Obituary: Ronald Thomas Shilling
Ronald Thomas Shilling passed away June 23, 2022, at his home in Weidman. Born July 30, 1941, he was the son of Thomas & Marguerite (Martin) Shilling. Ron married the love of his life, his partner in crime and best friend Barbara…
Summerfest was a hit in Clare
Clare Chamber Director Dave Coker posted, “We are wrapping up all the detail on an amazing Summerfest! We were able to give away several hundred free ice cream cones, Our Community After Hours at the Doherty House had perfect weather…
No fireworks in Clare this year, but Harrison has them
By Pat MaurerCorrespondent Due to a shipping issue, Clare did not have a fireworks display as part of the Summerfest celebration this year, but those who love to watch the annual display in the sky for the Fourth of July…
Drunk crashes through barricades in downtown Clare
By Pat MaurerCorrespondent An inebriated Cincinnati man crashed his northbound Denali into a 2,500-pound cement barricade blocking the downtown Clare area around 4:35 a.m. Saturday and pushed the barricade about a block through signs rerouting traffic, tents and other things…
Postcard from the Pines: Have a Lake George Kind of 4th
It’s the 4th of July in the Great North! Light your sparklers and make some S’mores! This is summer as good as it gets here in Marion, Michigan. Of course, the best is yet to come when we celebrate Marion’s…
Faces in the Crowd: Krissta Major
Family and Family Dollar.That sums up a big part of Krissta Major’s life. As Assistant Manager of Marion’s Family Dollar/Dollar Tree store, Krissta enjoys working with a great group of coworkers. She also enjoys helping locals shop for great bargains.After…
Council to contribute funds for Fair electric poles
By John RaffelCorrespondent MARION – The Marion Village Council, at its meeting earlier this month, voted to pay the Marion Fair Board $850 for one-third of the cost of replacing the electric poles with boxes.The board was told the board…
Marion Schools to hire fulltime liaison officer
By John RaffelCorrespondent MARION – Marion Board of Education voted to hire a full time liaison officer at the school board meeting last Tuesday (June 28).“This officer will be a deputy from Osceola County,” superintendent Danyel Prielipp said. “The school…
Missaukee divvies out ARPA funds
By John RaffelCorrespondent LAKE CITY – The Missaukee County American Rescue Plan (ARPA) committee met on Tuesday to discuss the distribution of ARPA funds. Jennifer Burkholder, Merritt Community Development Association, wanted to adjust their request to $8,000 which more accurately…
Obituary: Harvey Junior Hop
Harvey Junior Hop, 95, of Paw Paw, formerly of Holland, MI, passed away Thursday, June 9, 2022, at Grand Pines Assisted Living, Grand Haven, MI. He was born March 14, 1927, in Holland, the son of James Hop and Laura…
Lawrence shows off new pavilion
The Lawrence Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) recently funded the construction of a new 30-by-40-foot pavilion in the Village of Lawrence Park. Lawrence DDA Chairperson Dale Griber said original DDA plans called for a new bandstand to be constructed. However, further…
Royalty chosen for Youth Fair
The 2022 Van Buren Youth Fair royalty were named Sunday, June 26, at the Van Buren Youth fairgrounds, Hartford. This year’s royalty includes from left, Duke – Blake Saidla, of Lawton, a member of the Porter Busy Fingers; Duchess –…
Tour new fire department on July 7
Construction on the new Paw Paw Fire Department building on Gremps Street can be seen in photo above. On Thursday, July 7, the fire department will hold a beam signing and tour of the building, 832 S. Gremps St., from…
Lawton Summerfest set for July 9
By Paul GarrodStaff Writer Lawton – Lawton Summerfest 2022 will be held July 9, in downtown Lawton with a full lineup of activities, concluding with a fireworks show at dusk. Main Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to midnight.…
Obituary: Kevin Lee Eichler
Kevin Lee Eichler, 67 of Allegan, Michigan, passed away Friday, June 17, 2022 at his home. Born August 31, 1954 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he was the son of the late Lyle and Geraldine (Germaine) Eichler and the long-time fiancé of…
Obituary: Dawn Annette Moss
Dawn Annette Moss, age 75, passed away on June 21st, 2022. She is survived by her husband of 15 years, Frank, two children, Jason (Karen) Watson of Hastings, Dan (Erin) Watson of Fennville, two step-children Timothy (Sarah) Moss of Fruitport,…
Obituary: Gary Len Curtiss
Gary passed away unexpectedly, Saturday, June 18, 2022 at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. He was born one minute after his twin brother, Cary, on December 10, 1970 in Kalamazoo, the son of Leonard…
Mike’s Musings: Lincoln never gave up, prevailed
By Mike WilcoxPublisherPerseverance is one of the most important quality traits. Too many of us give up at the slightest resistance and fail to accomplish our goals in life.One of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, is an example of persevering…
Life as Performance Art
By G.C. StoppelNow and then a painting of three men at a writing table comes across my computer screen. They are working together on a document; more papers are beneath the table. They are John Adams, Ben Franklin and Thomas…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorLikeI love power. Study its uses, intents, outcomes, ways to make things happen. It will change from what you’ve assumed or been taught; welcome that. We live acting.Case in point: sleepers shocking themselves awake. The Washington Post’s Tatum…

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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.






