In Episode 8 of Keep Your Voice Down, Doug and Alek interview Larry Walton, a Republican candidate for the Michigan State House of Representatives and the 59th District. Walton is one of five candidates vying for the seat in the Republican primary on Tuesday, Aug. 4, while Democratic candidate Amy East is running unopposed.

The St. Joseph County Commission’s Executive Committee heard several proposals for review, as well as some project updates, at a meeting held Wednesday morning. County Administrator Teresa Doehring introduced a recommendation to sell a building to Covered Bridge Healthcare of St. Joseph County, which is based in Centreville. Covered Bridge currently occupies the building but leases it from the county.

Summer is well underway. With some pandemic restrictions still in place and local cases climbing, cabin fever remains a reality for many. For St. Joseph County residents seeking activities that follow the rules and precautions, outdoor recreational opportunities provide a wide range of viable and safe options. Watershed Voice has compiled a basic list of places for outdoor activities both locally and in other Michigan locales within an hour and a half of Three Rivers.

The St. Joseph County Democratic Party (SJCDP) held a candidates’ meet-and-greet event Saturday morning at its headquarters on Portage Street in Three Rivers. Called “Donuts with Dems,” the event featured socially distanced coffee, donuts, and a chance for citizens to meet and speak with local candidates for office. Watershed Voice spoke to some of the event’s organizers and attendees, as well as the three candidates who were present.

At its regular meeting Tuesday, the Three Rivers City Commission passed a resolution in favor of outdoor, café-style sidewalk seating for the Riviera Theatre Bar. The resolution will help the bar obtain a permit from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), which oversees and regulates street and sidewalk obstructions on North Main Street. Outdoor seating will allow the bar to reopen after pandemic restrictions forced it to shut down last week.

The Branch Hillsdale St. Joseph Community Health Agency (BHSJCHA) released a report on July 2 providing detailed statistical pandemic information for St. Joseph County, available in a document on its webpage. Watershed Voice looked into the staffing changes, capacity issues, and public pressure that served as a backdrop for the information’s release.