Two suspects in a home invasion last weekend were released on bond Monday, re-arrested Tuesday, and then released on bond again Thursday. The suspects, Amber Carpenter and Alexander Zuchnik, entered a home on South Constantine Street in the early hours of last Sunday.
Three Rivers
“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.
The Three Rivers City Commission passed a resolution Tuesday supporting the sale of the historic former Carnegie Library building at 109 N. Main St. to the Carnegie Center for the Arts (CCA). The resolution is corrected over previously filed versions with an updated legal property description. CCA occupies the building, which adjoins a historic former bank and a newer building that it already owns.
“What kind of a town is Three Rivers? If you are from here, and you’re seated next to a stranger on a plane, how do you describe this place? You can, of course, talk about its size and its location: ‘oh, it’s a little town in farm country about 35 minutes south of Kalamazoo.’ But what about its character? What things make it alike with, or set it apart from, other places? Where does it fit into the catalog of typical small towns across the United States? What would you say defines the essence of Three Rivers and makes it what it is?”
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.
Southwest Michigan has its share of musical talent, and Watershed Voice had an opportunity to discuss one nationally distributed band’s work with one of its guitarists, Christopher M. Jones, and other band members.
Officers with the Three Rivers Police Department (TRPD) arrested three suspects in a home invasion Sunday after responding to a call and tracing them from the scene to a nearby house.
First-run movies will soon be returning to Three Rivers. After five months of bankruptcy proceedings, the Goodrich Three Rivers 6 movie theater and the chain that owns it are under new ownership.
The Three Rivers Public Library board approved five change orders during a special meeting Friday for work at its new building on North Main Street.
The St. Joseph County Commission’s Executive Committee heard several proposals for review, as well as some project updates, at a meeting held Wednesday morning. County Administrator Teresa Doehring introduced a recommendation to sell a building to Covered Bridge Healthcare of St. Joseph County, which is based in Centreville. Covered Bridge currently occupies the building but leases it from the county.
Since Watershed Voice first ran a story last week on places people can go in and around Three Rivers to support Black-owned businesses, a couple of additional establishments have come to our attention.
Summer is well underway. With some pandemic restrictions still in place and local cases climbing, cabin fever remains a reality for many. For St. Joseph County residents seeking activities that follow the rules and precautions, outdoor recreational opportunities provide a wide range of viable and safe options. Watershed Voice has compiled a basic list of places for outdoor activities both locally and in other Michigan locales within an hour and a half of Three Rivers.
The Lockport Township Board passed a resolution Monday evening to create a Special Assessment District (SAD) in the Tamarac Subdivision. The SAD would enable the township to collect funds from the property owners within its boundaries for the purpose of shifting responsibility for billing for the subdivision’s street lighting from the neighborhood association to the township.
The St. Joseph County Democratic Party (SJCDP) held a candidates’ meet-and-greet event Saturday morning at its headquarters on Portage Street in Three Rivers. Called “Donuts with Dems,” the event featured socially distanced coffee, donuts, and a chance for citizens to meet and speak with local candidates for office. Watershed Voice spoke to some of the event’s organizers and attendees, as well as the three candidates who were present.
At its regular meeting Tuesday, the Three Rivers City Commission passed a resolution in favor of outdoor, café-style sidewalk seating for the Riviera Theatre Bar. The resolution will help the bar obtain a permit from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), which oversees and regulates street and sidewalk obstructions on North Main Street. Outdoor seating will allow the bar to reopen after pandemic restrictions forced it to shut down last week.
Amidst recent, nationwide movements for racial and social justice, advocates around the country have issued guidance on ways Americans can help build stronger cross-racial equity. Among them, some have issued calls to support black-owned businesses, coupled with nationally scoped lists. In the last few weeks, a number of Watershed Voice subscribers and online followers have inquired about where they can find local black-owned businesses to support in and around Three Rivers.
Three Rivers Open Mic Night celebrated its two-year anniversary Thursday night at the Huss Project’s Front Porch Pavilion in Three Rivers.
Ben and Nicole Karle recently began distributing free “Hate Has No Home Here” yard signs at the Huss Farmers Market and other venues in the area in the name of “empathy and love and acceptance.”