticized the city’s response to the storm, including coordination of volunteers and distribution of resources. Mayor Angel Johnston told Watershed Voice during a phone call on Monday, March 9, discussing the city’s tornado response, that she is frustrated with City Manager Joe Bippus. “I think it’s time for a new city manager and I’m not afraid to say it,” Johnston said. “That’s what I will probably be saying repeatedly on Tuesday night.”

Useless Creatures to donate all of today’s sales to tornado relief

By Maxwell Knauer

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Three Rivers

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March 12, 2026

Useless Creatures Brewing Company plans to donate all sales today, Thursday, March 12 to tornado recovery efforts. All of the money will go to The Huss Project who has been organizing volunteers, collecting donations, and providing resources for those in need in the wake of the tornado.

Tiny houses, big impact: Gwendolyn Hooker’s housing vision in Kalamazoo

By Maxwell Knauer

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Kalamazoo

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March 11, 2026

As Helping Other People Exceed (HOPE) continued to grow, one issue kept appearing: many people had jobs and income but still could not find landlords willing to rent to them because of past criminal records. Many were couch surfing, sleeping in cars, or moving from one temporary situation to another. Eventually Founder and CEO Gwendolyn Hooker said, the solution became clear. “If people aren’t going to rent to the population that I serve,” she said, “then I’m just going to build my own houses.”

Sturgis provides storm aid to neighbors, approves arts center entryway project

By Maxwell Knauer

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Sturgis

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March 11, 2026

The City of Sturgis suffered very little damage from the storms. City staff reported during Monday’s meeting that minor damage occurred at the city’s hydroelectric facility, where a unit was knocked offline. “It went right over the dam,” one city staff member said during the meeting. Sturgis’ most significant involvement following the storm came through the aid and resources it provided to neighboring communities.

Three Rivers residents recount moments before and after Friday’s EF-2 tornado

By Maxwell Knauer

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Three Rivers

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March 10, 2026

The storm was among the fiercest to strike Three Rivers in recent memory. Despite the destruction, residents across the city rushed to support one another before, during, and after.

‘We heard our neighbors needed help’: Local electricians union aids cleanup effort following Three Rivers tornado

By Alek Haak-Frost

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Three Rivers

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March 10, 2026

On Sunday, March 10, around 30 IBEW workers, including representatives of KEI electrical construction and Perkins Electric, gathered in Three Rivers to provide free, professional support to those in need. “We heard our neighbors needed help cleaning up after the storm, so I decided to ask my union brothers and sisters to come lend a hand,” IBEW 131 President Eddie Leboeuf said.

Three Rivers High School students to bring the world of “The Little Mermaid” to life onstage

By Maxwell Knauer

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Culture

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March 6, 2026

About 35 students are involved in the production this year, director Jennifer Miller said, filling roles both onstage and behind the scenes. Some students perform as actors, singers and dancers, while others manage technical elements such as sound, lighting and props. “What I love is how diverse their contributions are,” Miller wrote. “It’s a whole ecosystem of student talent, and everybody has found a place where they belong.”

Michigan voter group turns in 750K signatures for “citizens-only” voting amendment

By Maxwell Knauer

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News

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March 6, 2026

On Wednesday afternoon, Americans for Citizen Voting submitted roughly 750,000 petition signatures — more than 300,000 above the 446,198 valid signatures required, or 10% of the votes cast for governor in the previous election cycle — to place the measure before voters in November 2026. If approved by voters, the amendment would add language to the Michigan Constitution stating that only U.S. citizens may vote in state and local elections, require voters to present photo identification before casting a ballot, and direct state officials to conduct additional verification of voter rolls to remove non-citizens.

Three Rivers City Commission approves $700K airport fuel system project, pauses board appointments

By Maxwell Knauer

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Three Rivers

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March 4, 2026

Commissioners had two board appointments on the agenda originally; however, they removed them before the meeting started due to an inconsistency between state and local laws. “In a recent review of our appointment process, I discovered inconsistencies between state law, charter information published on the city’s website, and certain board bylaws," Mayor Angel Johnston said. "As a result, some past appointments under both current and prior leadership may not fully align with our governing requirements. So [City Attorney] TJ Reed and I spent some time on the phone today and I’m recommending that we temporarily pause new appointments while staff conducts a comprehensive review."

NYT bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt to keynote inaugural literary arts festival in Vicksburg

By Watershed Voice

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Culture

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March 4, 2026

Kimm Mayer, planning committee lead, said establishing the festival is important because “it makes reading and literacy accessible to everybody by introducing people to authors and activities in a fun and relaxed environment.” She added that the festival complements the arts community in Southwest Michigan and could impact literacy in the region while promoting tourism.

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