Rural hospitals were already closing at a rapid rate before the pandemic — more than 150 closed between 2005 and 2019, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. Without the federal money to prop them up, the Center estimates that 200 rural hospitals across the country are at risk of closing within the next two to three years.
Sturgis
Abbott Laboratories is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) almost a year after the Sturgis baby-formula plant closed when illnesses were reported. First reported by The Wall Street Journal, the DOJ’s consumer protection branch is looking into conduct at the plant that led to its shutdown.
In an effort to support the local recovery community and raise awareness of the options available to those looking to join a program, Watershed Voice will regularly publish a list of meetings available in Three Rivers, Sturgis, Coldwater, and surrounding areas.
The Sturgis City Commission Wednesday announced the date of the first round of interviews for its vacant city manager position. The interviews will be open to the public.
The potential of establishing an extreme weather center for the unhoused of Sturgis was further explored at Wednesday evening’s Sturgis City Commission meeting. Kristi Boughton of the St. Joe Community Co-Op said it could be months before an ordinance is passed that allows her to open the center.
The Sturgis Downtown Development Authority (DDA) will be hosting the fifth-annual Ladies Night Out on Friday, February 10, a pre-Valentine’s Day event featuring a night of shopping, drinks, and giveaways.
The United States Supreme Court recently heard arguments in the case of a 27-year-old Sturgis man who is seeking the right to sue Sturgis Public Schools for financial damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On Wednesday, January 18, Supreme Court justices listened to oral arguments and appeared sympathetic toward Miguel Luna Perez, a deaf man who claims the school district provided him an inadequate education by failing to assign him a qualified sign-language interpreter.
At a Sturgis City Commission meeting Wednesday proceedings included an award for the city’s wastewater treatment plant, an update on the needs of the unhoused in the community, and new developments with the Sturges-Young Center for the Arts, among others.
A new law will soon go into effect, and Sturgis Hospital will be categorized as a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Sturgis Hospital Interim CEO Jeremy Gump was in attendance at a Sturgis City Commission meeting Wednesday to provide an update on the transition.
An unprecedented local housing shortage in Sturgis has raised prices for homes and rent making it difficult for first-time home buyers to navigate the market successfully. John Carmichael, president of Root and Branch Real Estate LLC, hopes to fill this housing gap by developing a complex with 23 units, including studio, one bedroom, or two bedroom apartments.
Glen Oaks Community College Athletic Director Joel Mishler announced the hiring of Tracy Sterling Monday as the next head volleyball coach for the Vikings’ program. Sterling comes to Glen Oaks after leading Sturgis High School’s Varsity program to a 92-62-8 record as its head coach over the past four years.
On Tuesday, January 10, over 40 individuals from Sturgis and surrounding communities gathered at the St Joseph Community Co-Op to address plans for an Emergency Weather Shelter.
The Sturgis City Commission bid farewell to City Manager Mike Hughes, who has served Sturgis for over 17 years, at its regular meeting Wednesday. Hughes is pursuing a new career with a local company, and the city is actively looking for Hughes’ successor.
The City of Three Rivers recently welcomed T.J. Reed as its newly appointed city attorney following the retirement of J. Patrick O’Malley. A Centerville resident but already-familiar face to the town, Reed’s extensive experience in municipal law should benefit Three Rivers as he begins his new role.
For most of the population in St. Joseph County a dry and warm home is the solution to combating inclement weather. However, a large number of unhoused people in this community are being left out in the cold. The City of Sturgis is working on its own solution, potentially creating a blueprint the City of Three Rivers could also implement.
For nearly 12 years the Winter Blues festival in Sturgis has been a hot event for the city and this year is no exception. Several hundred people are expected to flock to the downtown area on Friday, January 13 from 5 to 9 p.m. for winter-themed festivities, live music, and food trucks.
The past year for Watershed Voice was eventful to say the least, and while we plan to have more on that later with some Year in Review pieces to start 2023, our staff needs a break to rest, recharge, reflect, and refocus in anticipation for the year to come.
Alek and Doug discuss the week that was in Three Rivers, the resurrection of the Three Rivers Commercial-News, the news landscape in St. Joseph County, and what the future may hold for Watershed Voice as a daily news source in this new era of community journalism.