Crew members from Sturgis Department of Public Services on Dec. 30 prepared for repair of a water-main break on Cherry Avenue near Michigan Avenue. MISS DIG provided emergency service for the situation, said Tom Sikorski, director of DPS. Dennis Volkert/Sentinel

Curbside recycling in the city of Sturgis will remain on its twice-monthly collection schedule throughout January. Beginning in February, the sequence will switch to every-other-week. City clerk/treasurer Ken Rhodes confirmed the arrangement earlier this week. Service will continue to alternate between properties…

Typically, the board meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, although some exceptions apply to accommodate “Sturgis Fest” week and some holidays. In addition, special sessions may be announced throughout the year, as situations arise. Meetings begin at…

STURGIS, Mich. — The Strand Theater, a beloved downtown landmark in Sturgis for over six decades under family ownership, has been listed for sale, with its final day of operations set for December 31, 2025.Third-generation owner Eric Saitz announced the…

The city of Sturgis recently reiterated its snow removal policy. Snowfall of 1-3 inches will be addressed with de-icing and plowing as necessary. In some cases, it may involve plowing of intersections, major streets and local roads. Snowfall of 4 inches or more…

By John RaffelCorrespondent CLARE — Clare’s girls wrestling team had three wrestlers compete in the Chippewa Hills Lady Warrior Invitational on Dec. 21.AnnMarie Green took first place at 235 pounds. She got a first-round bye and then she had three…

By Genine Hayden This winter started early and it has given only a small reprieve for Christmas before coming back with a vengeance beginning Friday and hitting hardest Sunday night through Monday.  About half of the residents in Clare County…

By Christopher Johnson According to Clare’s Fire Chief, Sam Eberhart, he has never seen a busier time for the city’s fire department than the week just gone.From 8 o’clock Friday morning until 6 o’clock Monday night, there were between 80…

By John RaffelCorrespondent SOUTH HAVEN — Lyne Badenhorst enjoyed a strong sophomore season for South Haven golf and is looking forward to two more years with the Rams.She shot a 107 in the regionals for 35th place, This was her…

By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com With Mother Nature delivering a one-two knockout punch of rain, ice and snow late Sunday night and Monday morning, Van Buren County Road Commission (VBCRC) crews began an early start Monday to their work week. The…

The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office recently experienced an historic milestone, its first all-female general road patrol shift. Though other deputies are assigned to township-specific cars, this shift handles the countywide general road patrol Shown in photo from left, Deputy…

The Paw Paw Fire Department served as Santa’s personal escort as the Jolly Old Elf made his way on a fire truck through the community on Wednesday, Dec. 24. The fire department has served as Santa’s escort for several years,…

By Scott SullivanEditorMonday’s blizzard brought chaos to local roads when a northbound semi slid off I-196, plunged down the Old Allegan Road overpass and caught fire there.First responders — who battled whiteout conditions, heavy snow and 45-60 mph wind gusts…

By Scott SullivanEditorNew Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance executive director Elaine Sterrett Isely no stranger to nonprofit environmental leadership.Isely took over as the SDCA’s fulltime director Nov. 1 on heels of the group’s 17-year co-founder and board president David Swan’s announcing…

By Scott SullivanEditorBowl BingeThey said it was impossible — watch every holiday college bowl game — and dumb to boot, which meant somebody had to do it. Why not me?First things first: head to Tiny Giant to stock up on…

By Aaron MitchellOtsego City Manger The year 2025 was a great one for the City of Otsego!We started with a few plans and ideas that we planned on tackling throughout the year, but as you could imagine, there were a…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor For more than a decade, patrons of the Otsego District Library have been treated each winter to the annual early literacy fundraiser, which has transformed the library into immersive, storybook-inspired experiences featuring themes such as Charlotte’s…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor A day that many consider to be one of the most joyous of the year took a tragic turn in Gun Plain Township on Christmas night.On Thursday, Dec. 25, a 52-year-old Plainwell-area man was killed after…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor It was a blast from the (not-so-distant) past for Allegan swim & dive coach Carol Gephart when the boys’ team hosted Sturgis on Dec. 16.Six former Allegan swimmers who are now competing at the collegiate level…

In the 1950 movie “Harvey” Jimmy Stewart plays Elwood P. Dowd, a certifiable eccentric befriended by 6-foot invisible rabbit named Harvey.It’s a light comedy, but at one point Dowd says something meaningful: that in order to be liked, one had…