Data breach affects 567 county employees
By Leslie Ballard A confirmed data breach occurring on February 11 could potentially affect 567 Allegan County employees.In a February 15 e-mail, Vickie Herzberg, Executive Director of Human Resources for Allegan County, informed employees that “one of our employees fell…
Mike’s Musings: High cost of energy fuels inflation
Inflation is at a 40-year high in the United States. Prices that were stable a year have taken a 7.5% jump. Going to the grocery store has put a strain on most of our pocketbooks. Used cars are 41 percent…
Life as Performance Art
Marinell Barretta of north-ern Italy died at age 70. That part, with the mortality rate holding steady at 100 per-cent, was not surprising. What followed was.Local authorities found her mummified remains Feb. 4 some two and a half years after…
Life as Performance Art
It’s the time of year when aspiring writers get out pens and big legal pads of lined yellow paper. Others find their grandparents’ manual Underwood or Royal type-writer, spray WD-40 on the ribbon to refresh it after dec-ades in the…
Mike’s Musings: Release Assange now, he has endured enough punishment
There are so many innocent people jailed for crimes they haven’t committed. I worked for a time, helping to expose some that were incarcerated, yet innocent. One of those, a man I truly admire is Julian Assange, and I hope…
Otsego posts victory over Plainwell
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor OTSEGO—Cali Miller, Hannah Fitzpatrick and Kaitlyn Payseno formed quite the tremendous trio for the Otsego girls basketball team in its game with archrival Plainwell on Friday, Feb. 11.Those three combined to score 44 points in leading…
Allegan places second at quad
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor A record-setting effort from Titus Smith in the 100-yard butterfly highlighted a runner-up finish for the Allegan boys swim & dive team at its home quad meet on Saturday, Feb. 12.Smith posted a time of 54.23…
Plainwell Community Schools celebrate Daughter Day
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Daughters took center stage at Plainwell Community School’s Daughter Day on Saturday, Feb. 5.Nearly 200 participants registered for the event, which took place at the Plainwell Performing Arts Center and catered to students through sixth grade…
Otsego Middle School stresses digital safety
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Although the Internet, social media and other digital devices can provide students with opportunities unavailable to past generations, those same things also carry with them an inherent risk of danger.That’s the message the Otsego Middle School…
Otsego, Plainwell schools accept nominationsfor Outstanding People for Education awards
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Do you know someone who has made a difference in the lives of students who attend Otsego Public Schools or Plainwell Community Schools?If so, you can nominate that individual for a 2022 Outstanding People for Education…
Allegan City Council decisions complicated by inflation
By Gari Voss Allegan’s City Council made a number of decision’s that stretched the budget, while improving the infrastructure throughout the city for years to come. Even with access to millions of dollars in government assistance grants, planned project bottom…
Commissioners tap Dunham to lead broadband expansion
By John RaffelCorrespondent ALLEGAN – The Allegan County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution at its meeting last week setting broadband expansion, water and wastewater infrastructure as priorities for the use of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation from…
Funding issues plague health department, state may have solution
By John RaffelCorrespondent ALLEGAN – Allegan County Board of Commissioners chairman Jim Storey reported the state legislature last week approved $1.2 billion in healthcare aid for Michigan residents, including funding for COVID-19 early treatment and various testing supports.A total of…
Mike’s Musings: A day I don’t want to repeat
Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed. One of those days was last week, when I boarded anairplane in Orlando to Detroit.Now all I had heard days before is how this once-in-a-decade blizzard was blanketing Michigan. Iassumed…
Life as Performance Art
By G.C. StoppelOn a Saturday morning two somewhat related messages came across my computer.The first was from owners of Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris reminding me there would be a reading of James Joyce’s novel “Ulysses” in commemoration of the 100th…
Otsego girls post road win against Gull Lake
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor RICHLAND—Sophomore Hannah Fitzpatrick joined seniors Kaitlyn Payseno and Cali Miller to form quite the terrific trio for the Otsego girls basketball team in its non-league game against Gull Lake on Tuesday, Feb. 1.Those three Bulldogs combined…
Allegan bowlers thrive at individual tournament
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor NILES—The model of consistency.That’s how Allegan bowling coach Don Lamb would describe Ryan Brinks’ performance at the Niles Individual Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 5.In his six games, Brinks had a high game of 205 and a…
Otsego Library hosts reading forlibrarian’s debut children’s book
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor As a clerk at the Otsego District Library for the past 13 years, Abby Lyne is regularly surrounded by thousands of books.One of those books holds a special place in Lyne’s heart … and for good…
Plainwell Community Schools updates mask policy
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor For the past two months, Plainwell Community Schools has required all students and staff members to wear masks while inside all district building during the instructional day due to high numbers of positive COVID-19 cases and…
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