Watershed Voice

01/01/2026

With just one hour to go, we stand at $12,124 raised. Help us finish 2025 and our annual NewsMatch campaign with a bang.

Donate before midnight and have it matched: watershedvoice.com/support-us

12/31/2025

We just surpassed $12,000 raised! Help us reach our goal of $15,000 before the clock strikes 12.

We need less than $3,000 more to receive a full match this spring, and we’re getting an additional $3,000 for being a rural newsroom. That would mean a grand total of $33,000 raised for local news with the match.

Help push us over the finish line with a montlhly or one-time donation before you head out to celebrate with family and friends. You can do so here:

watershedvoice.com/support-us

12/31/2025

We haven't reached our $15k goal yet! Can you help us get there? Every donation supports the work we do to bring you news on the issues you care about. If you believe that local journalism is important, please give now.
https://watershedvoice.com/support-us/

12/31/2025

A message and NewsMatch update from Executive Editor Alek Haak-Frost.

Donate: watershedvoice.com/support-us

12/31/2025

⏰ Our end-of-year fundraising campaign ends TONIGHT at midnight and we are $5000 short of our goal! If you give today, your contribution (up to $1,000) will be matched, thanks to NewsMatch.
Your generosity allows us to deliver even more of the difference-making journalism we know you value. But time is running out! ⏰
https://watershedvoice.com/support-us/

12/30/2025

We are officially taking our annual three-week publishing pause to give our staff some much needed rest, and an opportunity to reset before hitting the ground running in 2026. We will return on Monday, January 26.

12/30/2025

Before our three-week publishing pause, Watershed Voice invites our readers to take a look back at the past year in local news. For Watershed Voice, it was a year marked by change, as we transitioned from one staff writer — Najifa Farhat for the first half of the year — to another, Maxwell Knauer, for the second half of the year.

No matter the author of our stories, we aimed to bring prompt, fact-based, independent reporting to Southwest Michigan. Here’s a look at some of our favorite, most impactful, and most-read stories of 2025.

Before our three-week publishing pause, Watershed Voice invites our readers to take a look back at the past year in local news. For Watershed Voice, it was a year marked by change, as we transitioned from one staff writer — Najifa Farhat for the first half of the year — to another, Maxwell Knaue...

12/30/2025

Watershed Voice’s Doug Sears, Jr. writes about a recent experience at the movie theater that induced anger, reflection, and ultimately empathy.

“My rage was palpable, as movie theater misbehavior is high on my list of modern pet peeves. But I’m trying really hard to stay in the ‘live and let live’ mentality, and I don’t want to compound her distraction by calling it out. I’d hate to initiate a prolonged argument with a stubbornly rude individual and draw everyone in the theater, even those who don’t notice the Beacon of Gondor from their seat, into my distraction.”

Watershed Voice's Doug Sears, Jr. writes about a recent experience at the movie theater that induced anger, reflection, and ultimately empathy. "My rage was palpable, as movie theater misbehavior is high on my list of modern pet peeves. But I'm trying really hard to stay in the 'live and let live' m...

12/29/2025

As the year comes to an end, Watershed Voice takes a look back at a year of keeping readers across Southwest Michigan informed.

In 2025, Watershed Voice published 322 stories, averaging 27 articles per month. Over the course of the year, our reporting reached 137,762 total page views from 79,435 visitors.

As the year comes to an end, Watershed Voice takes a look back at a year of keeping readers across Southwest Michigan informed. In 2025, Watershed Voice published 322 stories, averaging 27 articles per month. Over the course of the year, our reporting reached 137,762 total page views from 79,435 vis...

12/29/2025

Watershed Voice columnist Charles Thomas writes, “Most of us have at least a few dreams that have been deferred. For you, it might not be a degree you dream of but starting a business or having another romantic relationship. You could have a dream about becoming a non-smoker or to find more meaningful work. Whatever your dream is, you may be thinking that it’s too late to achieve it. But consider this: what if you’re wrong?”

Watershed Voice columnist Charles Thomas writes, "Most of us have at least a few dreams that have been deferred. For you, it might not be a degree you dream of but starting a business or having another romantic relationship. You could have a dream about becoming a non-smoker or to find more meaningf...

12/26/2025

If you begin a monthly donation to Watershed Voice before Dec. 31, that amount will be matched TWELVE times! Today is the day to chip in your support for our work to bring you quality local reporting on issues you care about.
Get started here: https://watershedvoice.com/support-us/

12/23/2025

While Bruce Monroe’s restoration work reshaped parts of downtown Three Rivers, those closest to him say it was the care he showed people that mattered most.

“Bruce was my father. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that he was as good of a father as anyone could ever hope to have. My brothers and I grew up with endless love and support from our dad. Our family is all still very close, which I think is a testament to my father and the environment he created and fostered for us,” Bruce’s youngest son, Evan Monroe wrote.

While Bruce Monroe’s restoration work reshaped parts of downtown Three Rivers, those closest to him say it was the care he showed people that mattered most. “Bruce was my father. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that he was as good of a father as anyone could ever hope to have. My brothers and ...