
St. Marks hosts free community dinner
PAW PAW – St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Paw Paw, will offer its free community dinner as a drive-thru event, Thursday, Jan. 20, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the church, 412 Cedar Street.The meal will consist of spaghetti pie, fruit…
Mattawan girl has been found safe
MATTAWAN – A 14-year-old Mattawan female, reported missing on Sunday, Jan. 9, has been located and is safely back home with her family, according to a press release from the Michigan State Police Paw Paw Post.Ajanae Raine Cretsinger was reported…
Nesbitt maintains perfect voting record
LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Aric Nesbitt was present for every one of the Michigan Senate’s 494 roll call votes in 2021, according the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s watchdog site MichiganVotes.org.“I was elected to do a job; it is…
My birthday present ends up in jaws of thief
Here’s a story that hopefully will provide a chuckle or two.So my birthday is right around the corner, and my son, bless him, had my gift sent by UPS to our home. Unfortunately, we were at the office and couldn’t…
Life as Performance Art
Longtime friends shared with Pat and me in a Christ-mas letter they had returned to Orchestra Hall for the first performance by the Chicago Symphony Orchetra in nearly two years.At the end CSO director Ri-cardo Muti spoke briefly with the…
Letter to the Editor: Wildlife crossings will reduce collisions
Dear Editor: The next couple of months roads will be full of ice and snow, making driving conditions dangerous. While there is little we can do to stop weather related accidents, there is a source of accidents we can do…
Letter to the Editor: Tyranny of the Minority
To the Editor: Tyranny of the minority …The conservative right-wing has never bought into the idea of a multicultural society …. that the birthright of all Americans is equal representation and protection under the law. Call them nationalists (mostly white),…
Obituary: Victor Robert Crane
Victor Robert Crane, 84, of Paw Paw, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Saturday Jan. 1, 2022, at his home, with his family at his side. He was born March 19, 1937, in Logansport, Indiana, the son of…
Obituary: Gary Lee Ramlow
Gary Lee Ramlow, 75, of Lawton, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 31, 2021 at Rose Arbor in Kalamazoo.A graveside service with military honors will be held at 2pm, Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at Lakeside Cemetery, Decatur. Those wishing to…
Sale of Palisades to take place once plant stops producing
Palisades to sell to Holtec once production stops on May 31The company that owns Palisades Nuclear Plant has received federal regulators’ approval to sell once the power plant stops production this year.The 811-megawatt plant, located on the shores of Lake…
Decatur McDonalds closes without much notice
Residents of Decatur were surprised as it’s recently been discovered that the McDonald’s located at 400 W Delaware St has closed indefinitely. Someone rolling through the drive-thru noticed a sign on the speaker informing residents of the closure and prompting…
Mike’s Musings: Politicians should spend time in private sector
Here’s a novel suggestion. Can we make it a requirement for those running for Congressional seats to spend a few years in the private sector?This idea was presented to me a few weeks ago, and the more I thought about…
Life as Performance Art
I read Mike Wilcox’s fa-ther’s reflections on small town life with delight.I grew up in a city of some 30,000. After ordination I moved to a church in a ham-let of 92 people, with one gas station, one grocery store,…
Obituary: A. James (Jim) Crandall
A. James (Jim) Crandall passed peacefully at home, surrounded by family on Dec. 29, 2021. Jim was born in Canton, Illinois in 1934, to George and Rose Crandall.On Sept. 20, 1958, Jim married the love of his life, Gayle Sousley,…
Area family starts foundation to honor deceased member
The Schincariol family of Lawton has announced an effort this year to raise money to purchase music lessons and instruments for area teens.“Our long-term goal is to provide teens of Southwest Michigan the tools and training to explore and develop…
Lawrence DDA to hold open house
LAWRENCE – The Village of Lawrence Downtown Development Association (DDA) will hold an open house, Tuesday, Jan. 11, beginning at 6 p.m. at Conquer Nutrition 106 W. St. Joseph St. The event will serve as an official greeting from the…
Road Commission issues snow plowing policy
LAWRENCE – Michigan’s first snowflakes have fallen, and before the state is feet-deep in snow, the Van Buren County Road Commission explains how it responds to winter storms, according to a press release from the road commission. There are over…
MDHHS to update quarantine guidelines
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will update its quarantine guidance for the general public to reflect the recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Notably, the CDC recommends a shortening…
Trip Advisor ranks Kal-Haven Trail the best – is it time to utilize it?
By Leslie Ballard Probably every person making their New Year’s resolutions last week listed exercise, weight loss or healthier living as one of their priorities, especially after packing on some Covid pounds. However, while getting on a treadmill and staring…
Omicron Variant identified in Van Buren County resident
LAWRENCE – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) notified Van Buren/Cass District Health Department that the Omicron variant has been identified in a Van Buren County resident.“It was only a matter of time until the Omicron variant…

Do you need help? Write Us!
By Mike Wilcox
Owner/Publisher
Every year, as the Christmas season draws near, I’m reminded just how generous our communities can be. For nearly two decades, Wilcox Newspapers has hosted what’s become one of my favorite traditions: our Annual Christmas Wish Program.
It started simply enough. We asked readers who were struggling to write in and tell us what would make their Christmas a little brighter. The idea was to connect local families in need with local people who wanted to help. Over the years, it’s grown into something truly special—and this year, we’re doing it again.






