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Friday, March 27, 2020 Volume 160, Number 62 sturgisjournal.com @sturgisnewsroom facebook.com/SturgisJournal $1.25

F O C U S : C OV I D - 1 9

Hospital prepared
City officials
addresses
utilities,
employees
By Elena Meadows
Journal Correspondent

Sturgis city commissioners

on Wednesday approved sus-
pending utility disconnections
until May 15 and waiving utility
late fees incurred from March
13 through April 13. Customers
will continue to accrue normal
fees for service.
The decision, made during
the commission’s regular
meeting held through Zoom,
was in response to Gov.
Gretchen Whitmer’s order that
Michiganders stay at home
to prevent the spread of the
COVID-19 virus.
In addition, commissioners
approved a one-time credit of $10
for those who enroll in automatic
utility bill payment between now
and April 30. This system helps
expedite city staff’s process-
ing of payments, since money is
automatically withdrawn from
customers’ bank accounts each
month. Customers will receive
the credit after one month of
successful automatic payment.
Commissioners also took
action for the benefit of city
staff. All city employees cur-
rently eligible for sick time will
be provided up to 80 additional
Sturgis Hospital is a prepared in the event of a COVID-19 crisis. [ROSALIE CURRIER JOURNAL] hours of paid sick leave for an
illness related to the COVID-19
pandemic, retroactively applied

Strategy underway in case of local outbreak to March 1.

Part-time employees with
previously scheduled shifts that
were not worked due to the shut-
By Rosalie Currier “We’re as ready as we can be.” contacted with offers of down or closure of city facilities
[email protected] donations of N95 masks will be paid for their scheduled
Kelly Barton, administrative assistant and handcrafted masks. and unworked shift hours for
Sturgis Hospital staff has The facility has a sufficient March 12-15, and their average
prepared the facility in the supply of masks, but work- number of hours over the previ-
event of a COVID-19 crisis So far, the tent hasn’t been converted into offices. ers appreciate the offers of ous two normal pay periods for
in the city. been needed, said Kelly However, 10 beds have been manufactured and homemade time starting March 16 through
The red hazardous mate- Barton, administrative assis- prepared as needed and the masks, she said. April 13.
rials tent is set up near the tant. The hospital is licensed OB department is empty. The nursing staff has assured That will allow the city’s
emergency room door and for 48 beds. “We’re as ready as we can Barton the homemade masks workforce to be ready to return
the nursing staff meets daily But many rooms, originally be,” Barton said. are “better than nothing” in to work when the stay-at-home
to receive updates. created for patients, have The hospital has been the case of an emergency. order is lifted.

Coronavirus Ford, Fiat Chrysler,

brings upheavel Honda, Toyota seek
for courts sytem to restart factories
REGION | A3
By Tom Krisher other businesses, are trying
AT-HOME By Jef Rietsma
Journal Correspondent
The Associated Press to manage their way through
the coronavirus crisis, which
MANDATE The phrase “unprecedented
Ford, Fiat Chrysler,
Honda and Toyota took
has forced factories to close
amid employee concerns
CHANGES times” has been a familiar one steps Thursday to restart that they could catch the
APPROACH in media reports about COVID-
19. St. Joseph County’s court
North American factories
that have been closed to
virus while working close
to others at factory work
TO DAY CARE system finds that it, too, is
charting the course of a never-
protect workers from the
coronavirus.
stations.
Ford said it wants to
before-experienced situation. The plants would reopen reopen five North American
District court judge Jeff in early or mid-April, assembly plants, starting
Middleton has worked for restoring the largest source with one in Mexico April 6
more than 40 years at the St. Joseph County court systems of cash for automakers that and continuing with four
courthouse. During that time, are working with a limited staff generally book revenue in the U.S. on April 14. The
he has experienced snow and fielding mainly emergency when they ship vehicles to move was immediately met
cases, as result of COVID-19 dealerships.
See COURTS, A4 limitations. [JEF RIETSMA/JOURNAL] Auto companies, like See FACTORIES, A4

Classified ................... A8 Region ........................ A3 TODAY SAT U RDAY S U N DAY

Comics ....................... A7 Sports ........................ A5 A little rain Rain Mainly cloudy
Home ........................A10 Weather ..................... A9 56° / 44° 60° / 49° 53° / 38°

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