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By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher After more than two decades of demolition, environmental cleanup and redevelopment planning, the former Plainwell Paper Mill appears poised for its most significant transformation since production ceased nearly 26 years ago.Classic Auto Factory, a DeKalb, Illinois-based…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher After more than two decades of demolition, environmental cleanup and redevelopment planning, the former Plainwell Paper Mill appears poised for its most significant transformation since production ceased nearly 26 years ago.Classic Auto Factory, a DeKalb, Illinois-based…

Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher Paw Paw Village Council members addressed several infrastructure and community improvement projects during recent meetings, including approval of a village-wide smart electric meter replacement program, updates on the reopening of Briggs Dam, environmental remediation efforts near the…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher Although former Clare businessman David Wayne Coker Jr. appeared on the 30th Circuit Court’s schedule for an 8:30 a.m. arraignment on July 22, court officials say the hearing was never intended to take place.According to an…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher Hamilton Community Schools’ incoming eighth-grade class will spend the 2026-27 school year at Hamilton High School while a major roof replacement is completed at Hamilton Middle School.The temporary relocation, first announced by the district in January,…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher A 10-year-old boy died Saturday evening after being swept beneath the waters of the Rabbit River at Trestle Park, prompting a massive four-hour search involving dozens of emergency responders from across Allegan and Ottawa Counties.The tragedy…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher A 10-year-old boy died Saturday evening after being swept beneath the waters of the Rabbit River at Trestle Park, prompting a massive four-hour search involving dozens of emergency responders from across Allegan and Ottawa Counties.The tragedy…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher A new era is underway at the Commercial Record. After serving as its owner and publisher for nearly 11 years, Mike Wilcox is now also its editor.Wilcox has more than 50 years of experience in the…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant PublisherDowntown Wayland will once again serve as the center of community activity when Summerfest returns Saturday, June 13, bringing a full day of family entertainment, classic cars, live music, food, vendors and children’s activities.Organized by Wayland Main…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher A series of political messages written in chalk on downtown sidewalks has sparked an ongoing debate in Saugatuck over free speech, public property, and the community’s image as a tourist destination.The controversy centers around a recurring…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher On May 27, the Allegan County Board of Canvassers conducted a hand recount of votes cast in the May 5 Hopkins Public Schools bond election and certified the results as an exact tie, leaving the $110.56…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher While EMS crews were delayed by traffic, a baby boy made his grand entrance into the world in the backseat of his family’s SUV, parked in the lot of an Allegan-area church.According to his mother, Jaimy…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher A recall clarity hearing has been scheduled for Dorr Township Supervisor Jeff Miling, marking the latest development in the effort to begin a recall campaign against the longtime township official.According to a notice issued by the…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher A recount has officially been scheduled following the tied outcome of the Hopkins Public Schools bond proposal election earlier this month.According to a notice issued by the Allegan County Clerk’s Office, the Allegan County Board of…

PHOTO BY ROBERT TOMLINSON,CAPTION BY JORDAN WILCOX | COMMERCIAL NEWS The Three Rivers Menards store at 1001 Warner Drive remains badly damaged nearly two months after an EF-2 tornado ravaged the area on March 6.The store held a partial reopening…

Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher On Wednesday, April 29, 31-year-old Steven John Caplan and his sister, 35-year-old Kayla Marie Earls, both of Harrison, were arraigned in 54B District Court in East Lansing.According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the siblings are accused…

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher “I just shot my boyfriend,” 44-year-old Jennifer Dana Moore told 911 dispatchers just after 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, while calling to report the shooting inside her homeDeputies with the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office were promptly…

Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher “I just shot my boyfriend,” 44-year-old Jennifer Dana Moore told 911 dispatchers just after 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, while calling to report the shooting inside her homeDeputies with the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office were promptly dispatched…

Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher On the morning of April 23, Scotland resident Ian Catterall was walking his dog Rany along a beach in Ayr, Scotland, when he saw a photo on the ground of four individuals standing outside a home. When he…