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

Bicyclist killed in drunk hit and run near Pullman

Bicyclist killed in drunk hit and run near Pullman

JordanSep 27, 20242 min read

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…

Paw Paw soccer team prevails

Editorial StaffSep 25, 20241 min read

By John Raffel PAW PAW – The Paw Paw Red Wolves hosted Hackett in a nonconference soccer matchup last week and won 2-0.“The boys came ready to play and struck first as Kyle Boff continued his goal scoring onslaught,” coach…

Obituary: John M. Stewart

Obituary: John M. Stewart

Editorial StaffSep 25, 20243 min read

John M. Stewart, 73, of Paw Paw, passed away surrounded by family and friends at Rose Arbor Place in Kalamazoo on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. He was born on August 17, 1951 in Kalamazoo to Marshall R. and Martha (Williams)…

Obituary: Dorothea (Dort) Blanche Spahn (Healy)

Obituary: Dorothea (Dort) Blanche Spahn (Healy)

Editorial StaffSep 25, 20242 min read

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.…

Obituary: Mary Woodhams

Obituary: Mary Woodhams

Editorial StaffSep 25, 20242 min read

Beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Mary Woodhams, age 86, of Almena Twp, died at her home on Friday, September 20, 2024. She was born on August 15, 1938 to Joe and Alicia Banner and is survived by her husband: Bill. Children:…

Several injuries reported in two vehicle crash

Several injuries reported in two vehicle crash

Editorial StaffSep 25, 20242 min read

By Paul GarrodStaff Writer HARTFORD TWP. – Several people were injured, including two teenage females initially listed with life threatening injuries, Wednesday night, Sept. 18, in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Red Arrow Highway and County Road 681…

Death of Lee Township woman being investigated as homicide

Death of Lee Township woman being investigated as homicide

Editorial StaffSep 25, 20242 min read

Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher On the morning of Thursday, September 19th, Allegan County Central dispatch received a call from the Fennville Shell gas station. They were concerned about one of their employees – Mrs. Mable Mills, a 43-year-old from Lee Township.Mills,…

Prospect Hill Cemetery event highlights Paw Paw notables

Prospect Hill Cemetery event highlights Paw Paw notables

Editorial StaffSep 25, 20244 min read

By Paul GarrodStaff Writer PAW PAW – The second annual Voices of the Past: Tales from Prospect Hill Cemetery, was held Saturday, Sept. 21, at Prospect Hill Cemetery, here. It was presented by the Paw Paw District Library and the…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffSep 25, 20247 min read

    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…

Mike’s Musings: The day Santa was booed

Mike’s Musings: The day Santa was booed

Editorial StaffSep 25, 20243 min read

I would like to thank the dozens of readers that commented on my Bicycle Hippie finds sobriety column from last week. It certainly was a change of pace from my ranting and raving about government overreach, so much so I’m…

South Haven overcomes Coloma

Editorial StaffSep 18, 20241 min read

By John RaffelCorrespondent SOUTH HAVEN – South Haven’s football team proved to be too much for Coloma with a 48-28 victory on Friday.South Haven had a 48-28 advantage in first downs, and 271-85 in rushing yards.South Haven led in total…

Gobles girls win championship trophy

Editorial StaffSep 18, 20242 min read

By John RaffelCorrespondent GOBLES – Saturday, the Tigers traveled to Mendon’s home cross country course at Feek County Park in Leonidas, MI to compete in a wooded course that twists and turns wind through the Mendon countryside.The boys finished seventh.…

Obituary: Murray J. Swindell

Obituary: Murray J. Swindell

Editorial StaffSep 18, 20243 min read

Murray J. Swindell, 90, of Lincoln, MA and former longtime resident of Concord, MA passed away on September 2, 2024, surrounded by his loving family and friends.Murray was born on June 22, 1934, to Cassie and G. Murray Swindell in…

PPPS Superintendent accepts a position with nearby district

Editorial StaffSep 18, 20242 min read

PAW PAW – The Paw Paw Public Schools Board of Education announced Monday, Sept. 16, that Superintendent Rick Reo has accepted another position as superintendent of Bloomingdale Public Schools.“We are grateful to Rick for his leadership and the contributions he…

First responders, students remember Patriot Day

First responders, students remember Patriot Day

Editorial StaffSep 18, 20241 min read

To commemorate Patriot Day and honor the lives of those lost on Sept. 11, 2001, a tribute was held at the Paw Paw Elementary Campus flagpole Wednesday morning, Sept. 11. Principals Jeremy Davison and Leah Barnes led the ceremony and…

Man faces assault with intent to murder charge

Editorial StaffSep 18, 20242 min read

By Paul GarrodStaff Writer BLOOMINGDALE TWP. A 49-year-old Gobles/Bloomingdale area man faces a charge of assault with intent to murder, following a domestic violence incident with his wife, according to a press release from the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office.Van…

Four campers go up in smoke in Mattawan

Four campers go up in smoke in Mattawan

Editorial StaffSep 18, 20241 min read

The Mattawan Fire District responded to an early Sunday morning, Sept. 15, call to County Road 652, in Antwerp Township. Responding to the scene at approximately 5:28 a.m., firefighters found four camper trailers and a box truck engulfed in flames.…

Mike’s Musings: The bicycle hippie who overcame addiction

Mike’s Musings: The bicycle hippie who overcame addiction

Editorial StaffSep 18, 20243 min read

I was riding my bicycle last Saturday (yes, the same bike I fell and broke my hip from a year ago) when I was about 8 miles from home, and I heard a loud splat. I knew immediately my bsck…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffSep 18, 20247 min read

     After I wrote the Faces in the Crowd piece on teaching penmanship in school, my mind drifted  slightly sideways toward learning how to print in the first and second grade, and then cursive writing a year later.  That class…

Mike’s Musings: Problems galore, but Congress takes six weeks off

Mike’s Musings: Problems galore, but Congress takes six weeks off

Editorial StaffSep 11, 20243 min read

Welcome back Congress, I hope you enjoyed your six-week vacation. That’s right while two wars commanding our attention, an economy that is not well, and a border that is actually borderless, our elected leaders took six weeks off.Of course they…