Resident places electronics in suitcase, calls police with bomb threat
On Tuesday, September 23, 2025 at 6:36 p.m., the Clare County Central Dispatch received a call from a 35 year old Harrison man identified as Zachery Scott Combs stating two subjects had left a suitcase containing an explosive device near…
Farwell football team bows to St. Louis
By John RaffelCorrespondent FARWELL — Farwell’s football fell to St. Louis 28-12 on Friday in Jack Pine Conference football actionSt. Louis started the game by scoring on a 9 play 55 yard drive to make it 6-0.Farwell would respond on…
Interurban benches
Project leader Linda Grossglausen joins Interurban director Becky-Carten Crandell and driver Terry Klinge at new marina stop. (Photo by Scott Sullivan)
Car-tree crash injures one
By Scott Sullivan Editor The driver of a Honda CR-V suffered minor head lacerations after colliding with a hillside tree Sept. 15 near the corner of 60th Street and 128th Avenue in Saugatuck Township. The Saugatuck Township Fire District, Allegan…
Saugatuck volleyball team drops pair of tough matches
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorThe volleyball match between Saugatuck and Lawton on Thursday, Sept. 18, started well enough for the host Trailblazers.Saugatuck took the opening set 25-20.Unfortunately for the Trailblazers, they weren’t able to sustain that momentum and dropped the next…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorBuggyI’m moving to Japan, where they keep bugs as pets. Not just fleas as a corollaries to dogs and cats — real insects.“Japanese people,” reports Yuri Kageyama for the Associated Press, “appreciate the glitter of fireflies let loose…
Saugatuck slates full plate of fall fun
By Scott SullivanEditorSaugatuck will host a fall cornucopia of fun events ranging from a flower world activation to dark sky night at Oval Beach to Halloween parade in coming weeks, per a slate of special events approved by city council…
Douglas schedules open house Oct. 20 for new hall
Douglas will host an open house at its soon to be new municipal building at 415 Wiley Road Monday, Oct. 20 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.The city plans to move city hall, police and public works offices into the renovated…
Liquid Note, Maude’s Taphouse set to close this weekend
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor A pair of downtown Otsego businesses are closing their doors for good, the owners announced via social media on Wednesday, Sept. 17.Liquid Note—a brewery and live-music venue located at 119 E. Allegan St.—and Maude’s Taphouse (117…
Arrest made in connection with Northside Park fire
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 2, the large, wooden playground structure at Otsego’s Northside Park was set ablaze.Less than three weeks later, charges have been filed in the case.According to Otsego Director of Police and…
Plainwell cross country teams perform well at Bangor Invite
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor BANGOR—The boys cross country teams from Plainwell and Paw Paw had quite the battle for the top spot at the Bangor Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 20.And despite putting all five of their scoring runners in the…
Allegan boys tennis team hosts stacked tourney
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor For the record, Allegan was not hosting the Division 4 Boys Tennis State Finals on Saturday, Sept. 20.But based on the level of talent on hand at the Gary Ellis Courts, it had the feel of…
Life as Performance Art
The name “Ned Ludd” was quietly whispered from person to person throughout the central part of England beginning in the early 1800s. People would say, “We’re going to meet up with Ned Ludd tonight at the Dew Droppe Inn.” …
Mike’s Musings: Erika Kirk’s Greatest Act of Courage-Forgiving the Unforgivable
When tragedy strikes, our instincts often turn toward anger, resentment, and the pursuit of vengeance. That is human nature. Yet, every so often, someone rises above those instincts and shows us a higher way — a path of grace that…
Liquid Note, Maude’s Taphouse set to close this weekend
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor A pair of downtown Otsego businesses are closing their doors for good, the owners announced via social media on Wednesday, Sept. 17.Liquid Note—a brewery and live-music venue located at 119 E. Allegan St.—and Maude’s Taphouse (117…
Oktoberfest featured car show and live music
Oktoberfest, held in Bloomingdale’s Augustus Haven Park, Sept. 19-21, saw many people attend the Friday night through Sunday morning event. Some of the many activities and events on Saturday included the Galvan Industries Car Show, which saw Chris Serdel capture…
Steele and Sadie Evans to continue the “incredibly orange tradition,” as Evans Acres Family Farm
By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com. In a recent social media post, a great-nephew of Gene (The Pumpkin Man) Rhodes, who passed away last December, announced that he and his wife had purchased the family farm that Gene operated from 1957 to…
Gobles volleyball team win
By John RaffelCorrespondent GOBLES — The Gobles varsity volleyball team won a hard-fought five-set battle against Saugatuck, with scores of 17-25, 25-12, 17-25, 25-22, and 18-16. Kylee led the team with 18 digs and seven aces, while Ellie Wood added…
Judge Thomas Wilson under judicial review
By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer 4th Circuit Court Judge, Thomas Wilson, is now formally under judicial tenure review by the Judicial Tenure Commission of the State of Michigan. On Sept. 11, the JTC filed a formal complaint against Wilson, including…
Two dead after Wednesday morning fire
By KATHRYN PALON Contributing Writer Two people perished in a Tompkins Township house fire Wednesday morning. According to the Michigan State Police, troopers from the Jackson post were dispatched at around 10:20 a.m. to a residential fire in the 6800…





PUBLIC NOTICE
2026 ALLEGAN COUNTY PROPOSED FINAL BUDGET
The Board of Commissioners of the County of Allegan will hold a budget hearing on Thursday, October 9, 2025, for all interested citizens to comment and discuss the proposed budget.
The hearing will take place at 7:00 PM in the Board Room, County Services Building, 3283–122nd Avenue, Allegan, Michigan, to discuss the proposed budget. The property tax millage rate proposed to be levied to support the proposed budget will be a subject of this hearing. The public may also participate in the meeting/public hearing by calling 1-929-205-6099, Meeting ID: 891 6032 7098, and Meeting Password 471420. For other options connecting to the meeting, please visit the meeting calendar website at www.allegancounty.org or contact the County Administrator’s Office.
The proposed budget may be examined online at www.allegancounty.org under News Media Room or on weekdays at the Office of the Allegan County Administrator (address below), between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. All interested citizens will have the opportunity to give written and/or oral comments.
County will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities at the public hearing upon one (1) week notice. Individuals requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the following in writing or by telephone:
Robert J. Sarro,
County Administrator,
3283 – 122nd Avenue,
Allegan, Michigan, 49010
269-673-0239