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Kalamazoo City Commission tables Safe Routes to School contract amid public pushback

Commissioners voted unanimously to table the item and revisit it at a future meeting. City staff said they plan to prepare additional information, including visuals, and hold a meeting to gather resident feedback before returning to the commission. “If we postpone it to one more meeting, it’s not going to have a delay on receiving the funds,” Commissioner Jae Slaby said. “It will not jeopardize these funds. It will not jeopardize the contract. So why not just have the due diligence done and send the message to the community that we are hearing their concerns?”

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Local meeting primer: Three Rivers City Commission

The Three Rivers City Commission will meet on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. in City Hall to consider the demolition of 318 South Main St., finalize the transfer of a box hangar lease at the city airport, and amend its early voting site agreement with St. Joseph County.

Sturgis City Commission approves burning ordinance, lead line funding plan, and Electric Center construction manager selection

Public Services Director Barry Cox presented an opportunity for the city to pursue federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding administered through the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund. Cox said the funding could “turbocharge” Sturgis’ lead service line replacement program ahead of the state’s 2037 deadline.

Three Rivers High School celebrates first semester honor roll

Watershed Voice would like to congratulate the Three Rivers High School first semester Honor Roll. Below is the list of all those students who maintained a GPA of 3.25 or higher throughout the first semester. Congratulations on your success and we wish you luck in your continued pursuit of excellence — academic or otherwise.

Monoform to show ‘Ganja & Hess,’ a pivotal film in Black cinema

Often regarded as a landmark in the history of Black cinema, Ganja & Hess (1973) uses vampirism as a metaphor for “Black assimilation and identity, white cultural imperialism, addiction, desire, and the hypocrisies of organized religion,” Monoform Cinema wrote on its website.

Glen Oaks nursing club completes 250+ service hours during fall semester

Launched in winter 2024 and open to all nursing students, the club aims to instill a strong sense of civic responsibility while offering opportunities to develop leadership and teamwork skills. This fall, 36 students participated, with 25 meeting the eight-hour-per-semester service requirement.

Sturgis voters to decide on school bond proposal in May

According to district materials, the proposal would fund improvements at multiple schools buildings, including Sturgis High School, elementary schools, the middle school, and support facilities. Projects include roof replacements, restroom renovations, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility upgrades, secure entry vestibules, boiler replacements, classroom and library renovations, and site improvements such as sidewalks, parking and drainage.  The proposal also includes athletic and extracurricular upgrades, such as new synthetic turf for football, baseball, and softball fields; a new running track and field event areas; updated stadium lighting and seating, and expanded athletic restroom facilities.

Local meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission

The Sturgis City Commission will meet this Wednesday, February 11, at 6 p.m. at Sturgis City Hall. Commissioners will revisit two proposed ordinance changes from their last meeting—burning regulations and promotional display rules—and consider several new business items, including a Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund (DWSRF) project plan related to lead service line replacement, hiring a construction manager for the Sturgis Electric Center project, and the decertification of a portion of S. Park Street.

Journalists and advocates gather in Kalamazoo to discuss affordable housing

Panelists included journalists who regularly cover housing and community issues — Watershed Voice editor-in-chief and founder Alek Haak-Frost, Brad Devereaux of MLive, Jordyn Hermani of Bridge Michigan, and freelance journalist Al Jones, project editor for On the Ground Kalamazoo — as well as housing advocates Gwendolyn Hooker of Kalamazoo-based Hope Through Navigation, Shanay Settles of the Calhoun County Health Department, and Patsy Moore of Mount Zion Baptist Church and Legacy Senior Living.

Three Rivers City Commission approves spa, orders review of city code language

Three Rivers Mayor Angel Johnston cited specific examples of language from the city code that she said was troubling. “Of the prohibited things that you can and cannot do, homosexual and other deviant behaviors. Now that bothers me to my core. I don’t believe that homosexuality is deviant, and I hope that nobody in this room does either,” Johnston said, reading from the ordinance.

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