Susan M. Powers Balks, age 71, of Holland, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, surrounded by her family.  Susan was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. on March 16, 1953. When she was three years old, the family moved…

By Scott SullivanEditorHeroesThursday, Aug. 15, 12:44 p.m., southbound on Blue Star Highway from I-196 Exit 41 towards Saugatuck, an Allegan County Sheriff’s cruiser raced by, siren on, lights flashing, around stopped traffic through the 64th Street light beyond where, bottlenecked,…

By Scott SullivanEditorThe greater life’s call, the greater life’s response. Witness Thursday, Aug. 15, 12:40 p.m. when a South Haven man, 55, northbound on Blue Star Highway approaching the Kalamazoo River bridge, suffered what police believe was a medical condition.His…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Joining the Trojan family.That’s how Marvin Taylor describes his hire as the new Plainwell High School principal.“I was looking for a position that would allow me to prioritize students, challenge me professionally and allow me to…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Welcome back.That’s what teachers and staff members throughout the Otsego Public School District were saying to students on Monday, Aug. 19.That was the first day of the 2024-25 school year for the district, with Otsego High…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor NILES—The 2024 season started on a high note for the Plainwell cross country teams.Competing at the Niles Viking Stampede on Friday, Aug. 16, the Plainwell girls team dominated with 19 total points to outdistance runner-up Niles…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor ALLEGANThe year was 2010.The original “Avatar” ruled the box office. Barack Obama was in his first term as president of the United States. And Apple released the iPad.Also that year? The Allegan football team posted a…

LaVerne “Vern” Dale Kraft went to be with his loving Savior Jesus Christ on August 13, 2024. Vern was born to his late parents Clifford and Daun (Curtis) Kraft on June 11, 1945, in Allegan, Michigan. Vern married the apple…

By Gari Voss The Old Jail Museum in Allegan has been celebrating the Allegan County Historical Society’s 70th anniversary. To take a step back into Allegan County’s history, Dave Thompson convinced local artist Pat Broadhurst to compile some of her…

The Walkabout of the Roundabout in Allegan where M89 from the east and M40 from the south meet Hubbard, Ely and Cedar Streets will be Thursday, August 22, 2024, from 5:30-7:30pm. The MI Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the City…

By John BriceCorrespondent Sad news was announced this past week in regards to the passing of Lanett Fire & EMS Chief Johnny Allen. Details were provided via an August 14th post on the Facebook page for the Chambers County Emergency…

On August 15, Main Street Alabama held its eleventh annual Awards of Excellence Banquet at the Community House in Monroeville to celebrate the successes of local programs. The event was sponsored by Alabama Municipal Electric Authority and University of West…

By John RaffelCorrespondent PAW PAW – The practice season for coach Mike Lounsbury and his Paw Paw boys soccer team started on Aug. 12 and it’s going to be a very busy time.“The first week of practice will be tryouts…

Dominating the airwaves this week is the Democratic National Convention. Three weeks it was the Republican National Convention. Despite a lot of pomp and circumstance, very little gets done at these four-day lovefests. In my opinion, they should no longer…

I just read in my old hometown newspaper that my elementary school principal died. Mr. Were was 95 and his passing brought back memories. This time of year our minds probably slip back to ready-for-a-new-year-of-school days. The whole cast old and new characters post-summer…

by Jim Whitehouse “There’s Benny walking by on the sidewalk,” says my friend Lyle Pratt. We’re sitting in the café having coffee. “I haven’t seen him in a long time,” I reply, turning my head just in time to see…

By Ken Wyatt Fresh from a Monday morning special meeting of the county board, Commissioner Earl Poleski reported to township boards to expect a 0.25-mill proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot. It will be smaller, shorter, more focused – and…

Deborah L. Herwarth passed away on Aug. 11, 2024. She was born on May 03, 1957, in Albion, Michigan to Billy and Dolores Hurdelbrink. Deborah enjoyed bowling, golf, and volleyball. She was a member of Professional Business Women and Albion…

By Sylvia Benavidez One little girl’s first train ride to Detroit was memorable this weekend, but not for the usual reasons of going on holiday or watching the beautiful scenery fly by while riding the rails. A woman is awaiting…