McBain softball team sweeps Marion
By John RaffelCorrespondent McBAIN – McBain’s softball team won both nonleague games against Marion on May 28 by identical scores of 13-12.“Both games the girls had to come from behind but they stayed loud and aggressive the entire time to…
Harrison ends baseball season
By John RaffelCorrespondent HARRISON – Harrison didn’t win quite as many baseball game as it would have preferred but Hornets coach Nick Halm saw some positive things from a season which produced nine victories.The season ended on Tuesday at Evart…
Obituary: James Gordon Budd Sr.
James Gordon Budd, Sr. of Farwell passed away Wednesday morning May 15, 2024 surrounded by his family and friends at the age of 68. Jim was born on December 25, 1955 in Cadillac to Charlie R. & Anna J. (Pardee)…
Obituary: Nyle O. Haggart
Nyle O. Haggart, 88 of Clare, died peacefully May 27, 2024 at the Woodland Hospice Home in Mt. Pleasant Nyle was born the second son of Ogal and Edith (Prout) Haggart on September 14, 1935. He was a graduate of…
Obituary: Richard Lee (“Dick”) Snyder
Richard Lee (“Dick”) Snyder, age 95, died Wednesday, April 17, 2024, nine days short of his 96th birthday. Dick was the eldest child of Raymond and Esther (Winship) Snyder. He was born April 26th, 1928, in Buffalo, New York and…
Pat’s Bits and Pieces: Cleaning and completing projects and maybe camping
Well, it is here now – summer has begun again and that headline doesn’t apply to me!Remember when I said it will be September 1 before we know it? Well, it is Tuesday, May 28th already. I am sitting here…
May I Walk with You? What’s Not Sad
I listened intently as Pope Francis’s interview with Nora O’Donnell aired on CBS on May 20, 2024. I was glad to hear that the Pope and Ms. O’Donnell discussed many questions about how we ought to live our lives on…
Postcard from the Pines: What happened to the Noon Whistle?
From 1951 until 1982, Marion’s fire siren blew to let us know that the noon hour had arrived. It was a welcome noise to many, from Main Street to the school yard. When it sounded at any other time, it…
Festivals, observances make Memorial weekend special
by Steve Landon While rain and mist popped up now and then they were not bad enough to wash out any of last weekend’s events. No doubt umbrellas and rain gear were at the ready just in case old mother nature…
Marion library partnering with Feeding America’s Gather 2 Grow
By Genine Hopkins Feeding America’s Summer food program for students under age 18, will be partnering with the Marion Area District Library to provide free meals from June 3, 2024, through the week of August 5, 2024, from 1 p.m.…
Marion holds ceremony to honor those that made ultimate sacrifice
The Marion High School Band and VFW post 6015 gathered at the Veterans’ Memorial at 10 am on Monday to pay tribute to the brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice.The tribute included a parade through downtown Marion…
Forward, march!
Memorial Day Monday brought fittingly somber weather to honor lost soldiers in Douglas (above) and Saugatuck. Observances capped an otherwise-sunny summer opening week to the two towns’ tourist season and commencement rites Thursday for Saugatuck High School Class of 2024…
Saugatuck girls win SAC track title
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorGOBLES—We Are the Champions.Saugatuck girls track coach Angelina Bauer just might want to consider making that the theme song for her team.Four days after claiming a Division 4 regional championship, the Trailblazers added a SAC title to…
Obituary: Judith Mabel Jensen (neé Weinberg)
Judith Mabel Jensen (neé Weinberg) of Glenn, passed away peacefully on May 20, 2024.She was born in Chicago on Dec. 14, 1938 to Marie Weinberg (née Petersen) and Henry Weinberg. She was united in marriage to the love of her life,…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorRisk ReductionI haven’t written this story yet but may soon. It’s about the Saugatuck Township gun range.The gun range is in the township, not owned by it. But it may need one in self-defense. With prime land —…
Otsego claims Wolverine Conference championship
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorTHREE RIVERS—Otsego’s Spencer Shearer and Vicksburg’s Luke Malocha finished atop the leader board at the Wolverine Conference Championship at Pine View in Three Rivers on Wednesday, May 22.Shearer and Malocha each carded a three-under-par 69, finishing four…
Obituary: Hermina “Betty” VanDenBrink
Proverbs 31 says of a virtuous woman “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her…
Obituary: Roger J. Rininger
Roger J. Rininger was unconventional, a masterful storyteller, and an intrepid traveler. He was a connoisseur of the unique and different. Throughout his life, he wove tales of adventure and wonder, captivating all who had the privilege of listening. Whether recounting his…
Obituary: Donna Hazel (Schanz) Robart
On the evening of May 21, 2024, Donna Hazel (Schanz) Robart of Plainwell went to be with Jesus in Heaven, at the age of 94. Donna was born July 30, 1929, to William and Ada Schanz of Allegan. Donna and…
Life as Performance Art
For the past few summers, a small group of fellow journalists, all writers for the British magazine The Chap, have banded together, along with some other friends, wives and sweet-hearts for their Annual Grand Flaneur. Last year there were some sixty “Chaps”…
