Local business owner helps keep Christian Neighbors’ demonstration kitchen sharp through annual donation
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor For many people who attend healthy cooking classes at Christian Neighbors, the sharp kitchen knives waiting on the counter are simply another tool for preparing a meal.What they may not realize is that those knives were…
Nearby disaster recovery center offers in-person FEMA assistance for Allegan County residents
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Nearly three months after severe storms and tornadoes swept through the Plainwell-Otsego area, residents affected by the April disaster now have a nearby place to receive in-person help applying for federal assistance.One of eight Michigan Disaster…
Life as Performance Art
As the late Yogi Berra once observed on several occasions, “Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.” He is right, and perhaps nothing makes that quite as clear as when we celebrate a significant date or event. Right now,…
Allegan reschedules July Jubilee:America250 with twice the firepower
By Gari Voss The Allegan July 3rd Jubilee has been rescheduled after being postponed by nature’s firework display on July 3, 2026. July Jubilee: America250 will be Friday, July 24, 2026, with all the bells and whistles.5:00pm: Food Trucks beginning…
One Year In, Beacon bets on Allegan’s Hospital
By Art Nicholas When Beacon Health System took ownership of Allegan’s hospital on July 1, 2025, it inherited more than a building. It inherited a community’s long memory — of a facility older residents still describe as once robust and…
Mike’s Musings: America’s Debt Addiction Is the Greatest Threat We Choose to Ignore
Americans worry about inflation. They worry about the cost of groceries, gasoline, mortgages, and whether Social Security will be there when they retire. Yet the greatest financial threat facing our nation is one that receives surprisingly little attention: the staggering…
For more than three decades, Otsego’s Belton measured success one swimmer/diver at a time
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor OTSEGO—Anyone who spent time around an Otsego swim meet during the past three decades probably noticed something about Darryl Belton.Whether one of his athletes had just won a conference championship or another had simply recorded a…
Life as Performance Art
The headline caught my attention: “Mike Rowe says there is a lack of hunger in America.” I am sure I was not the only person who thought he was writing about a lack of food and physical hunger. He…
Allegan July 3rd Jubilee: storms force fireworks cancellation
By Gari Voss On July 3, 2026, in preparation for the July 3rd Jubilee: America250, the food trucks rolled into place along the Allegan Riverfront, floats were being assembled and decorated in preparation for the Parade that would assemble behind…
Incoming Hamilton eighth graders to spend school year at high school
By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher Hamilton Community Schools’ incoming eighth-grade class will spend the 2026-27 school year at Hamilton High School while a major roof replacement is completed at Hamilton Middle School.The temporary relocation, first announced by the district in January,…
Mike’s Musings: America at 250: From a Distant Shore to the Greatest Experiment in Freedom
One could argue, America is much more than 250 years ago. In fact America’s beginnings began over 500 years ago.In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed west across an ocean that many Europeans still viewed as the edge of the known world.…
School supply drive aims to help area students start year prepared
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor As another school year approaches, local residents have an opportunity to help make sure area children head back to the classroom with the supplies they need to succeed.Together Otsego Prospers (TOP) and Otsego Public Schools have…
Construction project on M-89 to be paused for Fourth of July weekend
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Motorists traveling through Otsego during the Fourth of July holiday weekend should encounter fewer construction-related delays along M-89, as the Michigan Department of Transportation is temporarily suspending work on the highway resurfacing project to accommodate the…
Plainwell council deals with rates
By John RaffelCorrespondent The Plainwell City council was slated to deal with rates at a recent meeting.It was noted water and wastewater rates have been adjusted by CPI and updated as part of the budget process. Recommended action was to…
Accolades keep coming for Allegan girls tennis
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Seven All-State selections. A Division 4 Miss Tennis honoree. An undefeated dual-meet season. A regional sweep.Those accomplishments, by themselves, would make for a memorable season.Combined, they helped make the 2026 Allegan girls tennis team one of…
Life as Performance Art
I walked into a local shop to see a long-time friend; I walked out carrying a century old Arts and Crafts era table lamp. I was not on a quest for a lamp. In fact, I did not really…
County communities set to celebrate Independence Day
By Gari Voss The United States is dedicating July 4, 2026, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The 4th of July 2026 falls on a Saturday. Several communities are celebrating Independence Day with…
In Ganges, the fight over short-term rentals turns on data nobody seems to have
By Art NicholasGANGES TOWNSHIP — For all the friction over short-term rentals in this rural Allegan County township, the two sides most often cast as opponents agree on a surprising amount. They agree the rentals should be regulated. They agree…
Mike’s Musings: America at 250 Begins Right Here at Home
This Fourth of July is unlike any other in our nation’s history. As fireworks illuminate the night sky and families gather for parades, picnics, and backyard barbecues, Americans are celebrating something truly remarkable—the 250th birthday of the United States of…
Otsego-Plainwell Area Chamber of Commerce celebrates move to new location
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor After more than 20 years in the Masonic Lodge in downtown Otsego, the Otsego-Plainwell Area Chamber of Commerce is preparing to begin a new chapter.The Chamber recently announced it will relocate its offices to the Otsego…
