Allegan council votes to close trestle bridge temporarily
By Leslie Ballard The temporary closure of the Trestle Bridge and the adoption of the City of Allegan 2023 Budget were the major topics of discussion at the May 23 City Council meeting while a presentation on the state of…
OHS joins Unified Champion Schools program
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Student from the Otsego High School RISE (Reaching Independence through Support and Education) program took center stage on Thursday, May 12.Or, more accurately, they took center court.As part of the Special Olympics Michigan Unified Champion Schools…
Plainwell Music Society announces concert schedule
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorAfter seeing its 2020 season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Plainwell Music Society resumed its Summer Concert Series last year with 10 Thursday evenings of music.This year, the Music Society has done one better.A total…
Obituary: Alvin Lee Lubowitz, 86
Alvin Lee Lubowitz, 86, passed away on December 6, 2021 at his home in Fennville, Michigan. He was born in Flint, Michigan on August 19th 1935 to Verna and Gustav Lubowitz. He was married to Roseann Nowocki-Lubowitz on May 12,…
Obituary: Gloria Wise, 74
Gloria Wise passed away on Friday April 15, 2022, surrounded by family. Gloria was born to the late Earl and Marjorie Garton on October 25, 1947, in Allegan, Michigan. Early in life, Gloria earned an associate degree from Kalamazoo Valley…
Obituary: Harry E. Stickels, 90
Harry E. Stickels, 90, of Gobles passed away Monday, May 9, 2022 at his home. Harry was born July 24, 1931 in Decatur, son of the late Leonard and Bessie Stickels. Harry was an avid golfer and a pilot. He…
Life as Performance Art
We have four major national patriotic holidays in our country, and two of them always come near the end of May. Most of us already know about three of the major holidays – Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day. There…
Three people I consider heroes
Elon Musk, Robert Kennedy Junior and Franklin Graham are three people I admire the most. Each is of a different political persuasion. Each has a different mission in life. But all three are doing the best they can to make…
Bulldogs claim first league title
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor OTSEGO—Otsego girls tennis coach Jen Aldrich isn’t a big fan of having competitions on the same day as prom.So when she found out the Wolverine Conference Championship was on the same day as Otsego’s prom—Saturday, May…
Otsego students enjoy prom at Air Zoo in Portage
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor PORTAGE—For the second straight weekend, the Air Zoo in Portage played host to hundreds of local high school students.One week after Plainwell High School held its prom at the Air Zoo, Otsego High School did the…
Fennville mother sues hospital over vaccine requirement
A Fennville mother of a teen who needs a kidney transplant is suing Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital over its policy that transplant patients be vaccinated against COVID-19.The lawsuit asks a judge to issue permanent injunction barring Spectrum Health from requiring…
Narrow drive hinders barn fire fight
A narrow driveway made firetruck access impossible to this 130th Avenue Manlius Township barn fire Sunday, forcing Hamilton first responders to cut down trees with chain saws for about 20 minutes before they could fully fight it. The Saugatuck Township…
Unfair Labor Practices cited in Hopkins Public Schools
By Gari VossThe ruling on an Unfair Labor Practice complaint filed by the Hopkins Education Association (HEA) against the Hopkins Public Schools District was released on April 12, 2022. Michigan Employment Relations Commission Administrative Law Judge David M. Peltz deemed…
Safe Harbor of Allegan begins building phase
Safe Harbor Children Advocacy Center held the official groundbreaking for their new facility on Sherman Street, Monday, May 9, 2022. The new Center will provide the staff with additional space to work with children affected by abuse and neglect. Pictured…
Streak Breakers
It’s been said that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. For the past 18 years, however, you could have added a third item to that list: the Allegan girls tennis team winning Wolverine Conference dual meets.The Tigers…
Four OPS schools named National Showcase Schools
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor In 2020, two schools in the Otsego Public Schools district received the distinction of being named a National Showcase School, with that number growing to three last year.This year, four Otsego schools were among the 377…
Local districts celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor You are appreciated.That’s the message administrators from Otsego Public Schools and Plainwell Community Schools sent to teachers and staff members during Teacher Appreciation Week.The week-long celebration ran from Monday, May 2, through Friday, May 6, and…
Obituary: Gwendolyn Louise West, 90
GWENDOLYN LOUISE WEST entered her eternal home on April 21, 2022 at the age of 90. She was born to Robert H. Henry and Amelia Agusta Henry on Easter Sunday March 27, 1932 in Garden City, Kansas. She married Harold…
Obituary: Joyce Geresy, 96
Joyce passed away Thursday, May 5, 2022 at her home in Plainwell. She was born August 30, 1925 in Augusta, the daughter of Harry and Della (Cosgrove) Rowlson. Joyce graduated from Galesburg High School in 1943. She met John Geresy…
Obituary: Wayne C. Branch, 76
Clinton Township, Michigan – Wayne C. Branch of Clinton Twp., Michigan, passed away Saturday, February 19, 2022.Wayne was born August 13, 1945, in Plainwell, Michigan, to Wilbur and Maxine Branch.After graduating from Otsego High School, he received his bachelor’s degree…
