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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

With Congress on vacation for the entire month of August (how dare they) and very little else happening, the Cracker Barrel rebranding hit center stage in last week’s news cycle. The CEO and Marketing Manager rolled out a new contemporary…

By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer Leonard Hugall, has been charged in 1984 disappearance and death of 13-year-old Kelly Harris, in Summit Township in the Jackson metro area. According to Sheriff Gary Schuette in an email statement, the homicide victim was…

By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer Antonio Treyvonne Green, age 19, the only suspect wanted in the shooting death of Mia Sims in front of People’s United Community Church on July 27, has been located and apprehended in Fresno, California, Jackson…

By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer Nearly 400 people gathered Aug. 18 at Harrington Elementary School for the Albion NAACP Back to School 2025 Grand Celebration. The event brought the entire community together to prepare students for the year ahead. Families…

By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer Albion City Council’s regular meeting Aug. 18, took place in the Opportunity High School library. About 40 people attended, most of them there to hear and weigh in on a proposed Payment in Lieu of…

By Frank Passic, Albion Historian             One of Albion’s community assets is its downtown brick Superior Street on M-99. It has existed since the beginning of the 20th century. This summer, the Michigan Department of Transportation is doing some maintenance…

The dream of homeownership, once a clear stepping stone into adulthood, now feels like a mirage for many Michiganders under 30. Despite living in a state often touted for its affordability, structural barriers have erased much of the margin that…

By Elizabeth Ferszt Contributing Writer Antonio Treyvonne Green has been identified but is still at large regarding the death of 18-year-old Mia Sims on July 27 in Jackson. City of Jackson Chief of Police, Christopher Simpson, and Jackson County Prosecuting…

By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer Taxes were on the minds of some property owners at Albion’s City Council study session about Washington Gardner School on Monday, Aug. 11. For others, housing concerns took priority. Mayor Victoria Garcia-Snyder called the meeting…

By Frank Passic SHELDON BLOCK IS DOWNTOWN ALBION LANDMARK             Recently you may have observed the building that presently houses Parks Pharmacy in downtown Albion at 318 S. Superior St. is being repainted along with some necessary repairs. This is…

Michigan’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — a lifeline for roughly 1.4 million residents — is being chipped away, quite literally, by inadequate technology and sluggish enforcement.In fiscal year 2024, fraud in Michigan’s SNAP program surged by nearly 400%, reaching…

By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer Albion residents have an opportunity to help decide the future of one of the city’s most iconic buildings. A public study session is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 11, from 6-8 p.m. at Tennant Hall on…

By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer The annual Jackson County Fair rolled into town Sunday, Aug. 3 and continues through Saturday, Aug. 9 at the fairgrounds located downtown. Each year the fair boasts a combination of 4-H and other agricultural and…