Life as Performance Art
Life as Performance Art: Joan AndersonG C Stoppel Joan Anderson died on the 14th of July this year at the age of 101. I suspect her name is hardly familiar anymore, but she was perhaps the greatest social influencer in…
Mike’s Musings: Why So Many Michiganders Under 30 Can’t Afford a House
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…
Paw Paw tennis team stops West Catholic
By John Raffel PAW PAW — Paw Paw’s boys tennis team defeated Grand Rapids West Catholic 5-3 in recent action.SinglesNo. 1 – Kyle Carpenter, Grand Rapids West Catholic def. Terrance Fisher, Paw Paw, 6-0, 6-0.No. 2 – Eric Fitchpatrick, Paw…
South Haven salutes veterans with flotilla, band, large crowd
by Jim Windell, The South Haven fishing community took Veterans out on Lake Michigan for the morning. Returning with their catch, they were greeted at noon by a flotilla of boats led by the SHAES fireboat. A large American flag floated…
Community Recreation Director hired for South Haven
By James Windell Although the South Haven City Council approved hiring a Community Recreation Director, it wasn’t until June, 2025 that the council approved making it a fulltime position with benefits.Scott Reinert, South Haven Area Recreational Authority (SHARA) Administrator, thought…
South Haven Planning Commission approves Master Plan
By James Windell When the South Haven City Hall City Council Chambers are packed for a Planning Commission meeting, you can assume two things: One, this will not be a brief meeting; two, there will be controversy.This was the case…
National Night Out/Public Safety Professional Night Out attracts many to Paw Paw
“It was a good turnout for National Night Out/Public Safety Professional Night Out in South Haven and Paw Paw. A huge thank you to the community for coming out and all the continued support, it’s appreciated more than you know,”…
Village Market Food Centers to be acquired by Harding’s Friendly Markets
All four will soon be sold to Harding’s Friendly Markets. Photos from Google Maps. By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher In late June, major news broke when SpartanNash announced their sale to a New Hampshire grocery conglomerate. As a Byron Center-based wholesaler…
Lawrence cheer continues to have success
By John RaffelCorrespondent Melissa Pyle is head coach for sideline cheer at Lauren and recalls major highlights from a year ago.“Tripling the number of cheerleaders was a highlight/record/top moment of the season.” Pyle said. “Senior captain Kennedi Klock and junior…
Walker recognized for lasting impact on South Haven
By Tom Renner A long standing tradition of the Bobby Walker Basketball Tournament in South Haven is to begin the summer weekend event with the presentation of Leadership Awards to civic leaders, organizations and sponsors. This year the ceremony had a…
Mike’s Musings: Michigan’s SNAP Fraud Crisis- fraud running rampant
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…
Life as Performance Art
“A man is just about as happy as he makes up his mind to be,” said Abraham Lincoln. A contemporary French writer we’ll call “C” added, “It takes tremendous courage to be happy.”“C” has every reason to be miserable. She…
Hundreds attend National Night Out
By Tom Renner Haven marked National Night Out with an event that attracted hundreds to the downtown the downtown pavilion. Law enforcement and fire/EMS agencies were joined by several community organizations. The Van Buren Sheriff horse unit joined in the…
Brown, Hosley to face off for mayor in November
By James Windell The South Haven primary election was held for mayor and city council candidates on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. The top two candidates for mayor and for city council in each ward will face each other in the…
Lawrence Township Fire Department holds a Centennial celebration
A centennial celebration was held Saturday, Aug. 9, in Lawrence for the Lawrence Township Fire Department. The event featured fire truck demos, food trucks, games, raffles, music and family fun. Shown in photo from left, Lawrence Township Supervisor, Donna Spenner,…
Gobles man faces several charges including strangulation
A 31-year-old Gobles man faces several charges following an incident Wednesday, Aug. 6, according to a press release from eh Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office.The incident took place at approximately 10 p.m. in the 25000 block of 36th Street.Deputies responded…
Grand Junction man faces charges following four-mile pursuit
Sheriff Daniel E. Abbott reports that on 08/07/2025 at approximately 7:30 p.m. a Deputy on patrol in Columbia township attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a pickup truck for multiple traffic violations. The driver of the vehicle failed to…
Former Van Buren County Specialty Court Administrator arrested on embezzlement charges over $100k
PAW PAW – Michigan State Police (MSP) Fifth District Special Investigation Section an-nounced the arrest of Rachel Celeste Lindley, 42 of Bethesda, Maryland, for felony embezzlement over $100,000 and felony embezzlement by a public official.Lindley previously worked for Van Buren…
SUV crashes into Amish buggy in Bloomingdale Twp., multiple injuries reported
BLOOMINGDALE TWP. – Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott reported that Van Buren County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched Friday, Aug. 8, at 7:45 p.m. to the 45000 block of County Road 388 for a report that an SUV had crashed…
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