“Wake up, Sheeple!” This once was a cri de guerre reserved for the back alleys of Twitter and the blogosphere. But by now, if you wear a mask, you have probably heard someone call you “sheeple” or “sheep,” just walking around downtown Three Rivers. I know I have.
COVID-19
A letter to the editor, from Naomi Ludman of Dowagiac, concerning what she calls “the the swift, bold action of Governor (Gretchen) Whitmer” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues with an uptick in cases in St. Joseph County and elsewhere in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer continues to issue orders that modify or add to existing orders regarding mask use. In light of the tighter rules, Watershed Voice spoke with some local law enforcement officials to find out how they are treating mask usage around Three Rivers and St. Joseph County.
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.
During a Monday evening Three Rivers Community Schools (TRCS) Board of Education work session, Director of Curriculum Nikki Nash discussed a 68-page plan for reopening Three Rivers schools amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
A picket line in Three Rivers targeted the construction work on US-131 in Three Rivers Wednesday. The picket was part of an ongoing dispute with a company involved in the work.
Confirmed and likely cases of COVID-19 are rising rapidly in St. Joseph County, according to the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph County Community Health Agency (BHSJCHA). Health Officer Rebecca Burns, Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry, and St. Joseph County Emergency Manager Erin Goff spoke with Watershed Voice about the troubling trend Wednesday.
Bobbi Schoon, interim director of the Three Rivers Public Library, recently sat down with Watershed Voice to provide an update about the ongoing renovation work at the library’s future home at 88 N. Main St., and how it has been progressing.
This coming week the Three Rivers Public Library will commence phase one of its reopening plan. Beginning Tuesday, June 16, the library will offer curbside pickup service, available Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Glen Oaks Community College Board of Trustees discussed reopening procedures with staff Thursday, approved a reduced budget for 2020-21, and were provided a capital improvements update.
“Nearly all of us are learning of things we could have never predicted, unless we were the scientists whose voices have all too often not been ‘heard.’ And so, we understand that whether or not we know what comes next, it does not always prepare us for how we will respond.”
At Wednesday’s county executive committee meeting, committee members and staff discussed the next phases of reopening county facilities as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted statewide.
“As August draws closer, I will continue to let myself dream of my baby and their future. I will continue to sing and read to my baby, and remind them that though this world can be dark and filled with selfish people, it also has real beauty and self-giving people as well. I will continue to pray for the health and safety of my baby and all soon to be mothers across the world who are facing the same challenges, or deeper ones, than I am. As scary as COVID-19 is I refuse to let it destroy the joy of the miracle and mystery that motherhood is.”
The Huss Project, located at 1008 8th Street in Three Rivers, offered a selection of fresh, local foods to nearly 60 patrons Saturday while practicing social distancing, and following safety protocols recommended by the Michigan Farmers Market Association.
During the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners’ meeting Tuesday, Emergency Management Coordinator Erin Goff provided a brief update on the county’s emergency management efforts and COVID-19 statistics.
“As a fan, as a Little League alum., as a ‘stat nerd,’ baseball has provided me more joy over the years than I can put into words. But for MLB to play ball right now would be greedy, foolhardy, and dangerous; and worst of all, it would be our national pastime sending a terrible message to the rest of the country precisely at the time when we need moral leadership the most. So in the words of a century of Cubs’ fans, I’ll ‘wait ‘til next year.'”
Emergency Management Coordinator Erin Goff provided an update on COVID-19 statistics to county commissioners Tuesday, and announced the county now has 90 confirmed cases and an additional confirmed death due to COVID-19.