Saugatuck man falls off houseboat, drowns

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20251 min read

By Scott Sullivan Editor A Saugatuck man drowned Oct. 20 after falling off the roof of his houseboat in Mecosta County. Joseph Petty, 81, was performing routine maintenance on the vessel docked at Newaygo Boat Club on the Muskegon River…

Brewery founders say ‘Cheers’ to 20 years

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20252 min read

By Scott Sullivan Editor It was 20 years ago this June when Barry and Kathy Johnson opened Saugatuck Brewing Co. in its current home at 2948 Blue Star Hwy., Douglas. “We’ve been married for 46 years,” said Barry last week…

Saugatuck volleyball team earns two victories

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20251 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor PARCHMENT—Facing Coloma and Parchment on Tuesday, Oct. 21, the Saugatuck volleyball team came away with a pair of wins.The Trailblazers bested Coloma 17-25, 25-20, 25-20 and upended Parchment 25-19, 12-25, 26-24.Natalia Laskowski had a big night,…

Halloween fun

Halloween fun

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20251 min read

Bright day gave way to dark night for Saugatuck/Douglas Halloween festivities Saturday. A morning Family & Pets Parade through downtown Saugatuck (shown) was followed by thousands packing downtown Douglas for its annual Adult Parade. (See more photos inside.)

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20255 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorSmart to be DumbIn their new book “The Enigma of Reason,” cognitive scientists Dan Sperber and Hugo Mercier argue people’s capacity for reason might have more to do with winning arguments than thinking straight. Humans’ biggest advantage over…

5 seek 3 Saugatuck council seats Nov. 4

5 seek 3 Saugatuck council seats Nov. 4

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20253 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorSaugatuck again has a contested city council race, with five candidates seeking three available 2-year seats on Tuesday, Nov. 4. City voting this year will take place at the Saugatuck Woman’s Club, 303 Butler St., rather than city…

Plainwell Christmas Project opens enrollment

Plainwell Christmas Project opens enrollment

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20253 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The Plainwell Volunteer Christmas Project (PVCP) has been a staple in the community for more than 50 years, with the program helping to make the holiday season a little merrier for families in need who reside…

Otsego cross country teams win regional titles

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20252 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor PORTAGE—Throughout the season, the Otsego girls cross country team—led by senior Emma Hoffman—has been ranked first or second in the Division 2 poll.So the Bulldogs entered the Division 2 regional at Portage West Middle School on…

Allegan football ends season with win over visiting Coloma

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20252 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The 2025 season ended on a high note for the Allegan football team.Led by a ground attack that amassed 376 yards, the Tigers racked up more than 400 yards of total offense to post the 44-37…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20257 min read

I have a niche genre of movies that make me happy. The basic plot is the main character sees others around him or her living in the shadowlands, takes action, faces challenges and drama, then the magic happens.One of the…

Halloween offers events around the county and beyond

Halloween offers events around the county and beyond

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20255 min read

By Gari Voss As Halloween arrives, families plan their evening of Trick-or-Treat excursions. In addition to corn mazes and walks through the woods, communities and organizations are planning for Trick-or-Treat or Trunk-n-Treat.Halloween is on Friday this year, so there may…

Paw Paw football to play Three Rivers in playoffs

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20252 min read

By John RaffelCorrespondent PAW PAW — Paw Paw’s football team ended the regular season with a 42-6 victory over Vicksburg on Friday and will be playing Three Rivers in the district semifinals this Friday night.Paw Paw is 6-3 and has…

Mike’s Musings: Lawmakers shouldn’t receive pay during shutdown

Mike’s Musings: Lawmakers shouldn’t receive pay during shutdown

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20254 min read

One of the consequences of a government shutdown should be that those legislators responsible for the shutdown should not receive their regular pay. In my mind they are just as much part of the government as the hundreds of thousand…

Council seats up for grabs on Tuesday

Council seats up for grabs on Tuesday

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20255 min read

By James Windell Although Dave Flack is running unopposed in Ward 3 in the City of South Haven, the City Council races in Wards 1 and 2 are contested.In Ward 1, Eddie Polk and Lisa Krupiarz are running against each…

One suspect in car break-ins apprehended

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20251 min read

By James Windell Although Michigan has seen a notable surge in car break-ins over the past couple of months, very few such crimes have been reported in South Haven.In the Metro Detroit area, police are investigating a string of coordinated…

Area towns set Halloween Trick-or-Treat Hours

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20251 min read

The Village of Lawrence will hold Halloween trick-or-treat hours and Trunk-or-Treat in the Lawrence Village Park on Friday, Oct. 31, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.The Village of Lawton will hold Halloween trick-or-treat hours on Friday, Oct. 31, from 5:30 to…

Third Annual Fall in the Courthouse Celebration to be held Friday, Oct. 31

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20252 min read

PAW PAW – The third annual “Fall in the Courthouse Celebration” will be held Friday, Oct. 31, from 3 to 5 p.m.at the Van Buren County Courthouse, 212 E. Paw Paw St., here.It will feature an afternoon filled with seasonal…

Maple Lake Pedestrian Bridge scheduled for completion next month

Maple Lake Pedestrian Bridge scheduled for completion next month

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20251 min read

The Village of Paw Paw reported on Monday Oct. 27, that the Maple Island pedestrian bridge replacement project should be completed by Nov. 21, following a short delay at the start of the project to reposition support pilings. In addition…

Work Continues on Briggs Dam in Paw Paw

Work Continues on Briggs Dam in Paw Paw

Editorial StaffOct 29, 20251 min read

The Briggs Dam replacement project remains on schedule for substantial completion by the end of the year, according to the Village of Paw Paw. Excavation work is completed, and the project is moving from the “Tearing down” phase to the…

By Mike Wilcox
Owner/Publisher

Every year, as the Christmas season draws near, I’m reminded just how generous our communities can be. For nearly two decades, Wilcox Newspapers has hosted what’s become one of my favorite traditions: our Annual Christmas Wish Program.

It started simply enough. We asked readers who were struggling to write in and tell us what would make their Christmas a little brighter. The idea was to connect local families in need with local people who wanted to help. Over the years, it’s grown into something truly special—and this year, we’re doing it again.