Save the date: Watershed Voice Artist Showcase
The sixth annual Watershed Voice Artist Showcase, a celebration of local musicians, spoken word artists, and local journalism, will return to The Huss Project this summer in Three Rivers.
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Celebrating our sixth birthday and Local News Day
Watershed Voice officially launched six years ago on this day in 2020, providing a combined 3,400 stories, columns, podcasts, poems and the like to residents of St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, and Cass Counties over the last 2,191 days.
Help us celebrate our birthday with a donation, and sign up for our free newsletter in observance of Local News Day on April 9.
Local meeting primer: Three Rivers City Commission
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.
Three Rivers Pride pauses festival, identifies key organizational needs
The board, which is made up of four members — President Riley Mains, Secretary Alexis Jacobs, Treasurer Ziggy Standish, and member Desireé Horrocks — said the organization is using this year to strengthen its structure and improve long-term sustainability.
“At this point, we really have to focus on strengthening the organization so that we can provide you all with the festival that the town deserves,” Standish said.
The Pride festival is the group’s largest event of the year and has cost about $20,000 to $35,000 to host in past years, the board told Watershed Voice.
TRPD confirms continued use of Flock surveillance technology, says city added seventh camera in 2025
In an exclusive interview with Watershed Voice, Three Rivers Chief of Police Scott Boling and Detective Sgt. Steven Dibble said the cameras provide an additional investigative tool to help identify vehicles connected to crimes.
Flock Safety’s license plate reader system has drawn national criticism from civil liberties groups, particularly the American Civil Liberties Union, which argues the technology enables a form of mass surveillance that extends beyond its original purpose.
Boling said there is no “backdoor access” to the system, including for federal agencies such as ICE, and that any data sharing must be approved by the department.
Over 350 gather for No Kings rally in Three Rivers
More than 350 people gathered at the corner of U.S. 131 and Michigan Avenue on Saturday, March 28, from 3 to 4 p.m. Supportive drivers honked as they passed, while others shouted at demonstrators from their vehicles. At least two trucks repeatedly drove past the crowd in the lane closest to the sidewalk, revving their engines and emitting diesel exhaust toward protesters.
Three Rivers Pride to host public board meeting this Wednesday
Three Rivers Pride is hosting an informational event this Wednesday, April 1 at 6 p.m. at GG’s Cookies to provide information and clarity as to why there won't be a Pride event sponsored by the nonprofit this year.
Michigan lawmaker explores changes to public notice rules, raising transparency concerns
Municipalities pay newspapers to publish these notices, with costs varying based on the number and length of postings.
According to recent Three Rivers City Commission agenda packets, the city paid $740 to the Three Rivers Commercial-News for fiscal year 2026 public notices. A separate payment of $290 for the same category was recorded February 13.
If lawmakers pursue changes, they could alter where and how notices are published, potentially shifting some requirements away from newspapers. However, state Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport) has said she is not seeking to eliminate public notice requirements altogether.
Three Rivers Area Community Foundation awards $20,000 grant to St. Joseph County United Way for tornado recovery
Together with support from the Sturgis Area Community Foundation (SACF), a combined $20,000 grant has been awarded to the St. Joseph County United Way to assist individuals and families impacted by the storm.
Keep Your Voice Down: Let’s Talk About Cake
Canadian journalist and baker Chantal Hortop, who serves as managing editor of The Gleaner in Quebec, stops by Keep Your Voice Down to talk cake and shop with hosts Doug Sears, Jr. and Alek Haak-Frost. The wide ranging conversation includes how Chantal and Alek met, the impact of the LION Independent News Sustainability Summit on both their organizations, what local journalism looks like in Canada, and Chantal's penchant for creating dazzlingly delicious baked goods.
Celebrating our sixth birthday and Local News Day
Watershed Voice officially launched six years ago on this day in 2020, providing a combined 3,400 stories, columns, podcasts, poems and the like to residents of St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, and Cass Counties over the last 2,191 days. Help us celebrate our birthday with a donation, and sign up for our free newsletter in observance of Local News Day on April 9.
Local meeting primer: Three Rivers City Commission
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.
Three Rivers Pride pauses festival, identifies key organizational needs
The board, which is made up of four members — President Riley Mains, Secretary Alexis Jacobs, Treasurer Ziggy Standish, and member Desireé Horrocks — said the organization is using this year to strengthen its structure and improve long-term sustainability. “At this point, we really have to focus on strengthening the organization so that we can provide you all with the festival that the town deserves,” Standish said. The Pride festival is the group’s largest event of the year and has cost about $20,000 to $35,000 to host in past years, the board told Watershed Voice.
TRPD confirms continued use of Flock surveillance technology, says city added seventh camera in 2025
In an exclusive interview with Watershed Voice, Three Rivers Chief of Police Scott Boling and Detective Sgt. Steven Dibble said the cameras provide an additional investigative tool to help identify vehicles connected to crimes. Flock Safety’s license plate reader system has drawn national criticism from civil liberties groups, particularly the American Civil Liberties Union, which argues the technology enables a form of mass surveillance that extends beyond its original purpose. Boling said there is no “backdoor access” to the system, including for federal agencies such as ICE, and that any data sharing must be approved by the department.
Over 350 gather for No Kings rally in Three Rivers
More than 350 people gathered at the corner of U.S. 131 and Michigan Avenue on Saturday, March 28, from 3 to 4 p.m. Supportive drivers honked as they passed, while others shouted at demonstrators from their vehicles. At least two trucks repeatedly drove past the crowd in the lane closest to the sidewalk, revving their engines and emitting diesel exhaust toward protesters.
Three Rivers Pride to host public board meeting this Wednesday
Three Rivers Pride is hosting an informational event this Wednesday, April 1 at 6 p.m. at GG’s Cookies to provide information and clarity as to why there won't be a Pride event sponsored by the nonprofit this year.
Michigan lawmaker explores changes to public notice rules, raising transparency concerns
Municipalities pay newspapers to publish these notices, with costs varying based on the number and length of postings. According to recent Three Rivers City Commission agenda packets, the city paid $740 to the Three Rivers Commercial-News for fiscal year 2026 public notices. A separate payment of $290 for the same category was recorded February 13. If lawmakers pursue changes, they could alter where and how notices are published, potentially shifting some requirements away from newspapers. However, state Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport) has said she is not seeking to eliminate public notice requirements altogether.
Three Rivers Area Community Foundation awards $20,000 grant to St. Joseph County United Way for tornado recovery
Together with support from the Sturgis Area Community Foundation (SACF), a combined $20,000 grant has been awarded to the St. Joseph County United Way to assist individuals and families impacted by the storm.
Keep Your Voice Down: Let’s Talk About Cake
Canadian journalist and baker Chantal Hortop, who serves as managing editor of The Gleaner in Quebec, stops by Keep Your Voice Down to talk cake and shop with hosts Doug Sears, Jr. and Alek Haak-Frost. The wide ranging conversation includes how Chantal and Alek met, the impact of the LION Independent News Sustainability Summit on both their organizations, what local journalism looks like in Canada, and Chantal's penchant for creating dazzlingly delicious baked goods.
