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Dowagiac council approves $10K for sound study at data center

On Tuesday, August 11, Hyperscale announced that its board is reviewing strategic alternatives for its Michigan data center, including a potential sale or lease of part or all of the facility. The company said the review is intended to “maximize stockholder value.”

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Michigan counties, towns spend $30B a year. Could collaboration get more done?

Berrien County leaders recently established a new nonprofit that works to keep housing affordable. It’s an example of cooperation that policymakers wish happened more often among the state’s 1,856 counties, cities, townships and villages. Collectively, those local governments spend more than $30 billion a year, according to US Census data, including $1.7 billion in state revenue sharing.

Polls open for Michigan’s primary election, a final reminder

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.

Everything you need to know before Tuesday’s primary election

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.

Candidate questionnaire: Brett Muchow

Brett Muchow, Michigan Senate District 17 Democratic primary candidate filled out our questionnaire, below are his answers.

Three Rivers Promise fish fry fundraiser to support local scholarships

The Three Rivers Promise is once again sponsoring an all-you-can-eat fish fry and chicken tenders dinner to raise funds for the local scholarship program. The event will be held Friday, August 14, from 4–7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Three Rivers, 320 N. Main St.

Sturgis to end Flock contract due to budget constraints

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.

Candidate Questionnaire: Josh Hoeppner

Josh Hoeppner, Three Rivers 2nd district commissioner candidate filled out our questionnaire, below are his answers.

Candidate questionnaire: Steve Carra

The following is Watershed Voice‘s candidate questionnaire for the August 2026 primary elections. We will be running all remaining candidate questionnaires in the order received today, tomorrow, and Thursday. Steve Carra, State House District 36 Republican primary candidate filled out our questionnaire, below are his answers as submitted.

Three Rivers commission permanently relaxes residency requirements for housing board

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.

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