Allegan County News & Union Enterprise

Arts Competition returns to Otsego District Library

Arts Competition returns to Otsego District Library

Editorial Staff Mar 27, 2026 4 min read

The Otsego Arts Council will host its annual Arts Competition May 1-9 at the Otsego District Public Library, continuing a community event that celebrates artists of all ages.Now in its third year at the library, the competition will feature a…

Plainwell High School set to present ‘Hadestown’

Plainwell High School set to present ‘Hadestown’

Editorial Staff Mar 27, 2026 4 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor A powerful blend of myth, music and storytelling is coming to the Plainwell stage.Plainwell High School will present “Hadestown: Teen Edition” for a three-show run beginning Friday, March 27, and continuing through Sunday, March 29.Showtimes are…

Otsego tennis plays well

Editorial Staff Mar 27, 2026 1 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor PORTLAND—Otsego turned in a strong showing Saturday at the Portland Invitational, competing against Ludington, DeWitt and Portland.The Bulldogs came away with multiple individual flight wins against a competitive field.Senior Ellie Koringa led the way, winning her…

Allegan tennis wins three at Early Bird

Editorial Staff Mar 27, 2026 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Depth was the difference for the Allegan girls tennis team over the weekend.Hosting its annual Early Bird Invitational on Saturday, March 21, the Tigers turned in a dominant performance, going unbeaten against Grand Haven, Coopersville and…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Mar 27, 2026 6 min read

During that brief splat of warm weather earlier this month, I noticed a neighbor had accessorized several trees with small metal buckets, covered with a piece of metal, just underneath a metal tube attached to the tree.I knew from experience…

Senior meal switch has fallout

Senior meal switch has fallout

Editorial Staff Mar 27, 2026 16 min read

By Scott SullivanWriter Arms are up in the precincts after the Allegan County Commission dumped 20-year senior meal provider Community Action for Allegan County in favor of Grandville-based Meals on Wheels for $8.50 per meal, compared to CAAC’s $12.27). CAAC’s…

9-year-old honored for lifesaving CPR

9-year-old honored for lifesaving CPR

Editorial Staff Mar 27, 2026 3 min read

By Gari Voss Logan Vangemert made his way onto the stage at Brandon Elementary School on Friday morning, March 20, 2026, to receive the Heart Saver Award from the American Heart Association. Though this was the regular monthly school-wide assembly,…

Mike’s Musings: Scrap Current System if we can’t figure out how to pay TSA agents

Mike’s Musings: Scrap Current System if we can’t figure out how to pay TSA agents

Editorial Staff Mar 27, 2026 4 min read

This logjam that has TSA agents not being paid is absurd. We are now going on week 5 and those providing security at the nation’s airports- our TSA agents haven’t been paid. That’s because they are beholden on Congress to…

Champions!

Champions!

Editorial Staff Mar 18, 2026 1 min read

A pair of local swimmers came home with championships from the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 State Finals at the Holland Aquatic Center on Saturday, March 14.Otsego senior Liam Smith (left) won in both the 200-yard IM and…

Otsego, Plainwell set for big weekend of high school musicals

Otsego, Plainwell set for big weekend of high school musicals

Editorial Staff Mar 18, 2026 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor For musical theater fans, the Otsego-Plainwell area will be the place to be next week.Both Otsego High School and Plainwell High School will take the stage with their annual spring musicals, offering audiences two distinct productions…

Allegan tennis faces Portage Central, Otsego

Editorial Staff Mar 18, 2026 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor PORTAGE—The Allegan girls tennis team got an early look at its 2026 lineup with preseason action at the Maple Street YMCA.The Tigers faced Division 1-ranked Portage Central as well as former Wolverine Conference rival Otsego in…

Softball Preview:

Editorial Staff Mar 18, 2026 12 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor ALLEGANAs she enters her first season as head coach at Allegan, Danielle Brodhagen said the team has one primary focus.“We’re focusing on being women of integrity,” she said.Because if the players on the team approach everything…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Mar 18, 2026 7 min read

Sometime in the 1970s my late wife Pat was hired to run an elder artists program for the City of Chicago. Her job was to recruit senior citizens to design and make art to be sold in places like Carson…

Allegan Folklife Music-Art Festival returns to AHS

Allegan Folklife Music-Art Festival returns to AHS

Editorial Staff Mar 18, 2026 4 min read

By Gari Voss Thanks to the Allegan Folklife, the Music and Art Festival returns to the Allegan High School Performing Arts Center, 1560 M-40, Allegan, on Saturday, March 28, 2026, beginning at 10am. When the doors open, guests will become…

Hopkins Schools going all out to get bond approved

Hopkins Schools going all out to get bond approved

Editorial Staff Mar 18, 2026 3 min read

By Joseph SchultzAlthough the upcoming millage request was not officially on the agenda, it remained a prominent topic during Monday night’s Hopkins School Board meeting. Held at Sycamore Elementary in Dorr, the meeting room featured posters displaying details about the…

Townships seek hot meal reinstatement

Editorial Staff Mar 18, 2026 3 min read

By John RaffelCorrespondent ALLEGAN — Following the Allegan County Board of Commissioner’s vote last month to award the county millage taxpayer funded senior meals program to a Kent County organization when the current contract expires March 31, the Gun Plain…

Mike’s Musings: Speculators, not war are driving gas prices higher

Mike’s Musings: Speculators, not war are driving gas prices higher

Editorial Staff Mar 18, 2026 4 min read

Every time Americans pull up to the pump, they’re told the same story: gas prices are high because of global supply problems, geopolitical tensions, or refinery issues. Those factors certainly play a role. For instance the war with Iran has…

Christian Neighbors hosting Stuff the Bus food drive

Christian Neighbors hosting Stuff the Bus food drive

Editorial Staff Mar 11, 2026 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Christian Neighbors is asking the community for help stocking its food pantry to help those in need.The organization will host its latest Stuff the Bus food drive on Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 21, at…

Siblings celebrate state championships

Siblings celebrate state championships

Editorial Staff Mar 11, 2026 1 min read

Saturday, March 7, is a day that will always hold a special place in the hearts of the members of Nieuwenhuis family from Plainwell.Because it was on that day that siblings Madison and Dylan each earned a Michigan High School…

Plainwell cheer team places sixth at Division 2 State Finals

Editorial Staff Mar 11, 2026 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor MOUNT PLEASANT—The Plainwell competitive cheer team capped another strong season Saturday with a sixth-place finish at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 State Finals at McGuirk Arena on the campus of Central Michigan University.The…