Champions!
A pair of local swimmers came home with championships from the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 State Finals at the Holland Aquatic Center on Saturday, March 14.Otsego senior Liam Smith (left) won in both the 200-yard IM and…
Otsego, Plainwell set for big weekend of high school musicals
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor For musical theater fans, the Otsego-Plainwell area will be the place to be next week.Both Otsego High School and Plainwell High School will take the stage with their annual spring musicals, offering audiences two distinct productions…
Allegan tennis faces Portage Central, Otsego
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor PORTAGE—The Allegan girls tennis team got an early look at its 2026 lineup with preseason action at the Maple Street YMCA.The Tigers faced Division 1-ranked Portage Central as well as former Wolverine Conference rival Otsego in…
Softball Preview:
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor ALLEGANAs she enters her first season as head coach at Allegan, Danielle Brodhagen said the team has one primary focus.“We’re focusing on being women of integrity,” she said.Because if the players on the team approach everything…
Life as Performance Art
Sometime in the 1970s my late wife Pat was hired to run an elder artists program for the City of Chicago. Her job was to recruit senior citizens to design and make art to be sold in places like Carson…
Allegan Folklife Music-Art Festival returns to AHS
By Gari Voss Thanks to the Allegan Folklife, the Music and Art Festival returns to the Allegan High School Performing Arts Center, 1560 M-40, Allegan, on Saturday, March 28, 2026, beginning at 10am. When the doors open, guests will become…
Hopkins Schools going all out to get bond approved
By Joseph SchultzAlthough the upcoming millage request was not officially on the agenda, it remained a prominent topic during Monday night’s Hopkins School Board meeting. Held at Sycamore Elementary in Dorr, the meeting room featured posters displaying details about the…
Townships seek hot meal reinstatement
By John RaffelCorrespondent ALLEGAN — Following the Allegan County Board of Commissioner’s vote last month to award the county millage taxpayer funded senior meals program to a Kent County organization when the current contract expires March 31, the Gun Plain…
Mattawan cheerleaders issue team awards
By John Raffel Mattawan cheer coach Nicole Plumb has announced her 2025-26 team awards.Positive Mental Attitude: Marissa Rutledge,Best Energy: Teagan Cassada.Most Inspiring: Annie Headaphol.True Loyalty: Makena Watson and Ashley Smith.Most Valuable Player Round 1: Ashley Smith.Most Valuable Player Round 2:…
United Christian Services (UCS) fundraiser surpasses $45,000
PAW PAW – United Christian Services held its fifth annual themed “Cups of Compassion” Thursday, March 12, at 600 E. Michigan Ave. The sold-out event gave those who attended an opportunity to choose a hand painted cup, enjoy a catered…
Maritime Museum looking for sailors
By James Windell Ever wonder what it would be like to be part of the crew on a tall ship?Could you see yourself sailing out on Lake Michigan every day this summer? Using terms like braces, sheets, and halyards and…
Waves sweep 57-year-old off of South Haven pier
A 57-year-old man reported to be from out-of-state escaped with his life when waves swept him off the Lake Michigan south pier in South Haven on Friday evening.South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) and South Haven Police Department responded to…
South Haven hires Beach Safety Manager and Chief Lifeguard
By James Windell When the South Haven City Council voted to move forward to create a lifeguard program that would begin by Memorial Day, 2026, it was clear that in order to actually have lifeguards on duty this summer a…
Stein retires from South Haven Memorial Library Board
By James Windell When Jean Stein thinks about her 33 years on the South Haven Memorial Library Board, she can’t help but reminisce about how the library has been through rough times.“We’re in really good shape now,” Stein says as…
Village of Paw Paw pays tribute to its volunteers
By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com PAW PAW – A Volunteer Recognition Night was held Tuesday, March 10, at St. Julian Winery’s Apollo Banquet Hall, where the Village of Paw Paw paid tribute to volunteers who had served on boards, commissions or…
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient visits Paw Paw Middle School
In an all-school assembly on Tuesday, March 10, students at Paw Paw Middle School had the rare opportunity to hear a message from Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, James C. McCloughan. Born and raised in Van Buren County, Specialist Five…
Multiple crashes reported late Monday along stretch of I-94, causing westbound shutdown
VAN BUREN COUNTY – On Monday, March 16, at approximately 5:45 p.m., Van Buren County Dispatch began receiving multiple 911 calls reporting numerous traffic crashes along westbound Interstate-94 near the 56-mile marker, according to a press release from the Van…
Mike’s Musings: Speculators, not war are driving gas prices higher
Every time Americans pull up to the pump, they’re told the same story: gas prices are high because of global supply problems, geopolitical tensions, or refinery issues. Those factors certainly play a role. For instance the war with Iran has…
Hocter, Burns win state wrestling individual titles
B Jeff Steers Contributing Writer Local wrestlers Austyn Hocter of Hanover-Horton and Wyatt Burns of Springport high schools won MHSAA state individual wrestling titles Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit. They did it in different fashions. Hocter dominated his match…
