SPORTS | A4
March 2 L ARGE
Sturgis Journal
SERVING ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Thursday, March 26, 2020
$2T rescue
bill hits
late snags
By The Associated Press
Senate leaders raced to
unravel last-minute snags
Wednesday and win passage of
an unparalleled $2 trillion eco-
nomic rescue package steering
aid to businesses, workers and
health care systems engulfed
by the coronavirus pandemic.
The measure is the largest
economic relief bill in history,
and both parties’ leaders were
desperate for quick passage of
a bill aimed at a virus that is
costing lives and jobs by the
hour.
The package is intended as
a weekslong or monthslong
patch for an economy spiral-
ing into recession or worse and
a nation facing a grim toll from
an infection that’s killed nearly
20,000 people worldwide.
Underscoring the effort’s
sheer magnitude, the bill
finances a response with a
price tag that equals half the
size of the entire $4 trillion
annual federal budget.
“A fight has arrived on our
shores,” said Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell. “We
did not seek it, we did not want
it, but now we’re going to win
it.”
“Big help, quick help, is on
the way,” said Senate Minority
Leader Chuck Schumer.
But the drive by leaders
to speed the bill through the
Senate was slowed as four con-
servative Republican senators
demanded changes, saying the
legislation as written “incen-
tivizes layoffs” and should
be altered to ensure employ-
ees don’t earn more money if
they’re laid off than if they’re
working.
Complicating the stand-
off, Sen. Bernie Sanders of
Vermont, whose campaign
for the Democratic presidential
nomination has flagged, said
he would block the bill unless
the conservatives dropped
their objections.
Other objections floated in
from New York Gov. Andrew
Cuomo, who has become a
prominent Democrat on the
national scene as the country
battles the pandemic. Cuomo,
whose state has seen more
deaths from the pandemic
than any other, said: “I’m tell-
ing you, these numbers don’t
work.”
Democratic presidential
candidate Joe Biden said the
package “goes a long way.” He
said it will require strong over-
sight to ensure the wealthy
don’t benefit at the expense of
workers and proposed forgiv-
ing at least $10,000 of student
loan debt as part of the federal
response.
See RESCUE, A2
Abby ..........................A3
Classified ................. A10
Comics ...................... A9
NEIGHBORS | A5
FORMER K-WING
LOOKS TO THE
FUTURE
Volume 160, Number 61
F O C U S : C OV I D - 1 9
Taking stock
Bread shelves were almost empty Sunday at Meijer in Three Rivers. Some local families say
they’re comfortable with grocery supplies they have at home, and haven’t found a need to panic
during COVID-19. [ELENA MEADOWS/JOURNAL]
Families try to stay
prepared as supplies
run thin
By Elena Meadows
Journal Correspondent
As food and paper prod-
ucts fly off the shelves at
local grocery stores, sev-
eral families share how they
stay prepared.
The Beachey family of
six typically has a basic
supply of non-perishable
food, paper products and
cleaning products. They
also have meat and eggs
that they raise themselves
at their Three Rivers farm.
“Typically, we shop once
a week for perishables and
sale items, but I think we
could go two weeks without
a trip to the store,” mother
Kayrn said.
‘Get Fit Challenge’ winners announced
By Rosalie Currier
rcurrier@sturgisjournal.com
“Get Fit Challenge” 2020
came to a close during the
COVID-19 crisis, so the only
contestants who weighed in
for the final week were the top
three men and women.
Paul Preston finished first
in the men’s division, losing
20.89 percent of his original
weight. Sue Wegner took first
place in the women’s divi-
sion, losing 19.4 percent of
her of her initial weight.
Runners-up in their
respective divisions were
Mike Patrick and Stacy
Gagnon.
Doyle Community Center
staff used the previous
weigh-in data to determine
the standings of the other
Neighbors ................... A5
Sports ....................... A4
Weather ....................A11
PICKLEBALL IS
ALL THE RAGE AT
DOYLE
sturgisjournal.com
inside
See a roundup of local
cancellations and policy
changes, page A3.
In the future, she said,
the family probably will
continue the same routine,
but perhaps keep more
specialty items on-hand
for dietary needs, such as
sugar substitute.
Emma Miller of Three
Rivers, a wife and mother
of two young children, says
she has many non-perish-
able items in her pantry and
shelving unit. Miller buys
boxes of canned vegetables
from Sam’s Club and has
paper towels and plenty of
toilet paper.
“I wouldn’t call it a
stockpile, but I didn’t have
Preston Patrick
contestants.
This year, male contestants
lost a total of 1,004 pounds
and female participants lost
1,097.6 pounds, said Mike
Liston, director at Doyle.
Men’s division
Paul Preston joined “Get Fit
Challenge” to get into better
shape and lose a few pounds
with a group of others,
including Robert Lewis and
Ron Zimmerman.
“It was a friendly
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reason to panic,” she said.
She generally orders
groceries once a week,
although she may go an
additional time to the store
for fresh items. Bananas
and carrots are staples in
their house.
She doesn’t feel like she
needs to change much in
the future.
“I am thankful I stay on
top of have extra things,”
she said. “It made this past
couple weeks not feel as
overwhelming in the food
department.”
Kristen Cottingham
of Three Rivers said she
wasn’t one of the ones run-
ning out right away to grab
all the toilet paper.
“I had what I needed for
the week,” she said. “But
See STOCK, A3
Wegner Gagnon
competition,” Preston said.
“Plus, I figured it would
be a better way of staying
committed.”
Preston said he and his wife
changed their eating habits
and started walking. He hopes
to continue that routine
“I’m going to try and
commit myself to still walk-
ing three or four times a
week,” he said.
Runner-up Mike Patrick
lost 17.13 percent of his start-
ing weight.
Patrick had taken part in
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2 more
cases
found in
Hillsdale
County
From staff and wire reports
A second and third con-
firmed case of Covid-19 has
been reported in Hillsdale
County.
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph
Community Health Agency
was notified Wednesday of the
positive test results in an adult
male, who is currently hospi-
talized, and an adult female.
The man is not being treated
at Hillsdale Hospital, according
to Rachel Lott, the market-
ing and community outreach
director. The woman's status
was not known at press time.
The health agency is work-
ing to connect with people
who have been in close con-
tact with the patients and will
assess those for symptoms
and quarantine appropriately,
according to a statement.
The first reported case of the
novel coronavirus in Hillsdale
County was announced
Monday by the health agency,
which said the man was in self-
quarantine at home.
Michigan update
A Detroit police captain has
become the second member
of the department to die
of complications from the
coronavirus.
Capt. Jonathan Parnall, a top
officer in the homicide unit,
was treated at a hospital but
died at home Tuesday, Chief
James Craig said Wednesday.
"A true leader, never a com-
plainer," Craig of Parnall.
A 38-year-old civilian call
taker in the Detroit depart-
ment's 911 center died Monday.
Meanwhile, Beaumont
See CASES, A3
“Get Fit” in the past, but
this time, he took it more
seriously.
“Something was different
this year,” he said. “I decided
I was just going to do it.”
Patrick has two daughters,
ages 4 and 2, and his wife is
pregnant.
“I needed to get my butt
in gear and get back into a
healthy lifestyle,” Patrick
said. “I did it for my family.”
Patrick started making
healthier food. His wife loves
it and their children eat what
they eat, so it’s better for
everyone.
Their meals now have lim-
ited processed food and far
more natural food.
“It wasn’t really that hard,”
See WINNERS, A2
Rain
Davincis’
SMOKED MEATS & PASTA
1616 E. Chicago Rd.
Sturgis, Michigan
269.651.1431