May I Walk with You? Blessed
Recently, I had the opportunity to loan my daughter my pretty blue truck, because hers would not start. I got the call at 6:30 am. I had just got dressed, and my instant reaction was not positive. I was soon…
Residents shaken as fire ignites in Gateway apartments Later determined just a kitchen fire
By Christopher Johnson This past Sunday at roughly 5 PM, emergency crews rushed to the Gateway Village high-rise after reports of a fire. According to residents, the incident began in a third-floor apartment when a kitchen burner was left on…
Surrey Board unhappy with GFL, BS&A contracts Clerk says BS&A contract is a nightmare
By David Hutchinson The Regular Meeting was held in the Surrey Township Hall on September 9 at 6 p.m. All five board members were present—Mike Coon, Mindy Campbell, Glenna Bradbury, Dixie Adams, and Paul Ghinelli. More than 20 people attended.The…
Saugatuck cross country teams place second at Holly
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorHOLLY—Under the leadership of the husband/wife team of Rick and Angelina Bauer, the Saugatuck cross country team has never shied away from tough competition.Case in point: the Trailblazers moved up a Division at the Holly Duane Raffin…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorWild ThingA girl raised by apes has been found in northern India. The press there likens her to Mowgli, the wild boy in Rudyard Kipling’s novel “The Jungle Book,” which has been spun off into films, comic books…
Lakeshore Harvest Riders outlast rain
More than 400 riders were undeterred by early morning showers Saturday, venturing out to enjoy the 14th annual Lakeshore Harvest Ride fundraiser for the Friends of the Blue Star Trail.Once the rain abated mid-morning, cyclists were able to more fully…
Township OKs 30-home Singapore Retreat
By Scott SullivanEditorNeighbors did not back down from opposing the proposed Singapore Retreat development.But the Saugatuck Township Board Sept. 10 approved granting applicants Koetje Builders LLC and Exxel Engineering PUD (planned unit development) approval to build 30 homes on 8.97…
Northside Park reopens 60 hours after big blaze
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Well, that didn’t take long.Less than three days after the large wooden playground structure at Otsego’s Northside Park was engulfed in flames—the result of suspected arson—the park was open to the public once again.The fire took…
Otsego royalty
During Otsego High School’s homecoming football game on Friday, Sept. 12, Colin Fitzpatrick was crowned king, while Grace DeBoer was named queen. (Photo provided)
Pumpkins in the Park set for Saturday, Oct. 4
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Pumpkins in the Park is turning 20.That’s right. The annual autumn tradition in downtown Plainwell is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, with the event scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4.The fun is scheduled to take place…
Allegan soccer ties Hackett
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor KALAMAZOO—A back-and-forth battle ended in a 2-2 tie when the Allegan boys soccer team traveled to Kalamazoo to face Hackett on Monday, Sept. 15.Allegan opened the scoring when LJ Dial scored off an assist from Sawyer…
Life as Performance
On several occasions, Pat told me that one thing she loved about her father was the first thing he would say in the morning. “Great Day! Wonderful Day! Great Day! That could not have been easy for him because…
Lake Allegan, Calkins dams to be purchased by Hull Energy
By Gari Voss Homeowners around Lake Allegan are releasing a sigh of relief thanks to the announcements by Consumers Energy and Hull Street Energy, LLC (HSE) affiliate Confluence Hydro have reached an agreement on the purchase of the 13 Michigan…
Dive teams from several counties train at Kalamazoo River event
By Gari Voss When the alarm is sounded that a swimmer or boater is in trouble on the water, the call goes to emergency management who puts in motion the appropriate response team. These teams train to ensure that they…
Police seek information regarding Otsego playground fire
The Otsego Police Department is actively investigating an arson fire crime and is requesting anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Otsego Police department at (269)692-6111.On September 2nd, 2025 at approximately 12:18am, Allegan County Dispatch received a call…
Mike’s Musings: A Father’s Painful Choice Shows True Honor
Many of us are grieving the assassination of TPUSA founder, 31-year-old Charlie Kirk. Its unimaginable to me that in this day and age, a person debating students at an outdoor rally in Utah would be murdered.The assassin has been named…
Planning Commission approves variance to allow new STR
By James Windell When Melissa Schlinger appeared before the South Haven Planning Commission on Thursday, September 4, 2025, she requested that the Planning Commission approve her property at 307 Spruce Street for a variance. The reason for the request was…
SH Food Pantry has been serving needy for over 50 years
By James Windell By 9:45 am on a recent Wednesday morning, the cars were lined up in the parking lot of the First Congregational Church on Phoenix Street.That’s the way it has been every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning for…
Beacon to Feature a Series of Stories on Housing in South Haven
In a series of stories starting in this issue of the South Haven Beacon, we will be exploring the problem of a shortage of affordable houses and apartments in South Haven. In this series, we will feature the personal stories of…
Housing shortage in South Haven affects real people
By James Windell Trenton Bulat isn’t looking to buy a house in South Haven. He merely wants an apartment that he and his boyfriend can live in for a long time.But just as there is a shortage of houses in…
