Upset residents address Gun Plain with data center concerns
By Joseph Schultz It was a large, angry, and fearful crowd that assembled for the Gun Plain Township Board Meeting on Thursday night. The crowd of residents were angry about the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) that was being reviewed…
Hopkins bond election ends in tie
By Gari Voss May elections are often overlooked since not all precincts have millages on the ballot or official positions to fill. The May 5, 2026, Allegan County election involved only five proposals and six precincts. All proposals were important,…
Mike’s Musings: One Vote Can Change Everything – remember the tie vote in Hopkins
If anyone still doubts whether one vote matters, they need only look to what happened last Tuesday in Hopkins, a school district in Allegan County. In what some say was a record turnout, a bond issue did not pass because…
Plainwell Farmers’ Market opens Thursday in new downtown location
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor A familiar community favorite returns this week with a fresh look and a new home.The Plainwell Farmers’ Market opens its 2026 season today (Thursday, May 7), with a move to Hicks Park in downtown Plainwell.The market…
Otsego, Plainwell seniors named Wolverine Conference Scholar Athletes
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor A pair of seniors from both Otsego and Plainwell have been recognized for their accomplishments in the classroom and in athletics as part of the Wolverine Conference Scholar Athlete program.This year’s honorees from Otsego are Rebekah…
Hamilton soccer goes 1-1
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor HAMILTON—A diversified scoring attack coupled with a stingy defensive effort proved to be a winning combination for the Hamilton girls soccer team against visiting South Haven on Friday, May 1.Joselyn Paskvan, Emma Slotman, Ellery Rietema, Ashlyn…
Otsego softball drops two to Paw Paw after sweeping Hastings
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor PAW PAW—Otsego’s softball team was competitive throughout a Wolverine Conference doubleheader Monday, May 4, but came up just short in both games against Paw Paw.The Bulldogs dropped the opener 4-3 in a tightly played contest. Otsego…
Life as Performance Art
It turns out I’m a rarity: of all the last or surnames in the U.S., Stoppel ranks at 52,970th from the top of the charts. Still, with some 6.2 million Stoppels, it’s not surprising to discover at least two more…
Mother shoots 10-year-old son, then kills herself
By Elizabeth FersztContributing Writer On Wednesday April 29, 2026, a Fennville mom allegedly shot her 10-year-old son and then took her own life in their Allegan County home.Elisha Mulcahey and her son Daniel were found dead by Allegan County Sheriff…
Grieving family challenges state drunk driving laws
By Elizabeth FersztContributing Writer One year ago last month, the Seifried family of Allegan County experienced the worst kind of tragedy possible: the loss of their 8-month-old daughter, Lucia Iris. On April 26, 2025, a drunk driver plowed into their…
Mike’s Musings: RIP Spirit, you were mocked by many, but this frequent traveler loved you
The news that Spirit Airlines has shut down operations after more than three decades in the sky feels like the end of an era—and not just for bargain travelers. For this frequent Spirit traveler, the news was devastating. I woke…
Plainwell MS bridge building program enjoys historic year
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor It’s been a historic year for Plainwell Middle School’s bridge building program.Seven teams from the school qualified for the State of Michigan Design and Build Bridge Challenge, while another advanced to the national level, highlighting the…
Otsego softball wins two against Wyoming
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The Otsego softball team picked up a non-conference sweep Thursday, shutting out Wyoming before turning its attention to a tough conference doubleheader earlier in the week.The Bulldogs opened with a 5-0 win, finishing with 11 hits…
Allegan track teams shine at home conference meet
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor It came down to the final event.And the Allegan boys track and field team delivered.The Tigers capped a strong night by winning the 1,600-meter relay to secure a narrow victory over Bridgman, completing a sweep of…
Life as Performance Art
The U.S. Postal Service announced April 9 first-class stamps would rise from 78 to 82 cents July 12. Not good news but inflation is touching everything.The problem is people are buying fewer stamps because we are sending fewer first-class letters.…
Woman charged in Baseline Road murder of her boyfriend
By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher “I just shot my boyfriend,” 44-year-old Jennifer Dana Moore told 911 dispatchers just after 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, while calling to report the shooting inside her homeDeputies with the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office were promptly…
Over 400 grams of meth seized at traffic stop in Martin Twp
Four Kalamazoo residents are in custody after more than 400 grams of crystal methamphetamine were recovered during a traffic stop in Allegan County this past week. On April 22, detectives with the Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET), in partnership with the Mid-Michigan…
Dorr planning chairman resigns- cites stress from data center uproar
By Joseph SchultzDorr Planning Commission Chairman and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) member Dan Beute submitted his resignation from all township offices, effective immediately. Bob Wagner read the letter at the start of Tuesday’s Planning Meeting. Beute had served on…
Mike’s Musings: Let’s keep data centers in industrial areas
If solar panels and windmills weren’t enough, the newest intrusion to our lands and quality of life is the need to grow the number of data centers in America and Michigan exponentially. And that has created a frenzy among the…
Tornadoes leave widespread damage across Otsego, Plainwell
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor A severe storm system moved through the Otsego and Plainwell area late Tuesday night, April 14, leaving behind widespread damage and power outages across both communities after two tornadoes touched down within minutes of each other.According…
