Allegan County News & Union Enterprise

Record number of OHS seniors graduate with distinction

Record number of OHS seniors graduate with distinction

Editorial StaffJun 11, 20257 min read

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…

PHS honors top graduating seniors for 2025

PHS honors top graduating seniors for 2025

Editorial StaffJun 11, 20256 min read

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…

Man sentenced for deadly car accident

Man sentenced for deadly car accident

Editorial StaffJun 11, 20253 min read

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…

Otsego girls soccer suffers regional loss

Editorial StaffJun 11, 20251 min read

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…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffJun 11, 20256 min read

    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…

Mike’s Musings: My Father My Hero

Mike’s Musings: My Father My Hero

Editorial StaffJun 11, 20253 min read

(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…

Bridgefest set for this weekend

Bridgefest set for this weekend

Editorial StaffJun 11, 20252 min read

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…

Confirmed case of measles identified in Allegan County

Confirmed case of measles identified in Allegan County

Editorial StaffJun 11, 20254 min read

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…

Governor declares state of emergency for Allegan County

Governor declares state of emergency for Allegan County

Editorial StaffJun 11, 20251 min read

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…

PHS principal oversees first graduation ceremony

PHS principal oversees first graduation ceremony

Editorial StaffJun 4, 20253 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The Plainwell High School Class of 2025 will always hold a special place in PHS principal Marvin Taylor’s heart.“With this being my first year at PHS, I will have many fond memories with this year’s graduating…

OHS moves graduation indoors

OHS moves graduation indoors

Editorial StaffJun 4, 20253 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor With the weather refusing to cooperate, Otsego Public Schools officials were forced to move the district’s graduation ceremony into the high school gymnasium on Wednesday, May 21.And while Otsego High School principal Thomas Reed wasn’t exactly…

Hoffman claims pair of state championships

Hoffman claims pair of state championships

Editorial StaffJun 4, 20251 min read

Otsego junior Emma Hoffman entered the MHSAA Division 2 Girls Track & Field State Finals as the prohibitive favorite to win state titles in the 1,600 and the 3,200.She didn’t dissapoint, as she did, indeed, secure both of those championships.…

Otsego’s Hoffman sets record in 3,200 at D2 State Finals

Editorial StaffJun 4, 20252 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor HAMILTON—Otsego junior Emma Hoffman made some history at the Division 2 Girls Track State Finals on Saturday, May 31.With a win in the 1,600 (personal-best 4:52.86) already under her belt, Hoffman won the 3,200 with a…

Allegan beats Hopkins in shootout

Editorial StaffJun 4, 20253 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor SOUTH HAVEN—For the second year in a row, a district girls soccer contest between Allegan and Hopkins came down to a shootout.And for the second year in a row, it was the Tigers who came out…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffJun 4, 20256 min read

   Growing up, we had the usual generational divides in our home.  When my parents were born, they were included as part of the Silent Generation who lived through the Spanish Flu, Roaring Twenties, Great Depression, World War Two.  Right…

Bridgefest 2025 on the horizon

Bridgefest 2025 on the horizon

Editorial StaffJun 4, 20253 min read

By Gari Voss 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…

Allegan, Van Buren firefighters battle two similar fires on the same day

Allegan, Van Buren firefighters battle two similar fires on the same day

Editorial StaffJun 4, 20253 min read

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher At about 4:45 pm on Sunday, June 1st, emergency services were dispatched to an ablaze residence on the south (Van Buren County) side of Baseline Road near 51 ½ in Columbia Township.Deputies from the Van Buren…

Mike’s Musings: Emphasis on education in 2026 election

Mike’s Musings: Emphasis on education in 2026 election

Editorial StaffJun 4, 20255 min read

Rick Snyder’s Vision for Education: A Bold Step for the 2026 ElectionChampioning the Future of LearningIn the rapidly shifting landscapes of politics and policy, it is rare to encounter a leader who prioritizes the foundational pillars of society—education being chief…

PHS musical program to host ‘Encore’ benefit concert

PHS musical program to host ‘Encore’ benefit concert

Editorial StaffMay 28, 20253 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Are you or someone you know an alumni of Plainwell High School musical program?If so, PHS choir director Abby Ernst would like to invite you to “reprise” one or your roles from a musical in which…

OPS releases summer meal, Bookin’ Bus schedule

OPS releases summer meal, Bookin’ Bus schedule

Editorial StaffMay 28, 20253 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The end of the school year is rapidly approaching for area districts.But after classes end for students who attend Otsego Public Schools on Thursday, June 12, the district will continue to provide services during the summer…