By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The annual Otsego Band Invitational is always a special event for Otsego High School/Middle School band director Mitch Piersma.This year’s edition—which was the 39th and took place on Saturday, Sept. 28—was even more so.That’s because when…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor With three teams ranked in the top 10 among Division 4 boys tennis teams, you’d probably think the SAC/Lakeland Conference Finals on Friday, Sept. 27, was a highly contested battle.And you’d be right.In the end, it…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The Otsego boys tennis team took on a pair of Wolverine Conference rivals on back-to-back days and came away with split results.The Bulldogs beat Three Rivers 7-1 on Thursday, Sept. 26, after falling 6-2 to Three…

Marella Jean (Clawson) Norman, of Plainwell, MI, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in Allegan, MI, at the age of 91. Born on August 8, 1933, in Hopkins, MI, to Grover and Florence Clawson, Marella was raised with…

    At one time or another, almost every child born in the United States has given at least a passing thought to the idea of being the President.  It is a noble idea, and more than anything else, it indicates…

Take a walk around downtown Allegan, and you might notice three unique, eye-catching bike racks designed and fabricated by students at the Allegan Area ESA Tech Center. These custom creations, each tailored to the character of its location, showcase the…

By Gari Voss The Allegan City Council will have a number of new faces after the November 5, 2024, election. As the term of councilmembers comes to an end, three current members will be retiring. Those are the current mayor…

Readers of this column know I have been an avid proponent of balancing the federal budget. Our leaders simply refuse to turn off the money spending spigot, i.e., one has to only listen to the two presidential candidates and their…

Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher Casey Allen Letts, a 33-year-old man from Lee Township faces 33 felony charges related to uploading and receiving child sexually explicit material, according to a press release from the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office. On April 16th, the…

Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher On Thursday, September 19th, at 10:16 pm, 50-year-old, Tracey Lynn Decker was fatally struck by an SUV while riding her bicycle on 111th Avenue near 55th Street in Lee Township. Luckily, Decker’s teenage daughter was riding with…

Otsego sophomore Christopher Harris (above) and Otsego seventh grader Remy Coburn will be honored before the Otsego football game on Friday, Oct. 4, as part of Purple Week. Otsego Public Schools’ Purple Week is almost here.The event, which the district…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Each month, FOX 17 recognizes and honors first responders, healthcare professionals and veterans who “have made paying it forward their life’s work.”Otsego resident Rick Kelly is the September Pay It Forward Spotlight Award honoree.An Air Force…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor STURGIS—Something had to give when the Plainwell football team traveled to Sturgis for a Wolverine Conference clash on Friday, Sept. 20, with both teams sporting 0-3 records.As it turned out, it was Plainwell who did the…

The Allegan Girls Swimming and Diving team finished ahead of conference rival Otsego Tuesday, Sept. 17, by a 99-81 margin.The win moved the Tigers to 2-0 in the conference duals.Individual winners for Allegan included Bella Festerling in the 200-yard IM,…

James Cole Cannon Sr., known to many simply as Jim, lived a life defined by love, hard work, humor, and the unwavering support of his wife, Geraldine, who stood by his side for 62 remarkable years. Together, they were a…

Brenda Elaine Tran 78 years old Brenda passed away on September 6th, in her daughter’s home, surrounded by her loved ones after courageously living with Alzheimer’s for many years. Brenda was born on September 14th, 1945, to Ronald and Blanche…

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dorothea (Dort) Blanche Spahn (Healy) of Gobles Michigan. She was born on April 30, 1928, in Gobles Michigan.  She was the daughter of Vernon and Blanche Healy of Gobles.…

Roger Allen Smith, passed away peacefully at the age of 79 on September 20, 2024, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Born on July 26, 1945, in Allegan, Michigan, to his late parents Leonard and Helen (Heath) Smith.Roger’s life journey was marked by…

    As I have written many times in the past, I have long been entranced by newspapers.  You might, quite rightly, accuse me of being addicted to them.  It has been that way since I was in elementary school and…

By Gari Voss Activity has increased along 26th St. at the site of the Trowbridge Dam. The boat launch on the Kalamazoo River at the Dam is now officially closed until 2027. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that…