Courier-Leader, Paw Paw Flashes, & South Haven Beacon

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Feb 4, 2026 5 min read

The other morning my favorite online news service reported that medicos have more or less concluded that drinking coffee is good for one’s health. It’s all the enzymes and nutrients that made a favorable impression on the researchers.For coffee drinkers,…

West Michigan joins country’s response to ICE

West Michigan joins country’s response to ICE

Editorial Staff Feb 4, 2026 4 min read

By Gari Voss The second Friday in a row found businesses and individuals expressing their belief that President Donald Trump’s use of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) teams and the Department of Home Security (DHS) to disrupt communities…

Man suffers leg injury while on ice

Man suffers leg injury while on ice

Editorial Staff Feb 4, 2026 1 min read

South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) responders were called to the city’s South Beach at 3:05 p.m. Sunday to a report of a subject who fell while on the Lake Michigan ice shelf approximately 100 yards offshore.The subject suffered a…

Black History Leadership Society celebrates Black History Month

Black History Leadership Society celebrates Black History Month

Editorial Staff Feb 4, 2026 3 min read

By James Windell The Black History Leadership Society celebrates Black History Month on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at Lily of The Valley Church in Covert.It will be the 48th Annual Celebration by The Black History Leadership Society and this year…

Michigan State Police Trooper assigned to Paw Paw named 2025 Trooper of the Year

Michigan State Police Trooper assigned to Paw Paw named 2025 Trooper of the Year

Editorial Staff Feb 4, 2026 2 min read

PAW PAW – Sgt. Lena Wresinski, assigned to the Paw Paw Post, was recognized as the 2025 Trooper of the Year. The Gerstacker Trooper of the Year Award recognizes the MSP trooper or sergeant who symbolizes outstanding professional ethics, dedication…

Paw Paw Fire Department battles harsh weather while fighting structure fire

Paw Paw Fire Department battles harsh weather while fighting structure fire

Editorial Staff Feb 4, 2026 2 min read

By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com PAW PAW – The Paw Paw Fire Department was dispatched to the 63000 block of 38th Street in Paw Paw Township at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, for the report of a structure fire with…

Paw Paw Village Planning Commission meets tonight (Thursday, Feb. 5) to review proposed new Culver’s restaurant, new music stage at Warner Vineyards

Editorial Staff Feb 4, 2026 2 min read

By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com PAW PAW – The Paw Paw Village Planning Commission will meet Thursday Feb. 5, for a public hearing on two items, a site plan review for Culver’s restaurant, who has proposed building on County Road 665,…

Mike’s Musings: Messing with your brain to fix tremors, my week in a fog

Mike’s Musings: Messing with your brain to fix tremors, my week in a fog

Editorial Staff Feb 4, 2026 3 min read

It’s been a week.Struggling with the cold and snow has been one thing, but last Tuesday I had an appointment for focus ultrasound on the brain and since then I have literally been in a fog.Now some readers might point…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Jan 28, 2026 6 min read

It’s been a quarter-century since the death knell sounded for those old chests of drawers in libraries.Were you card-carrying member of the Olds era, you remember them. Three sections of cards, alphabetically organized according to author, subject, or title.We started…

Mattawan hockey remains in first place

Editorial Staff Jan 28, 2026 1 min read

By John RaffelCorrespondent MATTAWAN — Mattawan’s hockey team entered this week with a record of 16-3-1 overall and was tied for first place in the South Central High School League with a 4-0-1 record.Kalamazoo Loy Norrix is in second place…

Person falls into Lake Michigan while walking on ice shelf

Editorial Staff Jan 28, 2026 2 min read

“The Lake Michigan shoreline snow shelves and ice-covered piers are beautiful and inviting. And very dangerous!” South Haven authorities wrote in a Facebook post.A person fell through the ice shelf near the South Haven pier on Wednesday, plunging them into…

Sub-zero temps create emergencies for public works

Sub-zero temps create emergencies for public works

Editorial Staff Jan 28, 2026 1 min read

The recent sub-zero temperatures that have swept the area have proven to be a challenge in many ways, including burst water pipes. Public works employees have the unenviable task of responding to those types of emergencies as pictured here on…

South Haven Speakers Series announces its 12th season speaker lineup

South Haven Speakers Series announces its 12th season speaker lineup

Editorial Staff Jan 28, 2026 4 min read

By James Windell The South Haven Speakers Series just announced its lineup for the 2026 season – its 12th year of bringing topnotch speakers and compelling topics to South Haven.The four programs this year address major issues that shape our…

South Haven School Board unanimously approves teachers salary agreement

Editorial Staff Jan 28, 2026 3 min read

By James Windell The South Haven School Board unanimously approved the salary agreement for teachers at the regular School Board meeting on January 21, 2026.The teacher’s union had already ratified the agreement on January 13, 2026 after the School District…

Upgrades made at Lawrence Township Emergency Services

Upgrades made at Lawrence Township Emergency Services

Editorial Staff Jan 28, 2026 1 min read

Lawrence Township Emergency Services has upgraded the capabilities of one of its vehicles. Utility truck 1780 was equipped with a plow to help not only maintain the township’s emergency services facility, but also to ensure if inclement weather occurs, township…

Van Buren County Dispatch Director to retire

Van Buren County Dispatch Director to retire

Editorial Staff Jan 28, 2026 1 min read

The Van Buren Chief’s of Police Association presented soon to be retired Van Buren Dispatch Director Tim McGee with a plaque recognizing his dedicated years of service to Van Buren County. McGee began his career in law enforcement as an…

Mike’s Musings: Greenland Matters to U.S. Security — But Its People Should Choose Its Future

Mike’s Musings: Greenland Matters to U.S. Security — But Its People Should Choose Its Future

Editorial Staff Jan 28, 2026 4 min read

My son and I have always toyed with the idea of living in Greenland. I being drawn to the heat, couldn’t survive 50 degrees below zero. My son on the other hand is drawn towards the cold and has fancied…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Jan 21, 2026 6 min read

1-22 Stoppel-cr By G.C. StoppelTwice, in less than 12 hours and from two different sources, I heard basically the same message on how to deal with the swirling chaos in much of the news.The first was when I watched the…

Mike’s Musings: The roadblocks to a cancer cure are frustrating

Mike’s Musings: The roadblocks to a cancer cure are frustrating

Editorial Staff Jan 21, 2026 4 min read

Every few years, the same frustrated question resurfaces: With all the money, technology and brainpower in the world, why haven’t we cured cancer yet? It’s a fair question. We’ve put men on the moon, decoded the human genome and carry…

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

The St. Joseph County Commission on Aging (COA) is accepting sealed proposals for an interior remodel of a portion of the Rivers Enrichment Center located at 1200 W. Broadway Street. The project involves renovation of an interior area that was part of the building’s former hotel use and was not included in the renovation completed approximately seven years ago when the building was converted into the Rivers Enrichment Center. Proposals must be received by Wednesday, February 25, 2026 by 2:00pm EST. Bid documents may be obtained by contacting the St. Joseph County Commission on Aging. The COA reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

All communications regarding this RFP shall be directed to:
Pamela Riley
Executive Director, St. Joseph County Commission on Aging
Phone: (269)279-8083 Email: priley@sjccoa.com
OR
Gary Oberlander
Maintenance Department
Phone: (269) 279-8083 Email: goberlander@sjccoa.com