Plainwell HS band wins ‘favorite band’ contest, OHS places second
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Which high school marching band in West Michigan is the favorite?That’s the question Kalamazoo-based radio station 103.3 WKFR wanted to answer through its aptly titled Favorite High School Marching Band in Southwest Michigan contest.And it was…
Otsego receives MDOT grant for two bridges
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The two bridges in the City of Otsego—one at Farmer Street and one at North Street—are inspected every two years by the Michigan Department of Transportation.“All of our inspections have been in compliance and show no…
Human remains are those of Allegan County woman
On November 13, troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) responded to a welfare check and missing-person complaint at a property on the 600 block of Lincoln Road — near M-89 and 106th Avenue — after a 48-year-old Allegan County…
Boys Wrestling Season Preview:
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor ALLEGANThe 2024-25 season was a special one for Allegan.Under the guidance of former Tiger standout Chase Beard, Allegan won a state quarterfinal match for the first time in more than a decade before falling in the…
Allegan boys basketball opens with win
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The Brian Baker era of Allegan boys basketball has officially started.And a good start it was.Baker, in his first season as coach for the Tigers, led Allegan to a 54-41 victory in the season opener against…
Life as Performance Art
The other day I ran into a longtime friend I haven’t seen for the better part of the year, even though we live less than a mile apart.We quickly caught up, exchanged news and realized we are both appalled by…
European-type castle goes up for sale in county
By Gari Voss The news hit the realty pages and social media on November 15, 2025. Castle Van Kula in Allegan County was listed for $1.2 million. The 7,527 sq. foot residence designed and built by Charles VanKula was completed…
Human remains are those of Allegan County woman
On November 13, troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) responded to a welfare check and missing-person complaint at a property on the 600 block of Lincoln Road — near M-89 and 106th Avenue — after a 48-year-old Allegan County…
Lawrence basketball bids for fun season
By John RaffelCorrespondent LAWRENCE — Noah Wiswary will be coaching a Lawrence boys basketball team which he is confident can have a lot of success this season.“Last year we did not win many games on paper. However we were able…
Mike’s Musings: Why America Needs Controlled Borders, Not Open Ones
The debate over America’s border policies often gets tangled in national politics, angry cable-news segments, and social-media shouting. But beneath all that noise, the issue comes down to something our readers in Allegan, Clare, Van Buren, St. Joseph, Calhoun, Jackson…
Holiday spirit shines bright in South Haven over weekend
By James Windell It couldn’t have been a more fitting holiday kickoff than the Holiday in the Park event on Friday, November 28, 2025.The event, organized by Visit South Haven, brought people to downtown South Haven where everybody was having…
Storefront shuffle taking place downtown
By James Windell Is there a better source of information about what’s going on downtown in South Haven than realtor Ryan Servatius?If there is, please let me know.A conversation with Servatius, who is the Century 21 realtor at 253 Center…
Snowstorm drops a foot of snow on South Haven streets
The weekend snowstorm resulted in huge piles of snow that needed to be removed from downtown South Haven streets.Photo by Tom Renner.
Gobles tree farm sends nearly 650 Christmas trees to military bases
State Rep. Pauline Wendzel took part in the 20th annual Trees for Troops event hosted by Wahmhoff Farms Nursery, Gobles. Nearly 650 trees were loaded Monday morning, Dec. 1, by approximately 100 volunteers (including Wahmhoff representatives) into FedEx trailers and…
Van Buren villages begin holiday celebrations this weekend
Lawrence to welcome Santa Claus LAWRENCE – The 11th annual Lawrence Hometown Christmas Celebration will be held Saturday, Dec. 6, with a Light Up Parade at 6 p.m., beginning at Lawrence Public Schools, and will travel to the Lawrence Village…
Paw Paw prepares for Christmas in the Village
PAW PAW – Paw Paw will sparkle with holiday cheer this season as the community debuts its new Christmas in the Village celebration – two days of festivities, local spirit, and small-town magic.The event kicks off Friday, Dec. 12, with…
Historical Notebook: RAILROAD BUFFER
By Frank Passic This year there was some serious trimming of foliage and small trees on the west side of N. Eaton St. across from Albion’s Michigan Central Railroad depot in the vicinity of an old-style fire hydrant. That…
Albion households are facing a rising need
By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer Recent discussions about the region’s economic outlook have renewed attention to the needs of many area residents. At last month’s Economic Club luncheon at Albion College, the Upjohn Institute presented a countywide economic forecast showing…
Albion Arts Center gives area artists a home and opens doors just in time for the holidays
By SYLVIA BENAVIDEZ Contributing Writer A historic brick building behind downtown Albion’s iconic Coca Cola sign finds new life as the home of the Albion Arts Center and area artists finally have a permanent place to show their work, sell…





















