OPS sets interviews for superintendent candidates
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The search for the next superintendent of Otsego Public Schools continues to move forward.On Thursday, March 13, members of the Otsego School Board met to review the 22 individuals who had applied for the position. Deeming…
PHS presents ‘Tuck Everlasting: The Musical’
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor If you had the opportunity to live forever, would you take it?That’s the question at the heart of “Tuck Everlasting: The Musical,” which Plainwell High School will perform from Friday, March 28, through Sunday, March 30.The…
State Champs
It was a good day for area swimmers and divers at the Division 3 State Finals on Saturday, March 15.Otsego’s Liam Smith (left) won titles in the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly, while Plainwell’s Sam Harper claimed the 500…
Blazers fall to P-W in regional semis
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorGRANDVILLE—All things, no matter how good, must eventually come to an end.For the Saugatuck girls basketball team, the end came in a Division 3 regional semifinal on Monday, March 10.Taking on top-ranked and unbeaten Pewamo-Westphalia, the Trailblazers…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorDadDon’t you hate columns that start “Don’t you hate …”? Pick your poison. We all hate, say, robocalls. So how come there are so many?I call folks who lean on tropes like these faux curmudgeons. A real one…
Pub Crawl spreads green through downtown streets
By Scott SullivanEditorSaturday passed for St. Paddy’s during Saugatuck’s downtown pub crawl March 15. Throngs o’ leprechauns — clad in shamrock shades, green sequined hats and Guinness beads — Irish jigged, jogged and staggered down early-sprouting streets.T’was windy out. “Aye,…
Otsego’s Smith capture two more state championships
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor YPSILANTI—People collect all sorts of things, like baseball cards, stamps, coins and rocks.Otsego junior Liam Smith? He collects state championships.In the Division 3 Boys Swim & Dive State Finals on Saturday, March 15, Smith won both…
Softball Season Preview:
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor ALLEGANAfter the Allegan softball team saw its 2024 season ended early due to a lack of healthy players, the Tigers are back for the 2025 campaign.And coach Luis Perez has some high hopes for this year’s…
Steelhead Fishing
Every March, large numbers of steelhead fish spawn in the Kalamazoo river, and fishermen flock to the area. Couple that with last week’s bout of 50, 60 degree temperatures, and it produces this picture – Fisherman packed in like sardines…
Allegan County Sheriff’s Office 2025 Annual Awards
By Piper Raab On the evening of Monday, March 3rd, the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office hosted their Annual Awards Ceremony for 2024, at the Martin High School Auditorium. There were 35 Deputies, in all, that received special recognition and honor…
Sheriff’s office investigates fatality in Leighton Twp
By John RaffelCorrespondent On Monday, March 17, around 7:30 p.mm, Allegan County Central Dispatch received a call for a serious traffic crash in the 4700 Block of 7th St in Leighton Township. Preliminary investigation shows a south bound SUV left the roadway…
Hoekstra nominated to be Canada ambassador
By John RaffelCorrespondent ALLEGAN — Former U.S. Congressman Pete Hoekstra, who lives in AlleganCounty, is the President’s nominee to be Ambassador to Canada. Hoekstra appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations committee last week for a confirmation hearing.“In his opening statement,…
Three Gobles players receive honors
By John RaffelCorrespondent GOBLES — Three Gobles players received all-conference honors this season.Picking up first-team honors were junior Jayden Otis who averaged 14 points and 8.5 rebounds a game and Aden Newberry who was at 11 points and nine boards…
Mike’s Musings: Let’s not spoil special relationship with Canada
President Trump likes to say his favorite word is “tariff.” He hopes to use the word to force corporations to locate in the United States, instead of other countries where they have tax and trade advantages. More corporations mean more…
Life as Performance Art
BY G.C. STOPPELFew hold party politics and politicians in high esteem. Campaigns grow longer and more expensive and polarization fiercer. Consensus and compromise are no longer goals; they are dirty words.The last presidential election was packed with negative ads and…
South Haven gets new water storage tank
South Haven’s new million gallon concrete water storage tank is rising out of the ground.When completed in 2026, it will replace a crumbling century–old tank located on Blue State Memorial Highway.The new tank is located near the City of South…
New Condos planned for downtown South Haven
By James Windell Plans for three new condominiums in downtown South Haven are gaining momentum.A proposed project by local developers Locker & Locker Properties LLC to construct three condominiums on the upper floor of the building that houses The Shoe…
Finally, STR ordinance approved by City Council
By James Windell The City of South Haven has its first revised Short-term Rental ordinance since 2018. The South Haven City Council approved a much-debated ordinance at its meeting on Monday, March 17, 2025.But getting there wasn’t easy.In 2018, the…
BOC to seek $3 million grant for 9-1-1 center
By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com PAW PAW – Van Buren County Commissioners on Tuesday, March 11, approved a re-quest, on an expedited basis, the submission of an application for Congressionally Di-rected Spending (CDS) for $3 million to construct a new 911…
Stolen vehicle recovered, felon found in possession of firearms
By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com PAW PAW TWP. – A stolen vehicle was recovered, in addition to several guns and ammunition, while a felon was found to be in possession of firearms, following an incident that occurred Friday, March 14, in…
