Mike’s Musings: One Vote Can Change Everything – remember the tie vote in Hopkins
If anyone still doubts whether one vote matters, they need only look to what happened last Tuesday in Hopkins, a school district in Allegan County. In what some say was a record turnout, a bond issue did not pass because…
Authorities respond to false school shooting threats at Napoleon Community Schools
By KATHRYN PALON Contributing Writer Law enforcement agencies across Jackson County responded in force Tuesday afternoon after anonymous callers made threats against Napoleon High School and Napoleon Middle School, prompting a district-wide lockdown and the evacuation of students. The incident…
A tractor convoy pays a visit to Concord’s M-60 Grill
By KEN WYATT Contributing Writer It was no small thing to bring up the rear in a parade of 15 antique tractors. I had to go in search of them, and the search was successful. But a little context is…
Suspect in custody for January 28 murder
By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer Jackson Police Chief Christopher Simpson announced Monday that Robert Poole was arrested in connection to the Jan. 28 homicide of Michael Mishaw, 49, which occurred in the parking lot behind the buildings in the 1600…
Albion Council Takes $1 Risk to Preserve Downtown Building
By Maggie LaNoue Contributing Writer Albion City Council voted Monday to accept the $1 transfer of the fire-damaged building at 100 S. Superior Street, taking ownership of the long-vacant downtown property just one day before a deadline that would have…
From interim to Chief Albion Department of Public Safety Chief Aaron Phipps reflects on his growth and department’s
By Sylvia Benavidez Year two as chief is beginning to be a busy one for Albion Department of Public Safety Chief Aaron Phipps. With growth in staff size and training, ADPS has been able to react quickly to calls and…
Mike’s Musings: RIP Spirit, you were mocked by many, but this frequent traveler loved you
The news that Spirit Airlines has shut down operations after more than three decades in the sky feels like the end of an era—and not just for bargain travelers. For this frequent Spirit traveler, the news was devastating. I woke…
Historical Notebook: ALBION 100 YEARS AGO: MAY, 1926
By Frank Passic We continue with our theme of “Albion, 100 Years Ago.” May 1, 1926: Chris Petroff, proprietor of the West End Grocery, 619 Austin Avenue, has purchased the grocery of Charles Sprague, 306 Crandall St. Mr. Petroff…
Stabbing suspect charged with assault with intent to murder
By KATHRYN PALON Contributing Writer Jackson Police Chief Christopher A. Simpson announced that officers responded to a disturbance at 145 W. Morrell St. April 29, at approximately 11:05 a.m. Upon arrival, officers found two injured adults — a 31-year-old Jackson…
Hayes Hotel legal battle continues
By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer The fate of the Hayes Hotel has been in dispute ever since the contract with developer J. Jeffers & Company expired Dec. 31, 2024. The Jackson City Council then sold the hotel to another developer,…
Right Trees, Right Places: Expert Help and a Call to Action
By Maggie LaNoue, Contributing Writer Albion’s trees are coming down from multiple directions. The city is culling aged and dangerous trees along boulevards and in parks. Windstorms have snapped trunks in wooded neighborhoods. Warmer winters are allowing insects and diseases…
Beneath Albion: Sewer Study Reveals Scope of Aging System and Cost of Repairs
By Maggie LaNoue Contributing Writer Every day, nearly three million gallons of water flow into Albion’s wastewater treatment plant. The problem is that only about half of it should be there. Albion’s pump stations move roughly 1.4 to 1.5 million…
Mike’s Musings: Let’s keep data centers in industrial areas
If solar panels and windmills weren’t enough, the newest intrusion to our lands and quality of life is the need to grow the number of data centers in America and Michigan exponentially. And that has created a frenzy among the…
May 5 election to feature multiple millage and bond proposals
Jackson County voters will head to the polls on May 5 to weigh in on several millage renewal and bond proposals aimed at supporting fire and police protection, emergency services, and school district improvements. The ballot includes a mix of…
Five candidates to run for mayor of Jackson; two to run for treasurer
By ELIZABETH FERSZT and KATHRYN PALON Contributing Writers According to the City of Jackson website, five candidates have filed to run for mayor in the 2026 election. Jackson candidates for mayor are Christy May Davis, Derek J. Dobies, Shalanda Hunt,…
Family Fare — A Place We Come to See Our Friends
By Maggie LaNoue, Contributing Writer On a warm, breezy Thursday afternoon, more than 100 people lined up outside the Family Fare grocery store at 1406 N. Eaton St. in Albion before the celebration began. The first 100 customers would receive…
Trees, sewers, and a building that may not survive: Albion Council’s busy April night
By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer ALBION — About 24 residents filled Albion City Council chambers on Monday, April 20, for a meeting that touched on nearly every aspect of city life — from tax filing to tree planting, from downtown…
Mike’s Musings: Artemis II gives me hope that Mars colony is possible
Artemis II isn’t just another spaceflight, it’s a statement about who we are, what we value, and whether we still have the will to push beyond the edge of the known.When astronauts swung around the far side of the Moon—the…
HISTORICAL NOTEBOOK
By Frank Passic DONNA MONTRAN—ALBION’S BATHING BEAUTY This week I’d like to feature another Albionite that appeared in the movies. She was actor, dancer, and “bathing beauty” Donna Montran (1893-1976). Madonna “Donna” Montran was born in Albion on February 20,…
Multiple arrests made after Wall Street shooting in Jackson
By KATHRYN PALON and ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writers Three men have been arrested in connection with a shooting that wounded one person during a gunfight between two groups on Wall Street, according to Jackson Police Chief Christopher A. Simpson. Police…
