Witness testimony in the trial of Lee Parker, Jr., 21, of Three Rivers began Wednesday in St. Joseph County Circuit Court with Judge Paul Stutesman presiding. Parker faces one count of assault with intent to commit murder, and one count of felony firearm in connection with the April 9, 2020 shooting of Grace Hussey.
B.A. Schaaff argues while the U.S. has had some “encouraging wins at the national level” regarding LGBTQ+ rights “[…] there is still more work to do, and our pride can come at a price.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan said on Wednesday that it has filed a federal lawsuit against the Michigan State Police (MSP) on behalf of two African Americans who said that they were racially profiled during a wrongful traffic stop.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called on Tuesday for the expansion of the Futures for Frontliners The program is inspired by the federal G.I. Bill that provided college degrees to those serving their country in World War II. Launched in 2020, it offers eligible Michigan adults without college degrees or high school diplomas who were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 a tuition-free pathway to gaining the skills needed to obtain high-demand, high-wage careers.
U.S. Senate Republicans shut down efforts to open debate on a sweeping elections reform and voting rights bill brought to the Senate floor by Democrats Tuesday night. In a party-line 50-50 vote, the Democratic measure, S.1, titled the For the People Act, did not reach the 60-vote threshold required to end a filibuster and advance. Democrats did pick up the last-minute support of a wavering member, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin III, and presented a united front, but still fell short without any GOP support.
Doug and Alek are joined by recording artist and Kalamazoo native Sherridan Harris to discuss his debut album “Day in the Life,” his songwriting process, the difference he sees between the likes of Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, and the Southwest Michigan music scene.
Michigan Advance’s Peter Ruark writes, “COVID-altered life in Michigan continues to reveal the inadequacy of many of our state’s social policies and safety net systems, and a new report from the Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) demonstrates how Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance policies are falling short in providing an adequate and effective safety net for unemployed workers. The Michigan Legislature must address these shortcomings rather than chip away at UI protections as it did last week.”
Michigan residents could claim a $100 tax credit for getting a COVID-19 vaccine and driver’s licenses would be extended under bills recently introduced in the Michigan Legislature. Those are just two of the bills members of the House and Senate introduced in June on topics ranging from meat substitutes to broadband internet access to budgets.
In this episode, Shan & Hogey discuss the main villain for the upcoming MCU movie Thor: Love and Thunder. This episode is also part 1 of a 3 part series on various mental health disorders tied to different Marvel Comics characters. Lisha McCurry of Screen Tea Podcast joins us to discuss trauma, depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
Michigan Advance’s Jarvis DeBerry writes, “(Republican lawmakers) don’t think officially recognizing June 19, 1865, the day Black people in Texas learned of their freedom, costs them anything or that it benefits Black people enough for them to get worked up about. Acknowledging Juneteenth definitely doesn’t mean as much as police reform, voting rights, a higher minimum wage, Medicaid expansion or other policies that Black people have been demanding.”
The Michigan House passed a bill Thursday that would eliminate the extra $300 in federal unemployment benefits for Michigan residents.
Hundreds lined the streets of Three Rivers as the annual Water Festival parade made its triumphant return Thursday, June 17, after last year’s festival was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Watershed Voice recently spent an afternoon in the courtroom of St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman to discuss the future of “Zoom court,” and observe the new normal the pandemic has created for the criminal justice system.
The Senate passed three bills Wednesday that would make it more difficult for voters to vote absentee and at the ballot box if they aren’t able to present a state-issued photo ID, despite fierce objections from Democrats that the new rules would be especially harmful to vulnerable voters and communities of color.
The mayors of cities in Ohio, Montana and Arizona stressed the need for affordable housing to be included in any congressional infrastructure package during a Tuesday hearing before the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee.
The building located at 111 S. Main St., known to most downtown Three Rivers residents as “the Whitehouse,” could soon see much needed TLC after sitting vacant since the 1980s.
Through a unanimous vote Tuesday, the state Senate passed more than $4 billion in federal COVID-19 relief aid to Michigan’s K-12 schools.
“We’re talking about corporate contributions that helped elect the legislators driving the effort and supporting the effort to restrict voting, limit voting, and change election outcomes,” Center for Political Accountability President Bruce Freed said. “This creates risk for companies today. You not only have investors but consumers who will change their buying patterns as a result of this. It has a reputational impact on a company, and it has an impact on company employee morale.”