The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners discussed the possibility of returning to in-person meetings after Tuesday's virtual meeting was interrupted by internet trolls in a practice called "Zoombombing" or "Zoom raiding." Unidentified persons briefly hurled racist and homophobic epithets at commissioners and those in attendance before Chairperson Dennis Allen temporarily stopped the meeting.
The U.S. had a mental health professional shortage before the pandemic, and Southwest Michigan was no exception. Every county in Southwest Michigan had been designated as a mental health professionals shortage area by the Healthcare Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Three Rivers Police Department responded to two separate incidents of motor vehicle theft this week, both of which resulted in the recovery of the vehicles in question.
St. Joseph County Prosecutor Dave Marvin addressed the St. Joseph County Commission's executive committee Wednesday concerning an exception to the county's hiring freeze, a request Marvin has submitted more than once during his first two months in office in an effort to get his house in order.
WSV's Michael "Hogey" Hogoboom writes, "Truly, Starbucks is not your place to go for quality artisan coffee. You’ll never hear a coffee connoisseur mention the Seattle-based chain as their favorite place. It’s really more of the gateway toward good coffee in most people’s experience, and again—isn’t that similar to Budweiser? Many beer drinkers tried a domestic lager long before summoning the courage to try their first IPA."
The St. Joseph County Career & Technical Education (CTE) Consortium congratulates students who have distinguished themselves in their CTE programs and have been selected “CTE Student of the Semester” for the first semester of 2020-21.
Southwest Michigan has officially administered more vaccinations than its number of COVID-19 cases, a trend in line with the rest of the United States.
WSV's Deborah Haak-Frost recently interviewed St. Joseph County Drain Commissioner Jeffrey Wenzel to learn more about what exactly a drain commissioner does.
WSV's Kay Davis writes, "During my first visit to (Sturgis' Timm Preserve), the exposed roots and ground were wet and looked slippery. That day was warm with heavy, misty air which caused a steady tapping in the tree leaves and thick vegetation, similar to the Star Wars scene in which we were first introduced to Yoda. The fact I recognized it as such was the indicator that my entire walk on that summer day would be associated with the original movie trilogy."
The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners and the Three Rivers City Commission will both hold regular meetings as planned this evening, Tuesday, February 2. Read this local meetings primer for what to expect.
A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR
Become a monthly donor today
A monthly donation of $5 or more can make a difference.
