Allegan County News & Union Enterprise

Man drowns at TriPonds resort

Editorial Staff Aug 6, 2025 1 min read

An incident occurred at the TriPonds Family Camp Resort in Valley Twp at 3:30 on Saturday where a 60-year-old man drowned.Officials from the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the man was found unresponsive in the water by people at the…

Christian Neighbors hosts Back to School Celebration

Editorial Staff Jul 30, 2025 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor With July drawing to a close, the start of a new school year is creeping ever closer.Otsego Public School’s first day of classes is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 19, while Plainwell Community Schools will welcome students…

Weather alters plans for Island City Festival

Weather alters plans for Island City Festival

Editorial Staff Jul 30, 2025 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The potential for some rainy weather led to changes for this year’s Island City Festival.Most of the festival—originally scheduled to take place in and around downtown Plainwell on Saturday, July 26—was moved inside Plainwell High School’s…

Burnett appointed to 57th District bench

Burnett appointed to 57th District bench

Editorial Staff Jul 30, 2025 2 min read

By Gari Voss Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on July 21, 2025, the appointment of Christopher Burnett to complete the Honorable William A. Baillargeon’s term on the Allegan County 57th District Court bench.Burnett is a resident of Allegan and has worked…

Allegan Summer Tennis wraps up another successful season

Editorial Staff Jul 30, 2025 1 min read

The Allegan Summer Tennis Program recently wrapped up its 2025 season.And, as usual, the long-running program brought out dozens of children to learn the fundamentals of the sport at the Gary Ellis Courts on the campus of L.E. White Middle…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Jul 30, 2025 7 min read

   We often ask each other, “What are your plans for today?”  which really means “What are your goals to accomplish and then check off your to-do list?”  Or we ask ourselves about our plans for the day. Is there…

Mike’s Musings: Traverse City violence too close to home- action needed

Mike’s Musings: Traverse City violence too close to home- action needed

Editorial Staff Jul 30, 2025 3 min read

Here we go again. This time it is too close to home. Another alleged nut-job gone crazy injuring a dozen people, some critical at a Wal Mart, not with a gun, but with an ordinary pocketknife. If it weren’t for…

Several municipalities, schools have contested elections Tuesday

Editorial Staff Jul 30, 2025 7 min read

By Gari Voss Summer months are packed with outdoor activities, special events, family memories, and more. With the busy family schedules, many residents forget that there is often a “primary” election in August. On August 5, 2025, from 7am to…

Missing Kayakers Located in Kalamazoo River – All Individuals Safe

Editorial Staff Jul 30, 2025 2 min read

 The Plainwell Department of Public Safety is pleased to announce that several kayakers reported missing earlier Saturday have been successfully located and removed in the Kalamazoo River. All individuals are safe and accounted for. At approximately 7 pm on Saturday, a…

Burnett appointed to 57th District bench

Burnett appointed to 57th District bench

Editorial Staff Jul 30, 2025 2 min read

By Gari Voss Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on July 21, 2025, the appointment of Christopher Burnett to complete the Honorable William A. Baillargeon’s term on the Allegan County 57th District Court bench.Burnett is a resident of Allegan and has worked…

Local market raises money for family in auto accident

Local market raises money for family in auto accident

Editorial Staff Jul 30, 2025 2 min read

By Gari VossThe news could not have been worse. Village Market employee Jordan Otto and her husband Michael had been in an automobile accident as they were headed home from a shower. Jordan was pregnant and near delivery, but a…

OPS’s McCaw receives national recognition

OPS’s McCaw receives national recognition

Editorial Staff Jul 23, 2025 3 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Otsego Public Schools director of communications Holly McCaw was completely caught off guard.In Washington D.C. for the annual National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) National Seminar beginning Monday, July 20, McCaw was presented with the Learning…

Ransom’s Summer Celebration set for Friday, Aug. 8

Ransom’s Summer Celebration set for Friday, Aug. 8

Editorial Staff Jul 23, 2025 3 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Since Ransom District Library hosted its first Summer Celebration in 2021, the event has become an annual tradition.That tradition continues on Friday, Aug. 8, with Ransom hosting this year’s Summer Celebration from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.As…

Plainwell council sets rates

Editorial Staff Jul 23, 2025 1 min read

By John RaffelCorrespondent PLAINWELL — Plainwell City Manager Justin Lakamper, at a recent meeting, discussed water and wastewater rates for the new budget year.A motion passed to adopt Resolution 2025-11 Water and Wastewater Rates for Fiscal Year 2025/2026.City Consultant Kelley…

Allegan’s Chestnut relishes Cooperstown experience

Editorial Staff Jul 23, 2025 4 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Playing a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y.—home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame—is an amazing experience.Hitting your first ever home run there? That, as those MasterCard commercials say, is priceless.And that’s exactly what Allegan middle…

Gear Up for the 2025 Allegan County Fair

Gear Up for the 2025 Allegan County Fair

Editorial Staff Jul 23, 2025 3 min read

By Gari Voss The Allegan County Fair 2025 is rapidly approaching, and there is much to consider before the gates open on Friday, September 5th. The Grandstand entertainment is set, and tickets are available. Be sure to purchase entertainer tickets…

Fennville voters to vote on schools bond proposal Aug. 5

Editorial Staff Jul 23, 2025 6 min read

By Gari Voss The residents of the Fennville School District will have an opportunity on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, to pass a bond request that will reduce the school millage while making important improvements to all schools. This can occur…

Mike’s Musings: “Pay It Forward” Is a Powerful Idea Worth Embracing

Mike’s Musings: “Pay It Forward” Is a Powerful Idea Worth Embracing

Editorial Staff Jul 23, 2025 3 min read

In a world often overshadowed by cynicism, economic struggle, and divisive headlines, the simple idea of “paying it forward” offers a powerful counterbalance. It’s a concept built on selflessness—doing something kind for someone else without expecting anything in return, trusting…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Jul 23, 2025 6 min read

“History doesn’t always repeat itself but it often rhymes,” said Mark Twain. As I write this in mid-July, it looks like there will be a change. For better or worse, I’m not sure.A wonderful thing about a firmly-established republic or…

Robinson begins tenure as superintendent at OPS

Robinson begins tenure as superintendent at OPS

Editorial Staff Jul 16, 2025 5 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Shortly after entering the field of education in the mid-1990s, Christie Robinson developed what she called her “10-10-10 plan.”“I was going to spend 10 years as a teacher, 10 years as a principal and ten years…

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.