Allegan County News & Union Enterprise

Seniors Live It Up By Volunteering

Seniors Live It Up By Volunteering

Editorial StaffJan 26, 20224 min read

By Gari VossSenior living for citizens over the age of 60 or 65 includes productive activities that can beaccomplished while enjoying a different pace of life. Though there may be some health issuescreeping in, seniors have found that volunteering promotes…

City Council Meeting – 1/24/22

City Council Meeting – 1/24/22

Editorial StaffJan 26, 20225 min read

January 24, 2022Leslie Ballard The January 24 City Council held a lengthy Study Session prior to its meeting that included discussionitems on the Hubbard Street realignment, improved communications strategies and the future of 211 ½Trowbridge. Proposed Roundabout MDOT engineers provided…

Broadband group eyes project manager

Editorial StaffJan 26, 20221 min read

By John Raffel Correspondent ALLEGAN – The county’s broadband action group is scheduling interviews this week with applicants for its project manager position. Seven individuals have responded to the advertisement announcing the job, county commission chairman Jim Storey announced. “The…

Obituary: Betty A. McLaughlin

Obituary: Betty A. McLaughlin

Editorial StaffJan 26, 20221 min read

MCLAUGHLIN, Betty A. Otsego, MI Betty passed away Saturday, January 22, 2022 in Kalamazoo. She was born at home on October 14, 1927  to Isac and Daisy (Fouts) DeKilder, the youngest of four children. Betty enjoyed playing both card and…

Obituary: Pauline “Virginia” Smith

Obituary: Pauline “Virginia” Smith

Editorial StaffJan 26, 20222 min read

Pauline “Virginia” Smith, 96, ended her long struggle with dementia early Sunday morning, January 16,2022, just 8 days short of her 97 th birthday. She had been a resident at Allegan Medical Care Communitysince her stroke in March, 2019.Virginia was…

Obituary: George Evans Wesbey

Obituary: George Evans Wesbey

Editorial StaffJan 26, 20221 min read

George Evans Wesbey, Jr., age 93, of The Woodlands, Texas, passed away on January 10, 2022. Husband of the late Diane (Dee) Wesbey. He was cared for by Oasis Hospice and his loving son. George was born May 31, 1928…

Otsego upends Plainwell on hardwood

Otsego upends Plainwell on hardwood

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20222 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor OTSEGO—How will we respond?That’s the question Otsego girls basketball coach Tony Koshar was asking himself heading into the rivalry game against Plainwell on Friday, Jan. 14, as team was coming off its first loss of the…

Allegan boys bowling takes top honors

Allegan boys bowling takes top honors

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20223 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor GRAND RAPIDS—It was a good day for the Allegan boys bowling team at the Comstock Park Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 15.Not only did the Tigers upend Cedar Springs by a 339-279 score in the championship match…

OPS hosts “Yeti” reading challenge

OPS hosts “Yeti” reading challenge

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20223 min read

By Jason Wesseldyk, Sports Editor As the elementary literacy coach for Otsego Public Schools, Gina Watson is always brainstorming creative ways to encourage the district’s students to read more. And out of those brainstorming sessions comes “Let’s Get Bookin’ Around…

PCS extends mask requirement

PCS extends mask requirement

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20222 min read

By Jason Wesseldyk, Sports Editor The mask requirement at Plainwell Community Schools has been extended. Following the Board of Education meeting on Monday, Jan. 17, the district published a letter to parents informing them that all students, staff members and…

Rhino’s closes after two decades in business

Rhino’s closes after two decades in business

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20222 min read

By Jason Wesseldyk, Sports Editor Last call for Rhino’s Hometown Pub came on Saturday, Jan. 15. That’s when, after two decades in operation, the popular watering hole on Main Street in downtown Plainwell, closed its doors for the final time.…

Obituary: Billy Simpson

Obituary: Billy Simpson

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20222 min read

SIMPSON, William F. “Billy”Otsego, MI PHOTO:AGE: 86FLAG: yes Billy Simpson of Otsego, passed away, January 11, 2022 at age 86. Born October 24, 1935 inKalkaska, the son of George and Thelma (White) Simpson, Billy moved to Otsego in 1943. Heproudly…

Obituary: Coleen Joy Burrell

Obituary: Coleen Joy Burrell

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20221 min read

Coleen Joy Burrell, 62, of Allegan, MI passed away January 12, at her home surrounded by her family. She was born on April 18, 1959 in Bath, New York to Keith and Norma (Snyder) Burrell. Coleen was a woman with a heart…

Obituary: Milton Eugene Herring

Obituary: Milton Eugene Herring

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20223 min read

Milton Eugene Herring, better known as “Boots” passed away peacefully on January 15, 2022, at his home in Hopkins, Michigan, surrounded by those he loved. He passed with complications due to Covid at the age of 90. Boots was born…

Mike’s Musings: Why hasn’t toilet technology advanced?

Mike’s Musings: Why hasn’t toilet technology advanced?

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20223 min read

One of the great mysteries of modern technology, at least for me, is the modern toilet, or should I say the lack of improving flush technology since 1902. That year, the flush handle was added to the porcelain bowl, and…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20226 min read

I am increasingly wary of doctrine. It is an all-inclusive wariness that covers religion, politics, science, economics and beyond. I am no anar-chist but cautious of too many laws and doctrines.Most doctrines start as someone’s idea. They cogi-tate about it…

Storey re-elected chair, Kapenga vice-chair

Storey re-elected chair, Kapenga vice-chair

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20222 min read

By John RaffelCorrespondent ALLEGAN – The Allegan County Board of Commissioners re-elected Commissioner Jim Storey of Holland to his fourth one-year term as chairman at its organizational meeting on Thursday.The board also named Dean Kapenga of Hamilton as vice-chair.Kapenga has previously served…

Rep Whiteford presents Perrigo with tribute

Rep Whiteford presents Perrigo with tribute

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20221 min read

On Friday the 14th of January, State Representative Mary Whiteford presented Allegan Chamber of Commerce Interim Director Tim Perrigo with a special proclamation of appreciation for his years of service to the organization and the community.

Witte worked many angles to come up with $5 million grant for new mental health facility

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20228 min read

By Gari VossCorrespondent The invitation to the groundbreaking on January 28, 2022 at 3pm of the Allegan County Community Mental Health ACCMH) center at 540 Jenner Drive in Allegan made it official. The ink is dry and Mark Witte, executive…

Man walks away from airborne vehicle in Dorr Township

Editorial StaffJan 19, 20221 min read

A car was caught on video the moment it went airborne across snowy highway US-131 in Allegan County, Michigan on Thursday. Several readers sent the video to the Allegan County News.Michigan State Police say it happened while the driver was going southbound…