Allegan County News & Union Enterprise

OHS students improve leadership skills at Rotary camp

OHS students improve leadership skills at Rotary camp

Editorial Staff Sep 18, 2024 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Relaxing. Hanging out with friends. Working to make some money.These are among the activities in which high school students traditionally engage during the summer months.For a group of four Otsego High School upperclassmen, part of this…

Elementary XC City Championship

Elementary XC City Championship

Editorial Staff Sep 18, 2024 3 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor When Otsego High School cross country coach Steve Long began the elementary cross country program in the district two years ago, he did so with a certain goal in mind.“I think initially starting this program was…

OPS, PCS comment on safety concerns at schools

OPS, PCS comment on safety concerns at schools

Editorial Staff Sep 18, 2024 3 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor During the past week, officials from Otsego Public Schools and Plainwell Community Schools emailed a letter to parents/guardians of students in their respective districts.Both revolved around issues involving school safety.The letter from Plainwell officials went out…

Allegan tennis places second at home invitational

Editorial Staff Sep 18, 2024 1 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The Allegan boys tennis team welcomed five teams—including Holland Christian, the top-ranked team in Division 4—to town on Saturday, Sept. 14, for the Allegan Invitational.The tournament was played using a blind-group-draw format, and the Tigers finished…

Otsego tennis earns first-ever win over Sturgis

Editorial Staff Sep 18, 2024 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor STURGIS—A dominant showing in doubles helped propel the Otsego boys tennis team past Wolverine Conference rival Sturgis on Monday, Sept. 16.The Bulldogs swept the four doubles flights to go with one singles win to give them…

Obituary: Steven R. Pope

Obituary: Steven R. Pope

Editorial Staff Sep 18, 2024 2 min read

Age 68 Grand Junction Passed away Sunday, September 15th, 2024 at his home.  Steve was born August 12, 1956 in Sault Ste Marie Michigan, son of the late Howard and Lorraine Pope, and lived the majority of his life in the…

Mike’s Musings: The bicycle hippie who overcame addiction

Mike’s Musings: The bicycle hippie who overcame addiction

Editorial Staff Sep 18, 2024 3 min read

I was riding my bicycle last Saturday (yes, the same bike I fell and broke my hip from a year ago) when I was about 8 miles from home, and I heard a loud splat. I knew immediately my bsck…

Scouts remember 9-11 at Veterans Memorial

Scouts remember 9-11 at Veterans Memorial

Editorial Staff Sep 18, 2024 1 min read

Allegan Cub Scout Pack 3026 hosted a Scout Salute in memory of those lost on 9-11-2001. Members of Pack 3026, Scouts BSA Troop 91 and Troop 191, and Girl Scout Troop 80024 participated in the event at the Allegan Veterans…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Sep 18, 2024 7 min read

     After I wrote the Faces in the Crowd piece on teaching penmanship in school, my mind drifted  slightly sideways toward learning how to print in the first and second grade, and then cursive writing a year later.  That class…

Judge: Lubbers’ Name Ok to Appear on November 5 Ballot

Judge: Lubbers’ Name Ok to Appear on November 5 Ballot

Editorial Staff Sep 18, 2024 2 min read

By Rita Williams A Kent County Judge has denied a challenger’s attempt to keep an Allegan County Board of Commissioner Candidate from appearing on the ballot.On September 13, 2024, Judge George Quist denied Democratic Challenger Christi Allen’s request to prevent…

Substitute teacher violently threatened students, triggered shelter in place

Jordan Wilcox Sep 18, 2024 2 min read

By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher A shelter in place order was issued at South Haven’s Baseline Middle School on Tuesday, September 10th, following unsettling comments made by a substitute teacher.According to the mother of one of the students in class that…

Otsego Creative Arts Festival slated for Sept. 28

Otsego Creative Arts Festival slated for Sept. 28

Editorial Staff Sep 11, 2024 3 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor If you’re looking for some good family-friendly fun, then downtown Otsego is the place to be on Saturday, Sept. 28.The 37th Annual Otsego Creative Arts Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering…

Greens establish art scholarship for Plainwell students

Greens establish art scholarship for Plainwell students

Editorial Staff Sep 11, 2024 5 min read

In its monthly newsletter, the Allegan County Community Foundation includes a “Humans of ACCF” section that features a person or people who have made a positive impact on the foundation.Cathy and Bob Green of Plainwell are the subjects of this…

Otsego tennis beats Niles

Editorial Staff Sep 11, 2024 1 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The Otsego boys tennis team evened its Wolverine Conference record at 1-1 thanks to a 7-1 win over visiting Niles on Monday, Sept. 9.The Bulldogs swept the singles matches, led by a 6-1, 6-4 victory by…

Young Allegan volleyball team shows improvement

Editorial Staff Sep 11, 2024 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor With a youthful roster that includes two freshmen, four sophomores and only one senior, Allegan volleyball coach Jake Kaylor knows his team will experience some growing pains, especially early in the season.“Given how young we are,…

Obituary: John David “Dave” Henry

Obituary: John David “Dave” Henry

Editorial Staff Sep 11, 2024 3 min read

John David “Dave” Henry, 90, of Mecosta, went to his heavenly home, surrounded by his loving family, on September 2, 2024.Dave was born on July 20, 1934, in Otsego, the son of John David and Viola Maude (Newland) Henry, and…

Ludicrous performs to full house at fair

Ludicrous performs to full house at fair

Editorial Staff Sep 11, 2024 1 min read

Rapper and movie star Ludicrous opened the Allegan County Fair, singing his favorite tunes on Friday night to a capacity crowd. Photos by Mark Ashley.

Domestic Dispute Leads to Gun Lake Casino Crash

Domestic Dispute Leads to Gun Lake Casino Crash

Editorial Staff Sep 11, 2024 2 min read

By Rita Williams A Gun Lake Casino entrance now requires costly repairs after an early morning SUV crash on September 4, 2024.A domestic dispute between the female driver and her male companion spawned the 2:30 AM crash into the southern…

Mike’s Musings: Problems galore, but Congress takes six weeks off

Mike’s Musings: Problems galore, but Congress takes six weeks off

Editorial Staff Sep 11, 2024 3 min read

Welcome back Congress, I hope you enjoyed your six-week vacation. That’s right while two wars commanding our attention, an economy that is not well, and a border that is actually borderless, our elected leaders took six weeks off.Of course they…

By Mike Wilcox
Owner/Publisher

Every year, as the Christmas season draws near, I’m reminded just how generous our communities can be. For nearly two decades, Wilcox Newspapers has hosted what’s become one of my favorite traditions: our Annual Christmas Wish Program.

It started simply enough. We asked readers who were struggling to write in and tell us what would make their Christmas a little brighter. The idea was to connect local families in need with local people who wanted to help. Over the years, it’s grown into something truly special—and this year, we’re doing it again.