The moratorium, which lasts until October 5, 2027, includes data centers, battery energy storage systems (BESS), cryptocurrency mining centers and artificial intelligence data centers. Monday night’s meeting included the final public hearing on the ordinance before commissioners voted to approve it.
The Three Rivers City Commission will meet this Tuesday, October 6 at 6 p.m. for a regular business meeting. Commissioners will work through a four item agenda at their first meeting since September 15. On the agenda is sidewalk replacement funding totaling $100K, airport runway obstruction removal for $1,300, a $77,500 purchase to replace and paint the chlorine hoist, and $12,667 for a change to aluminum doors at the Wellfield generator project. Commissioners will also continue their process of purchasing and installing livestreaming equipment.
“We’re talking about a sizable portion of our communities that need support, need to be able to find community, and need folks out there that are advocating for them,” Executive Director Gerik Maverick said. “We have been working with schools for just over a decade. We work with healthcare systems on training to make sure folks are able to get resources. We’re working with the area agency on aging on some very exciting new projects.”
The fitness center once thought to be closing for good will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday after its new owners reopened the gym under a new name, Three Rivers Athletic Club.
After a closed session during their September 23 meeting, the Sturgis City Commission unanimously voted to release the findings of the external investigation by Miller Johnson that looked into alleged wrongdoing by commissioners. The report details the events leading up to the public controversy, the investigator’s findings, and his legal conclusions regarding the commissioners’ conduct. This story presents the events chronologically, drawing on the investigator’s findings and the accounts of those interviewed.
The unanimous decision to release the findings came after a nearly two and a half hour closed session during which commissioners discussed the findings of the investigation, and what would be released to the public. The decision to open an investigation came after weeks of Vice Mayor Jeff Mullins and City Commissioner Aaron Miller calling for Mayor Frank Perez to step down before attempting to remove and censure him. Mullins and Miller alleged that Perez and other commissioners contributed to an environment that led to former City Manager Andrew Kuk’s resignation. This is a developing story and Watershed Voice will provide updates as they become available. Staff Writer Maxwell Knauer is working on securing the investigation findings and will provide coverage once he has done so.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and Watershed Voice encourages you to check in on your loved ones, yourself, and reflect on ways to look out for signs that people in your life are struggling. The topic of suicide is often considered taboo and difficult to talk about. However, Nicolette Cole, a veteran navigator at Pivotal and instructor for its QPR suicide prevention training, says avoiding the topic can be part of the problem.
SaveCassCounty is hosting a town hall in Cassopolis Sunday to discuss concerns around data centers, Fibrosan, and solar farms across Cass County. The organization has invited the public and elected officials to attend the second of two town halls organized by the group. The town hall will be held on Sunday, September 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Ross Beatty High School Auditorium, 22721 Diamond Cove Street, Cassopolis, Michigan.
The Sturgis City Commission will meet Wednesday, September 23, at 6 p.m. at City Hall for a regular business meeting. Commissioners will consider a $616,000 water clarifier replacement and contingency budget, more than $512,000 in street resurfacing work, a $116,800 change order for the electric building project, and a proposed increase in the contracted hourly rate for a Forestry Field Manager.
Kalamazoo City Commissioners passed a policy change which will bring all Flock and related surveillance contracts directly to commissioners for consideration, regardless of the price of the contract.
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