Public Services Director Barry Cox presented an opportunity for the city to pursue federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding administered through the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund. Cox said the funding could “turbocharge” Sturgis’ lead service line replacement program ahead of the state’s 2037 deadline.
Launched in winter 2024 and open to all nursing students, the club aims to instill a strong sense of civic responsibility while offering opportunities to develop leadership and teamwork skills. This fall, 36 students participated, with 25 meeting the eight-hour-per-semester service requirement.
According to district materials, the proposal would fund improvements at multiple schools buildings, including Sturgis High School, elementary schools, the middle school, and support facilities. Projects include roof replacements, restroom renovations, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility upgrades, secure entry vestibules, boiler replacements, classroom and library renovations, and site improvements such as sidewalks, parking and drainage. The proposal also includes athletic and extracurricular upgrades, such as new synthetic turf for football, baseball, and softball fields; a new running track and field event areas; updated stadium lighting and seating, and expanded athletic restroom facilities.
The Sturgis City Commission will meet this Wednesday, February 11, at 6 p.m. at Sturgis City Hall. Commissioners will revisit two proposed ordinance changes from their last meeting—burning regulations and promotional display rules—and consider several new business items, including a Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund (DWSRF) project plan related to lead service line replacement, hiring a construction manager for the Sturgis Electric Center project, and the decertification of a portion of S. Park Street.
Panelists included journalists who regularly cover housing and community issues — Watershed Voice editor-in-chief and founder Alek Haak-Frost, Brad Devereaux of MLive, Jordyn Hermani of Bridge Michigan, and freelance journalist Al Jones, project editor for On the Ground Kalamazoo — as well as housing advocates Gwendolyn Hooker of Kalamazoo-based Hope Through Navigation, Shanay Settles of the Calhoun County Health Department, and Patsy Moore of Mount Zion Baptist Church and Legacy Senior Living.
The dispute began last fall, when the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a request that would have consolidated Michigan’s 10 Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs) regions—funded primarily through Medicaid behavioral health dollars—into three “super-regions.” Regional PIHPs later learned that they, as the current providers, were excluded from bidding because they are statutorily restricted to operating within their designated regions. The PIHPs filed a lawsuit, arguing the RFP violated Michigan law and threatened locally administered mental health care that has existed since the 1990s.
The most contentious item on the agenda was the Burning Ordinance First Reading, a proposed update to the city’s Fire Prevention and Protection chapter that, according to the city manager’s report, has not been revised since 1969.
As winter continues and temperatures stay unbearably cold, Watershed Voice has compiled a list of warming centers in St. Joseph and Cass counties. If you know of any additional resources, please share them with maxwell@watershedvoice.com so they can be added to this list.
A first reading of proposed updates to the city’s burning ordinance is also on the agenda. The ordinance, which falls under Fire Prevention and Protection in the city code, has not been comprehensively revised since 1969, according to the city manager’s report.
Before our three-week publishing pause, Watershed Voice invites our readers to take a look back at the past year in local news. For Watershed Voice, it was a year marked by change, as we transitioned from one staff writer — Najifa Farhat for the first half of the year — to another, Maxwell Knauer, for the second half of the year. No matter the author of our stories, we aimed to bring prompt, fact-based, independent reporting to Southwest Michigan. Here’s a look at some of our favorite, most impactful, and most-read stories of 2025.
A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR
Become a monthly donor today
A monthly donation of $5 or more can make a difference.
