Effective a 3:15 p.m. Thursday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a new pandemic health order in response to sharply-rising COVID-19 case numbers. The order’s language limits the number of attendees that may gather at indoor and outdoor gatherings in a variety of settings, particularly those where health officials have observed the most rapid spread of the virus. In related news, In a press release Thursday, Office of the St. Joseph County Administrator announced that the county’s Courts Building is closed to the public.
Pandemic
In a light regular meeting of the Three Rivers Public Library (TRPL) board Tuesday, Board Chair Julie Keefer and Acting Director Bobbi Schoon said public response to the former bank building at Main and Moore Streets has been good so far. TRPL staff moved into the new building in August as contractors were finishing up renovations on the building, which the board acquired in 2017. Curbside lending service resumed in September, and the building opened to limited visitation earlier in October. Board members also approved a snow removal contract, authorized Schoon to negotiate with Park Township over an ongoing issue, and discussed a possible archival tenant in the basement.
YMCA Camp Eberhart, located on the shore of Corey Lake west of Three Rivers, will be hosting a Halloween “Trunk-or-Treat” event this Saturday, October 31. Families will be able to tour slowly through the camp in their cars, and more than 40 individuals, groups, and organizations will be on hand to pass out treats. Event organizers say children and adults are welcome and encouraged to arrive in costume. The event is free and open to anyone.
The question of whether masks work has been debated since the first documented COVID-19 cases arrived in the United States earlier this year. Watershed Voice looks at the mechanics of how a mask stands up to the spread of a virus.
After remaining steady at 11 since late summer, the St. Joseph County death count due to the COVID-19 virus now stands at 15. One death occurred the week before last according to comments last week by Rebecca Burns, Health Officer with the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency (BHSJ). Three more deaths were added to BHSJ’s online statistics early this week.
Administrators and staff at Three Rivers Community Schools (TRCS) continue to adjust pandemic response plans and the operation of virtual learning platforms as the fall semester begins to wrap up its second month. At a regular meeting of the TRCS Board of Education (BOE) Monday, Superintendent Ron Moag and Curriculum Director Nikki Nash provided updates on the status of each, and BOE members approved a reconfirmation of the district’s state-mandated COVID-19 Extended Learning Plan (ELP).
The Three Rivers Public Library (TRPL) opened its new facility at the corner of North Main and Moore Streets to a limited number of inside customers Monday. Although it has been providing curbside service since September 21, the interior of the library has been closed to the public. TRPL Acting Director Bobbi Schoon said she was excited for Monday’s opening. “We finally get to share it with everybody,” she said.
In a letter Tuesday, administrators at White Pigeon Junior/Senior High School announced that two individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 at the school. Administrators have decided to close the school building to in-person learning, instead commencing with all virtual learning starting on Wednesday, October 14.
First District County Commission candidate Andrew George announced earlier this week that he has received the endorsement of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. George’s campaign received word of the endorsement by email from a gubernatorial staffer on Tuesday.
The Glen Oaks Community College (GOCC) Board of Trustees held a planning retreat and regular meeting Thursday morning at the college. President Dr. David Devier and other administrators and staff provided updates on pandemic cases and measures at the college, as well as on several student funding programs provided with assistance from the State of Michigan. Devier also said Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the college’s 2021 budget at flat funding.
The Three Rivers Lions Club’s ever-popular Ox Roast which normally takes place during the annual Three Rivers Water Festival in June, will instead occur in the form of a drive-through event in September at the Lions Club facility on Sixth Street.
Three Rivers Community Schools reopened to instruction for the academic year under its “Return to Learn” COVID-19 response plan Tuesday. Board of Education members heard updates on the reopening, pandemic planning documents, and bond-issue construction work at a Tuesday evening work session.
The Board of Directors for County Community Mental and Substance Abuse Services of St. Joseph County (CMH) tabled a proposal by Chief Executive Officer Kristine Kirsch to provide the agency’s employees a one-time bonus. Kirsch raised the proposal at CMH’s regular monthly board meeting on Tuesday evening in which each employee would receive $2,000 in recognition of their service and hard work during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners tabled a request by County Clerk Lindsay Oswald to fill a vacant deputy clerk position at an Executive Committee meeting Wednesday morning. It also reviewed two grant opportunities presented by Grant Administrator James Hissong.
Torrey Brown argues that everyone has their fingers pointed at governors, claiming that they are responsible for this or that during the pandemic, while not realizing who is ultimately responsible for it all.
With the end of August just a week away, pandemic infections and deaths continue to climb in St. Joseph County, while Three Rivers saw a hotspot occur at a local healthcare facility in late July and early August.
When the Riviera Theatre Bar reopens this Wednesday, it will offer a new feature: sidewalk seating. The bar […]
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.