SPORTS | A9
P I Z Z A, P O
Sturgis Journal
WEEKEND
Saturday, March 28, 2020
More
wells
to be
tested  War III’
Process for PFAS
in White Pigeon
continues
By Don Reid
dwreid@aol.com
Fourteen more homes
in White Pigeon will have
wells tested for PFAS
contamination, but not
until the COVID-19
emergency passes, said
Paul Andriaachi, envi-
ronmental health director
at Branch-Hillsdale-St.
Joseph Community
Health Agency.  it were a world war.”
In a report Thursday
to the health department
board, Andriaachi said
three of 19 homes whose
well-water were tested
showed levels of PFAS
above 70 parts per tril-
lion, considered a health
risk. The three homes
with wells above 70 ppt
are having under-counter
water filters installed.  Johns Hopkins University,
Of the 19 homes, 12 were
under the 70 ppt level.
Four tests did not detect
any of the chemical.  Mask Crafters of St. Joseph County Michigan. [PROVIDED]
The Department of
Environment, Great
Lakes and Energy wants
to expand the testing to
14 homes to the east of the
current test sites, where
the higher numbers were
found.  “COVID-19 Mask Crafters of
Andriacchi said EGLE
has suspended all testing
during the virus outbreak,
unless there is an emer-
gency, Andriacchi said. 
Homeowners of the
14 sites will be notified
soon. The state is draft-
ing a letter to be sent to
those homes, which will
be provided with bottled
water, but because of
COVID-19, there could
be a shortage, Andriacchi
said.
“My concern in talk-
ing to the grocery store is
that they may not always
have an adequate supply
of bottled water,” he said.
“Therefore, we are going
to provide them with a
1-gallon pitcher filter in
case they cannot obtain
the bottled water.”
That plan will remain
in place until wells can be
tested for PFAS.
“We are erring on the
side of safety in provid-
ing them with water and
filters until we know for
sure,” he said.
LEISURE | A14
VIRTUAL
MARTIAL ARTS
CLASSES
BEING OFFERED
Volume 160, Number 63
Fighting coronavirus
with sewing machines
Stacey Brenneman and Lacy Thaxton, LPNs at Revolution Health in Sturgis, with masks provided by COVID-19
By Elena Meadows
Journal Correspondent
A group of local crafters is
combating coronavirus by
using sewing machines.
St. Joseph County Michigan”
has responded to requests from
health care facilities and driv-
ers for more than 400 masks.
Colon Township librarian
Julie Censke started the group,
enlisting Friends of the Library
treasurer Martha Graham as a
Facebook administrator.
City implements additional measures
From staff reports
In continuing response to
the COVID-19 situation in
Michigan, the city of Sturgis has
taken further steps to comply
with the state order to tempo-
rarily suspend non-essential
activities.
• Closure of all city facili-
ties to the public will extend
from April 5 through April 13.
C O V I D - 1 9 : T H E L AT E S T
Roundup of latest local news
in the Journal area, related to
COVID-19.
Changes at Sturgis
clinics
AM/PM Care and AMG
walk-in clinic in Sturgis have
Classified ...................A12
Comics ......................A11
Leisure...................... A14
ATTENTION
HEAR MICHIGAN PATIENTS
YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY
We are committed to exercising the highest quality of
cleanliness and awareness to ensure our patients and
staff remain healthy during this Coronavirus pandemic.
KENNY ROGERS:
STORYTELLER
AND MUSIC
LEGEND
SERVING ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
sturgisjournal.com
F O C U S : C OV I D - 1 9
“She knew from several
people working in hospitals
that they needed masks,”
Graham said. “We wanted to
be able to do something while
we were shut in.”
Crafters make any of three
mask patterns that have been
requested by the facilities.
Revolution Health in
Sturgis was the first to make a
request, and 50 were made and
delivered.
“They were so ecstatic —
it just made you smile,” said
Graham, who performed the
That includes Sturgis city hall,
Doyle Community Center and
Sturges-Young Center for the
Arts.
• Non-essential city
board and commission
meetings as well as any city-
organized events are canceled
through April 13. Sturgis City
Commission meetings and other
essential public meetings will be
held electronically and streamed
directed all “healthy” patients
entering the facility for DOT or
pre-employment physicals,
drug-screening and other work
related procedures to enter the
building on the north side, to
be seen on the SMG/AMG pri-
mary care side of the building
by the same providers they
Opinion ..................... A4
Sports........................ A9
Weather .....................A13
AP
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drop-off.
Sturgis Hospital requested
50 each of two patterns and
those are close to being fin-
ished. Three Rivers Health’s
request for 150 is well on
the way. The group also has
sewn for St. Joseph County
truck drivers and those who
do transportation for the St.
Joseph County Commission
on Aging.
While the primary focus
is St. Joseph County, the
See MASKS, A3
live on YouTube. Meeting infor-
mation will be posted on the
city’s Facebook page, website,
and the Sturgis247 Community
Calendar (sturgis247.com/
calendar).
• All utility disconnec-
tions will be suspended until May
15 and all utility late fees incurred
from March 13 through April 13
See MEASURES, A3
would have seen in PM Care.
Those patients are accepted 8
a.m.-noon.
SMG Primary Care Clinic
then will begin seeing “sick”
patients in the afternoon.
Avoid sending physicals,
See ROUNDUP, A2
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Medical
director:
This is
‘World
By Sam Fry
sfry@hillsdale.net
Dr. Lauren Vogel,
medical director at Branch-
Hillsdale-St. Joseph
Community Health Agency,
had a sobering message
Thursday for those listen-
ing to a virtual health board
meeting.
“Think about World War
III, because we’re in it,”
Vogel said, speaking via
Zoom. “We have somebody
attacking us worldwide. We
have to respond to that as if
Vogel’s grim report on the
severity of the global coro-
navirus pandemic comes as
confirmed cases in Michigan
rose to 2,856, as reported
at 2 p.m. Thursday. Sixty
Michigan residents have
died from the virus.
Late Thursday, the U.S.
surpassed China in cases of
coronavirus. According to
which is tracking the
number of cases nation-
wide, the U.S. had 82,400
cases, as of 6 p.m. Thursday,
while China had reported
81,800 cases. Globally, more
than 510,000 people have
been infected so far, with
about 21,000 deaths as the
See MEETING, A5
Commission
approves
planned
development
district
By Elena Meadows
Journal Correspondent
Sturgis City Commission
on Wednesday approved
having a planned devel-
opment district at 200 E.
Chicago Road and 111 N.
Monroe St.
TWG Development
requested the measure,
whose intent is to encourage
and promote high qual-
ity development with an
emphasis on architecture,
site-design and landscap-
ing, for the construction of
Monroe Lofts.
If TWG receives the fund-
ing it has sought from the
Michigan State Housing
Development Authority, it
can construct a four-story
building that will provide 40
affordable housing units to
ages 55 and up, with nearly
1,700 square feet of retail
space on the ground floor
to face Chicago Road.
See DISTRICT, A5
MO N DAY
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