Days of the Rainbow lit up the lakeshore June 1-7 as Community Pride MI rang in Pride Month celebrating theLGBTQ+ community with activities and events including:• A Tea Dance at the Dunes Resort in Douglas, Sunday, June 1;• A Rainbow…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor It was a record-setting year for the Otsego High School Class of 2025 when it came to academic achievement.Each year, OHS bestows special recognition on seniors who are graduating with a grade point average of 4.0…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor For each of its graduating classes, Plainwell High School honors students who compiled a grand point average of 4.0 or higher.This year, 21 members of the PHS Class of 2025 fit that criteria and graduated with…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The driver who caused a deadly drunk-driving crash on US-131 near Plainwell last August received his sentence on Monday, June 2.Mattawan resident Joshua William Bommerscheim, 20, was sentenced to 48 months to 15 years in prison…

A strong defensive unit has been the calling card for the girls soccer team throughout the season.Just how good has the Bulldogs’ defense been?Consider this: Through its first 17 games of the season, Otsego had 12 shutouts with the Bulldogs…

    Over the past three decades and a sprinkling of years I have been fortunate to know a now-retired professor of mathematics at a small university here in Michigan.  Someone once said, “Math is just numbers,” but the subject is…

(I wrote this a few years ago but wanted share it again. Heck I might share this column over and over for years to come. The man meant so much to me)This week I give pause to reflect on my…

Summer in Allegan, MI really begins when Bridgefest hits Riverfront Park and the surrounding streets. All are invited to enjoy time with family and friends while exploring the community tents along Locust and Hubbard Streets, dropping into the many shops…

Allegan County Health Department (ACHD) has confirmed a measles case in Allegan County. ACHD is working closely with the Kent County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to investigate the situation in an effort…

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency in Allegan County after storms and two tornadoes whipped through the area on May 15.The declaration frees up state resources for the county to help local response and recovery efforts. It may…

HarborFest, South Haven’s first big festival of the summer season, is this coming weekend (June 13-14). A highlight is the Saturday morning Dragon Boat races on the Black River near the Southside marina. One of the Dragon Boat teams is pictured…

By James Windell After an initial round of appointments to various boards and commissions on May 19, 2025, the South Haven City Council voted on additional nominations on June 2, 2025.Mayor Annie Brown nominates people for board and commission vacancies…

James Windell After considerable debate and some acrimony, the South Haven City Council approved an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance that pertains to signs in the yards of residences.Community residents frequently over the past few months expressed concern about the…

James Windell When Father Bob Flickinger saw St. Basil Church overlooking Lake Michigan, he knew he had found his dream parish. He lived that dream for 10 years as pastor of St. Basil.Recently, Fr. Bob was recognized by South Haven…

Each year, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office submits several incidents to the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) for consideration by the voting committee. This year, at the recently held MSA Conference, Sergeant Paul Graham, far left, was awarded the MSA…

Patrick Vincent, a reporter, and Robin Fasseur, a photographer, both employed by the Gazet van Antwerpen, the newspaper of the city and province of Antwerpen, Belgium, traveled to Van Buren County on Sunday and Monday where they visited and took…

By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com MATTAWAN – Longtime Mattawan resident Dave Ballinger knows firsthand the meaning of service to your country as he had five uncles who served during World War II.It was Ballinger’s maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Koole,…

By John RaffelCorrespondent GOBLES — Gobles softball season came to a close with a 23-7 record with a 13-2 loss to Mendon in the district finals.Erica Barber took the loss for Gobles in the pitcher’s circle, with 10 hits. Riley…

Photo by albionmich.net A ribbon cutting was held Thursday morning at 312 Fitch Street in Albion to celebrate the completion of a new modular home built through a partnership between the City of Albion, MSHDA, and Norfolk Homes. About 20…