2024
$15 million left of Health Park grant put back in state general fund
By Pat MaurerCorrespondent The remainder of grant funding earmarked for Clare’s Complete Health Park project – originally a $25 million grant awarded in 2022 and now down to $15 million unused in grant funding — has been put back into…
May I Walk with You? MISSING THE LATIN
It is interesting to note that when I was a child the mass and most liturgies were in Latin. While few people in attendance knew what was being said there were other things about it that were appealing. I remember…
Closure of Marion Village Market still dominates conversation in the area
By Genine Hopkins Marion and surrounding townships are still numb from the closure of their only supermarket, Marion Village Market, a couple of weeks ago, and conversations are still buzzing about the fate of the empty store.As reported last in…
Dates set for high school graduations
By Pat MaurerCorrespondent The four neighboring schools: Clare, Farwell, Harrison and Coleman will all have Graduation Ceremonies this month.Both Clare and Farwell are both planning Graduation ceremonies at 1 pm on Sunday May 19th.Clare will hold theirs at Brookwood Athletic…
Escaped Amish horse killed by vehicle
By Pat MaurerCorrespondent Michigan State Police were called to a location on Blanchard Road by the report of horses running loose Saturday morning, May 4th.They were called out around 5:15 by a Blanchard man who had noticed five horses near…
Marion Schools honors teachers
Marion Public Schools and Marion Schools Education Association honored two hard-working individuals.Janet Mort was honored as the Outstanding Person in Education and Jessica Eising was honored as the Friend of Education for the 2023-24 school year. The contributions were announced…
Osceola in process of updating master plan
The Osceola County Planning Commission is currently in the process of updating the County Master Plan. The Master Plan will provide a vision for the County through the year 2040. If you would like to shape this vision you can…
Marion seniors win AAA award
Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher Marion High School seniors Mara Jolly, Bonnie Kiger, Taylor Kruse, and Madison Sutten are all recipients of the West Michigan D League’s AAA Award for excellence in Academics, Attitude, and Athletics. They were honored last month at…
Postcard from the Pines: Give Mom a Tree
Arbor Day happens each April, although just one day to honor and plant trees doesn’t seem quite right. Perhaps the late date is meant to coincide with the coming of green across the land. We are especially fond of our…
St. Joseph County tornado confirmed as EF-2
By Robert TomlinsonNews Director ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — An assessment was made Thursday on the severity of Tuesday’s storm system that barrelled through St. Joseph County, damaging homes and businesses along its path. The National Weather Service in Northern Indiana…
Saugatuck track teams placethird at Shepherd Invitational
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorSHEPHERD—Talk about symmetry.Competing at the Bluejay Invitational in Shepherd on Friday, May 3, both the girls and boys track teams from Saugatuck finished with 78 points. And both placed third in the eight-team Small Division with that…
Obituary: Andrew (Drew) McLean Carter
Andrew (Drew) McLean Carter, 56, of Fennville passed away Thursday, April 25, 2024 while in Hospice care during his final stage of Huntington’s disease.Drew was born Feb. 21, 1968 in Port Huron, son of the late Charles and Shirley Carter.…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorDerby DayWhat’s worse than a man without a home? In Douglas, a land without a zone. The planning commission May 9 will weigh saving 16.77 acres — bought in 2013 and annexed from Saugatuck Township two years later…
Kilpatrick back to help Douglas plan
By Scott SullivanEditorRyan Kilpatrick, Douglas community and economic development director from 2009 to 2014, will consult with city again about meeting affordable housing goals.City council Monday hired Kilpatrick’s Flywheel Community Development Services for $3,500 to conduct a housing workshop and…
Farmers’ markets open in Plainwell, Otsego this month
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The calendar has turned from April to May.And that means, among other things, it’s time for the local farmers’ markets to open for the 2024 season.The Plainwell Famers’ Market—located this year off of M-89 on the…
Otsego High School holds prom at Warner Vineyards
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor May 4 has come to be known as Star Wars Day.You know, “May the Fourth be with you.”It seemed only fitting, then, that the students who organized this year’s Otsego High School prom decided to go…
Otsego girls, Plainwell boys win in conference dual meet
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor PLAINWELL—The track teams from Otsego and Plainwell met for a Wolverine Conference dual on Tuesday, April 30, with the result being a split decision.The Plainwell boys won by an 81-56 margin, while the Otsego girls prevailed…
Allegan tennis places secondat TigerDuals
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The Allegan girls tennis team served as host of the Tiger Duals on Saturday, May 4, welcoming Battle Creek Lakeview, Ludington and St. John’s to town.The Tigers finished with a 1-2 record for the day, besting…
Obituary: Charles Edward Payne
Charles Edward Payne, 95, of St. Joseph went to meet his Lord on Monday, April 29, 2024. “Ed” was born on May 27, 1928, in Allegan, MI, to Charles E. Payne, Sr. and Henrietta Louisa (Wesseldyk) Payne. He graduated from…
