FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 16, 2020

Calhoun County Offices Close
to Mitigate Spread of COVID-19

Calhoun County and Court offices and facilities, including the Justice Center, will be closed to the public starting Tuesday, March 17 in efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). County government operations will continue with employees critical to providing essential services and functions. Government operations are scheduled to resume in full on Monday, April 13, subject to future evaluation of this rapidly evolving public health emergency.

This decision was made carefully following guidance from state and federal agencies, as well as advice from our County’s Public Health Department. Our number one mission is to provide responsive leadership in a way that focuses on the safety and health of our employees and the public. County and court employees will continue to receive pay and benefits throughout this public closure period.

The County partially activated its Emergency Operations Center on March 13 in order to ensure response coordination and access to additional resources if needed.

Information about how residents are able to interact with County departments is listed below.

Clerk and Register of Deeds:
The Clerk’s Office will continue to process paperwork through the mail and take calls during business hours.

Courts:
The Calhoun County Courts shall be closed except for the limited purpose of addressing emergency court operations, as outlined in administrative order, which may be conducted by video-conferencing whenever practicable. All court events not stated in the administrative order are suspended until Monday, April 13, 2020 and will be re-scheduled on a case-by-case basis.
Read the related Local Joint Administrative Order

Juvenile Home:
Operations will continue as normal at the Juvenile Home, however there will be no in-person visitation and no non-essential service providers. Residents will be allowed phone calls during normal visitation time and contact with attorneys, probation officers, and other court personnel should be by phone. No person displaying symptoms such as cough, fever, or shortness of breath will be allowed to enter the Juvenile Home.

Land Bank:
Property maintenance will continue, as well as maintaining property sales as much as possible. Demolition of the Union Steel property in Albion will continue, as well as a handful of residential demolition projects. Staff is available by phone and email.

Prosecutor’s Office:
The Calhoun County Prosecutor’s Office will continue essential services with minimal staffing including but not limited to arrest warrant review, search warrant review, victim advocacy, witness services, child support services and court services as required by our courts. Most office work of attorneys can be performed off site to assist in minimizing office staffing.

Public Health Department:
Calhoun County Public Health Department continues to serve the public in modified ways.
Click for details on specific programs

Road Department:
Limited road operations will continue to ensure potholes are patched, gravel roads are graded, and necessary maintenance is completed. Engineering will continue managing contract work, as necessary. 

Senior Services:
The Senior Services Department will continue to answer phone calls from older adults for information and provide Medicare and Medicaid counseling via phone.

Sheriff’s Office:
Public lobbies in both the Battle Creek and Marshall Offices will be closed. Law Enforcement operations will continue as normal. Those in need of law enforcement services, please call 911 or the non-emergency phone number 269-781-0911. Sheriff’s Office business phone lines will be answered during normal business hours during the closure. Day-to-day jail operations will continue, including visitation. For those who wish to avoid an in-person visit, there is the option to do video visitation from home, with an additional cost.

Treasurer’s Office: 
The Calhoun County Treasurer’s Office will be closed to the public. Essential staff will continue to process property tax payments and payment plans, certify deeds, and answer questions via phone or email. The office encourages residents to make tax payments online or pay by phone.

Veterans Affairs: 
Claims maintenance will continue, to ensure veterans and survivors continue to receive monetary and health benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The office will also process emergency needs through the Veterans Relief Fund and Michigan Veterans Trust Fund. 

Water Resources: 
Residents with an emergency or drain-related question can contact Water Resources Commissioner Fred Heaton at 269-967-1580. 

For updates from Calhoun County, about County operations and COVID-19 in Calhoun County, visit the County website, calhouncountymi.gov. 

The State’s COVID-19 Hotline is available for anyone who has questions or concerns related to the virus. The hotline is open seven days a week from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 1-888-535-6136.

For information, contact 
Lucy Blair, Calhoun County Communications Manager
269-781-0926, lblair@calhouncountymi.gov

Names Embroidered on Quilt

Sonoma Home Worker’s Society Quilt

This quilt was a prize for a fundraising raffle in 1915 by the Sonoma Home Worker’s Society.

What makes this quilt unusual is that each of its twenty golden sunbursts, have over 300 hand embroidered names stitched on the rays and centers of the sunbursts.  With the purchase of each ten cent raffle ticket, a name was stitched on a petal.  There is no record of how long it took to sell the tickets or the amount of time it took to complete the project.

Lon and Lou Ann Grover donated the quilt to the Battle Creek Historical Society.  Lon’s grandmother and great grandmother, Fern M. Quick and Myrtle Quick, were two of the quilt’s embroiderers and their names appear stitched on the quilt. When the drawing was held for the quilt, Lon Grover’s grandfather, Howard Grover, was the winner.  

The Historical Society has graciously loaned this quilt to Leroy Township for display.