Michael Alfred Melms, 79, of Allegan, passed away on Wednesday evening, January 22, 2025, after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was born May 19,1945, in Detroit, Michigan, to the late Alfred and Edith (Parry) Melms. Mike was a long-time…

Scott Arthur Lanxon, a man of adventure and the outdoors, passed away peacefully on January 20, 2025, in Ashley, Michigan, at the age of 69. Born on May 20, 1955, in Holland, Michigan to his late parents, Garrett and Evelyn…

James J. Larson, age 71, passed away on December 6, 2024, after a months long battle with cancer. Jim was born in Kalamazoo on December 22, 1952, the second of three children born to David and Janet Larson. He moved…

By Gari Voss The Wes Leonard Heart Team came to birth from the tragedy of Wes Leonard collapsing after making the game winning shot for the Fennville High School basketball team. No one knew exactly what to do and attempts…

By Gari Voss Allegan City Council’s January 17, 2025’s business began with the First Reading of Ordinanc-es 525 and 526, which is a zoning text amendment that would allow for temporary marijuana events. They moved forward to adjusting the meeting…

If you’ve been watching the crisis at our southern border, you might wonder what has happened to the millions of illegal immigrants that crossed the border the last few years. Where do they go, and how are they supported you…

By now we have all seen bleak photos from the fire zones in southern California. Thousands of homes, busi-nesses, churches and schools have been reduced to rubble.Other places have been so badly damaged they may have to be pulled down.…

By John RaffelCorrespondent The Gobles Varsity team is off to a solid start this year and are 6-3 at this point. After a few tough losses the Tigers bounced back with a solid 47-27 conference win over Saugatuck. With that…

Dr. Frank Joseph “Joe” Loomis, 100, of Whispering Pines, died peacefully on Saturday, January 25, 2025.Born in Luckey, Ohio, December 28, 1924, he was the son of the late Chauncey Burr and Esther Emma Joseph Loomis. During WWII, he was…

Louis C. Barkovich, 90, of Paw Paw, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Paw Paw. He was born Aug. 8, 1934, in Paw Paw, Michigan, the son of Charles Barkovich and…

SOUTH HAVEN — South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) responded to a record number of calls during 2024, according to the department’s Annual Report.Marking its 28th year, the SHAES Authority serves the city of South Haven and the townships of…

By James Windell The members of the Black History Leadership Society have been persistent in their efforts to keep Black history alive. Each February, in celebration of Black History Month, the Black History Leadership Society (BHLS) presents a program at…

By James Windell The South Haven City Council approved a quote from Davis Construction, Inc. to repair the Dyckman Avenue Bridge.Although it has been known for several years that the Dyckman Avenue Bridge over the Black River needed repairs, the…

By James Windell One sure fire way of generating discussion – and sometimes division – on the South Haven City Council is to place an item related to Short Term Rental (STR) on the agenda for a City Council meeting.That…

Charlene Bare and Richard Szotek, volunteers at Community Thrift Shop, Paw Paw, recently celebrated their 90th birthdays with a birthday cake given in honor to the pair by the thrift shop. Bare has been a Community Thrift Shop volunteer for…

Following the successful passage of the 2024 bond, Mattawan Consolidated School is currently undergoing changes and improvements throughout the district. The high school’s James A. Weeldreyer Auditorium is currently seeing microphone upgrades, industry standard LED lighting and a new AV…

Paw Paw High School’s 2PawRobotics female team members gave a successful presentation to the 100+ Women Who Care of Van Buren County on Wednesday, Jan. 15, and were the recipients of $9,000. The 100+ Women Who Care of Van Buren…

Lawton Community Schools have announced the 2024-25 Lawton Blue Devil Hall of Fame inductees. Named to this year’s Hall of Fame induction class are Troy and Janine Johnson (shown at far left) – Outstanding dedication in coaching, volunteerism, and supporting…

by Jim Whitehouse “Mom, what’s that bird?” says a boy sitting next to me on the sidelines of a futebol pitch, which I’ve been told by my Brazilian friend Sergio is the same thing as a soccer field. My beloved…

The Jackson Public School Board convened its first meeting of 2025 Tuesday evening to elect new officers and discuss budgeting strategies. The motion for candidate selection of board president drew immediate appraisal from Board Trustee Kesha Hamilton in response to…