In the Three Rivers City Commission Second District primary, Josh Hoeppner received the most votes, receiving 43.29% of the vote (410 votes). Incumbent Steven Haigh finished second, with 33.79% of the vote (320 votes). The two advance to November's general election, where they will face-off head-to-head.
Primary Election Day has arrived in Michigan with voters across St. Joseph, Cass, and Kalamazoo counties heading to the polls Tuesday to choose party nominees for statewide office, narrow down local races ahead of the November general election, and for some, decide on millages. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any voter in line by 8 p.m. is entitled to cast a ballot.
For those planning to vote early this weekend or head to the polls Tuesday, Watershed Voice has assembled this final election guide. Below you’ll find links to every candidate questionnaire we published, summaries of the local races we covered, an overview of the major statewide contests, information on local ballot proposals, and everything you need to know before casting your ballot.
The city decided not to renew its Flock contract because of budget constraints for the 2027 fiscal year. During the program’s first three years, community partnerships with local businesses funded the cameras. The cameras were initially installed in phases in 2023. The cameras will be removed by a contractor as their schedule permits, Sturgis Department of Public Safety Director Ryan Banaszak said in an email.
Early voting begins Saturday, July 25, and continues through Sunday, August 2. Hours may vary depending on your municipality and voting location, so check with your county clerk before finalizing your plans. In St. Joseph County, voters may cast an early ballot at the St. Joseph County Training Center, 602 E. Main St., Centreville. On weekdays during the early voting timeframe, the center will be open to voters from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on weekends, the center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Any eligible St. Joseph County voters will be able to vote at this location during those times, regardless of where they live in the county.
If the amendment had failed, the Three Rivers Housing Development Corporation board would once again be subject to the original residency requirements, making several current members ineligible to continue serving. According to the proposed bylaw language, most current board members live outside the city. Mayor Angel Johnston began her portion of commissioners comments by going through each commissioner's comments sharing her thoughts on them. Johnston then moved to questioning City Clerk Leslie Wilson about whether the housing board's IRS Form 990 filings were up to date and why her FOIA asking for that information was delayed if the documents “should be available online.” Soon after Johnston began this questioning, Commissioner Pat Dane interrupted and “called the question,” a parliamentary motion to end debate and proceed to a vote. After the meeting, Mayor Johnston went live on her YouTube channel in a video titled, ‘Your mayor was silenced. Here’s what she wasn’t allowed to say.’ In the video, Johnston criticized the vote and argued the amended bylaws would allow nonresidents to oversee decisions involving taxpayer-funded housing projects.
Vice Mayor Jeff Mullins and Commissioner Aaron Miller have argued Kuk's resignation is directly tied to an environment created by Mayor Frank Perez and several other commissioners. Perez has denied wrongdoing, and specific allegations have not been publicly disclosed because commissioners and the city attorney have said they stem from confidential closed-session discussions. Several commissioners used their closing comments Wednesday to thank Kuk for his service. Miller said Kuk deserved to retire from the position rather than leave under the current circumstances. "There really are no adequate words," Miller said. "I've always appreciated just how high your character is and just how good of a job you do and how thorough you are and how knowledgeable you are. "This has not been your city your entire life, but you have given to it as if it was."
The Sturgis City Commission will meet tonight, Wednesday, July 22 at 6 p.m. for a regular business meeting at City Hall. Commissioners will set a budget discussion public hearing, consider allowing the Sturgis Historical Society (SHS) to host cemetery tours, and consider a property transfer and an AEP pole line purchase. Wednesday will also be City Manager Andrew Kuk's final city commission meeting as his resignation goes into effect July 24.
The Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) has filed a federal lawsuit against the recently closed Sturgis Hospital, alleging the hospital violated the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act by failing to provide the required advance notice before laying off employees. The law generally requires employers to provide 60 days’ advance notice of certain plant closings and mass layoffs to affected employees or their union representative. In a statement shared with Watershed Voice, MNA said nurses only received 72 hours’ notice, violating the federal 60-day requirement.
This Thursday, July 16, Watershed Voice sent out candidate questionnaires to candidates in the following August primary elections: State Senate District 17, State House District 36, and Three Rivers City Commission 2nd District. Candidates in those elections will have exactly one week, until Thursday, July 23 to complete the questionnaires. Once completed, Watershed Voice will publish the responses in the order they are received the week before the August 4 election.
A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR
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