Mike’s Musings: Erika Kirk’s Greatest Act of Courage-Forgiving the Unforgivable
When tragedy strikes, our instincts often turn toward anger, resentment, and the pursuit of vengeance. That is human nature. Yet, every so often, someone rises above those instincts and shows us a higher way — a path of grace that…
Judge Thomas Wilson under judicial review
By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer 4th Circuit Court Judge, Thomas Wilson, is now formally under judicial tenure review by the Judicial Tenure Commission of the State of Michigan. On Sept. 11, the JTC filed a formal complaint against Wilson, including…
Two dead after Wednesday morning fire
By KATHRYN PALON Contributing Writer Two people perished in a Tompkins Township house fire Wednesday morning. According to the Michigan State Police, troopers from the Jackson post were dispatched at around 10:20 a.m. to a residential fire in the 6800…
Downtown Rental Rehab Grants raise questions and opportunities
by Maggie LaNoue At its Sept. 2 meeting, the Albion City Council approved applications for Community Development Block Grant funding to rehabilitate three downtown buildings. The requests total more than $618,000. The properties include 217 S. Superior Street, home of…
Volunteers make Binder Park Zoo’s Corks & Kegs a success
By SYLVIA BENAVIDEZ Contributing Writer Binder Parks biggest fundraiser Corks and Kegs at the Zoo, held Sept. 6, brought out 60 volunteers from all over Calhoun County and even some from Jackson County to raise money for the care of…
AUSTIN BLAIR: Michigan’s radical Civil War governor
By Ken Wyatt Generations have come and gone since Austin Blair served as Michigan’s great Civil War governor from 1861-65. He once was a towering figure in Michigan history. But even great historic figures wane in the knowledge of successive…
Mike’s Musings: A Father’s Painful Choice Shows True Honor
Many of us are grieving the assassination of TPUSA founder, 31-year-old Charlie Kirk. Its unimaginable to me that in this day and age, a person debating students at an outdoor rally in Utah would be murdered.The assassin has been named…
Dam removal talk highlights long road to river renewal
By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer Blueprints showing the future of the Kalamazoo River in Albion, both the north branch and the south branch, took center stage at the Sept. 2 City Council meeting as a consultant outlined 43 pages of…
O’Rourke pleads not guilty by self defense in murder of Emarion Flowers
by ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer Joseph O’Rourke was at a pre-trial conference on Tues. Sept. 9, at 9 a.m. with Hon. John McBain. He has been charged in the killing of Emarion Flowers on May 16 at the Southridge Park…
Antonio Green in Jackson County Jail
by ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer Antonio Treyvonne Green, age 2), the only suspect in the July 27 shooting death of Mia Sims, age 18, was arraigned by Magistrate Christopher Dickenson on Sept. 4, on charges of Homicide—2nd Degree Murder; Discharging…
Jacksonburg and the great Erie Canal
By Ken Wyatt You could say that Clinton’s Folly led to the founding of Jacksonburg in 1829-30. Or, to use a more geographically precise descriptive, you could credit Clinton’s Ditch. History has been kinder, for we remember it as the…
Albion’s brick street gets protective treatment
By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer Downtown Albion’s red brick Superior Street, a symbol of the city’s history and identity, has been closed to traffic this week while crews carried out a maintenance process designed to preserve its distinctive surface for…
Mike’s Musings: How to decrease buggy accidents in our communities
It happens over and over, an Amish buggy is hit by a car or truck and severe injuries happen to thos in the buggy. Just last week the scene was Clare County, which by the way has had a half…
Mike’s Musings: Michigan’s School Funding Stalemate Is a Disservice to Every Student
Here we go again. Another budget cycle, another bitter fight in Lansing over how to fund our schools. This year’s stalemate feels particularly sharp, with both sides dug in and unwilling to budge. Meanwhile, the people who bear the brunt…
Swaenepoel adopts can-do attitude at VCL
By JEFF STEERS Contributing Writer Things could have gone south for Vandercook Lake High School athlete Dallas Swaenepoel. At three years old, his parents lost custody of him, and his grandparents were deemed too old by a Florida judge. Vandercook…
Albion resident finishes Miss Michigan USA pageant in top 12
By SYLVIA BENAVIDEZ Contributing Writer Albion resident Dymond Stokes represented Calhoun County in the Miss Michigan USA pageant recently in Port Huron. The winner was Norton Shores native Michele Lewandoski. Stokes finished in the top 12 contestants. She was disappointed…
A day of extraordinary performances
The Nuance wins Walk the Beat Albion 2025; The War and Treaty claim victory over a downpour at WTB After party By SYLVIA BENAVIDEZContributing Writer The Nunance, an energetic rock band, won Walk the Beat Albion 2025. They along with…
Jackson’s 39th Annual Civil War Muster
By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer The 39th annual Civil War Muster, returned to Jackson on Aug. 23-24, at Cascades Park and surrounding areas. This year’s muster also marked the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army, according to…
The War and Treaty reveal the source of their love of Albion
By SYLVIA BENAVIDEZ Contributing Writer The War and Treaty endured a downpour at Walk the Beat Albion after party, Aug. 23, and yet nothing could dampen their spirits. Their homecoming was an expression of their love for the people of…
HISTORICAL NOTEBOOK
By Frank Passic As we approach the upcoming Labor Day holiday on September 1, we are reminded of the contributions union labor has made here in Albion through the years. During World War II, our local factory unions banded together…
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