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

Rescue team repels South Haven lighthouse

Rescue team repels South Haven lighthouse

Editorial StaffOct 23, 20241 min read

The technical rope rescue team, comprised of responders from South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) and the Hamilton Fire Department, conducted a series of practical exercises on Saturday, including a rather unique one at the South Haven lighthouse.With permission from…

Pooch parade kicks off Halloween festivities

Pooch parade kicks off Halloween festivities

Editorial StaffOct 23, 20242 min read

By James Windell The annual Howl-O-Ween Pooch Parade kicks off the Halloween festivities in downtown South Haven on Saturday, October 26 at 4:00 pm.Families are invited to dress their canines in costumes and join the parade. Following the parade there…

Breast cancer survivor talks about surgery

Breast cancer survivor talks about surgery

Editorial StaffOct 23, 20243 min read

By James Windell When Della Hasty, 73, was called back to the doctor’s office after her routine mammogram, she expected to hear bad news.“I knew they found something when the radiologist came in to talk to me,” Della, who grew…

Centennial Celebration held for Freshwater Community Church building

Centennial Celebration held for Freshwater Community Church building

Editorial StaffOct 23, 20245 min read

By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com PAW PAW – A Centennial Celebration of 600 E. Michigan Ave., here, the site of the former Paw Paw High School, middle school and Community Education building, was held Sunday afternoon, Oct. 20, now the home…

Several proposals on local ballots

Editorial StaffOct 23, 20245 min read

Registered voters in several Van Buren County Townships and one city will be asked to vote on proposals in their respective township or city.Proposals include the following: Antwerp Township Road Millage RenewalShall the expiring previously voted increase in the tax…

Lawton football team defeats Coloma

Editorial StaffOct 17, 20241 min read

By John RaffelCorrespondent LAWTON – Lawton’s football team improved to 4-2-1 overall with a 46-8 win over Coloma on Friday.It was 13-0 after the first quarter, 19-9 at halftime and 33-0 after the third quarter. Lawton had a 13-8 scoring…

Mike’s Musings: My fear of “Bambi” makes me a nervous Driver

Mike’s Musings: My fear of “Bambi” makes me a nervous Driver

Editorial StaffOct 17, 20243 min read

The social media memes showing vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz fumbling with loading his shotgun at a pheasant hunt reminded that this is the time of year when my mind sometimes wanders to “Bambi” and the confrontations I have had with…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffOct 17, 20244 min read

I read an online religious news service article saying hunting was a form of conservation fulfilling God’s instructions to Adam and Eve to take dominion over the earth. That is an interesting perspective.For many years The Commercial Record printed a…

Benefit Concert held to raise funds to fight Huntington’s Disease

Benefit Concert held to raise funds to fight Huntington’s Disease

Editorial StaffOct 17, 20245 min read

PAW PAW – The seventh annual Champions for HD Benefit Concert, held Saturday, Oct. 12, at The Lucky Wolf Theater, Paw Paw, saw more than $5,00 raised to help families fight Huntington’s Disease.Shelby Lentz began Champions for HD, after the…

Lawton Village Council approves pay Increase for police officers

Editorial StaffOct 17, 20243 min read

By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com LAWTON – The Lawton Village Council approved a motion at the Oct. 8 Lawton Village Council meeting to increase fulltime pay for Lawton police officers.Village Of Lawton Chief of Police Greg Cordes said that increasing the…

Mattawan teams stay busy

Editorial StaffOct 9, 20241 min read

By John Raffel MATTAWAN – Mattawan’s boys cross country team was 36th in its division at the Portage Invitational on Saturday.For Mattawan, Owen Fisher was 74th (16:43.5), and Michael Stork got 126th (17:20.5);For the girls, who were 48th, Kate Barron…

Mike’s Musings: Donate if you can, Helene a monster

Mike’s Musings: Donate if you can, Helene a monster

Editorial StaffOct 9, 20243 min read

We all are too familiar with it now. I am writing about the devastation that we witnessed in western North Carolina last week. Hurricane Helene, which swept through Florida quickly and then motored up to the Carolina’s within a blink…

Board thanks retiring Schooley, seeks new superintendent

Editorial StaffOct 9, 20242 min read

The South Haven Public Schools Board of Education would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to Superintendent Kevin Schooley for his many years of outstanding service to the district. Under his leadership, South Haven has made significant strides in enhancing…

An Open Letter from South Haven Mayor Annie Brown:

Editorial StaffOct 9, 20244 min read

In the past several days, our region has been the target of two racist incidents designed to intimidate members of certain ethnic communities. One has occurred within South Haven and one just beyond our borders. Both have been referred to…

3 children transported to hospital after school bus collides with vehicle

Editorial StaffOct 9, 20241 min read

South Haven Area Emergency Services responded to the intersection of Bluestar Highway and Phoenix Street in South Haven City at 11:12AM for an accident involving a private vehicle and a South Haven Public Schools bus. Approximately thirty children were on…

DeGroff receives special tribute from state officials

DeGroff receives special tribute from state officials

Editorial StaffOct 9, 20241 min read

Paw Paw Fire Chief Jim DeGroff IV, who recently concluded his term as department fire chief, was presented with a state Special Tribute signed by State Senator Aric Nesbitt and State Rep Pauline Wendzel. The presentation, by State Rep. Wendzel,…

Davison named new Paw Paw superintendent

Davison named new Paw Paw superintendent

Editorial StaffOct 9, 20243 min read

PAW PAW – The Paw Paw Public Schools (PPPS) Board of Education unanimously appointed Jeremy Davison as its new superintendent of schools, effective Oct. 9, 2024. The announcement was made after the superintendent interview, the review of audience feedback, and…

Richardson named Paw Paw Fire Chief

Richardson named Paw Paw Fire Chief

Editorial StaffOct 9, 20241 min read

New officers of the Paw Paw Fire Department include, from left, 1st Assist Chief Nathan Jackson, Fire Chief Kyle Richardson, and 2nd Assistant Chief Brandon Hall.Courier-Leader photo/Paul Garrod

M-40 reopens in Lawton

M-40 reopens in Lawton

Editorial StaffOct 9, 20241 min read

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Kalin Construction Co. Inc. are wrapping up work on the final year of the $10.1 million investment to rebuild and repave more than 3.5 miles of M-40 in Lawton.The two-year, $10.1 million investment to…