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

Obituary: Cloyd Dean Wells

Obituary: Cloyd Dean Wells

Editorial StaffAug 7, 20243 min read

Cloyd Dean Wells, 90, of Paw Paw, passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of his family on Monday, July 22, 2024, at his home. He was born July 12, 1934, in Chester, West Virginia, to Cloyd and Mamie Wells.…

Obituary: Cynthia Mae Smitko

Editorial StaffAug 7, 20242 min read

Cynthia Mae Smitko, 82, of Paw Paw, Michigan passed away peacefully July 30, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. She had battled diabetes her entire life and finally succumbed to complications from the disease. Born in Chicago March 18, 1942,…

Obituary: Katherine L. Alderman

Obituary: Katherine L. Alderman

Editorial StaffAug 7, 20242 min read

Katherine L. AldermanAge 93Of BangorPassed away Monday, July 29, 2024 at Bronson Lakeview Hospital, Paw Paw. Katherine was born July 7, 1931 in South Haven the daughter of Edward and Thelma (Brouse) Brant, and has lived all of her life…

Mike’s Musings: USPS keeps raising prices while providing poorer service

Mike’s Musings: USPS keeps raising prices while providing poorer service

Editorial StaffAug 7, 20243 min read

Trouble might come with this rant, but I’ve about had it with United States Postal Service.They just recently raised the price of a postage stamp to 71 cents. It seems every year the price goes up another 5 cents. I’m…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffAug 7, 20244 min read

Pat and I have been to Paris several times, so we were eager to watch the opening of the Summer Olympics there.  We knew we would see familiar haunts, which excited us. The creativity and style of Parisians appealed to…

Brown settles in as South Haven’s mayor

Brown settles in as South Haven’s mayor

Editorial StaffAug 7, 20246 min read

By Donald Talonen The city mayor stands as a central figure in local governance. As the elected head of a city, the mayor’s responsibilities are vast and varied, shaping the daily lives of the community they serve.At the helm of…

51st annual Fly-In set for August 11

51st annual Fly-In set for August 11

Editorial StaffAug 7, 20243 min read

By Donald Talonen Get ready for a delightful morning on August 11, 2024, in South Haven. The South Haven Rotary’s 51st Annual Pancake Breakfast will kick off the day at the South Haven Area Regional Airport, filling the air with…

South Haven’s National Blueberry Festival begins this week

Editorial StaffAug 7, 20243 min read

By Donald Talonen The National Blueberry Festival has been a beloved tradition in the community since 1963. Taking place annually on the second weekend of August, it holds the distinction of being one of the nation’s longest-running fruit festivals. This…

Lawton pole vaulter now focuses on volleyball

Editorial StaffJul 31, 20241 min read

By John RaffelCorrespondent LAWTON – Alyssa McNally is a senior volleyball player at Lawton who has had a productive summerIn the Division 3 state finals, McNally was 28th in pole vault at 7-feet-9 inches.Right now, McNally has been going to…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffJul 31, 20243 min read

The smartest thing a city can do is install sidewalk benches in its retail distract. If one of a couple wants to pop into a shop, the other can sit outside people watching.Am I looking in a mirror when I…

Mike’s Musings: Olympics should be about sports and sports only

Mike’s Musings: Olympics should be about sports and sports only

Editorial StaffJul 31, 20243 min read

I’ve been an avid fan of the Olympics since I was a pre-teen. I was glued to the TV set in my teenage years, watching the opening ceremony and most of the events. It was a tradition I have always…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffJul 24, 20247 min read

    On Saturday the thirteen of this month, Pat and I were out along the lakeshore for beautiful evening at Ox-Bow School of the Arts.  There is not cell phone service there, so we missed hearing the news of the…

Mike’s Musings: One would never imagine an assassination attempt, a president resigning in one week

Mike’s Musings: One would never imagine an assassination attempt, a president resigning in one week

Editorial StaffJul 24, 20243 min read

What a week for the history books. First a former president, now the leading candidate for president, survived an assassination attempt, then his opponent, the current president announced he would no longer be running for a second term.I’m still confused…

Obituary: RAYBORN, Willard “Will” Of Breedsville

Editorial StaffJul 24, 20241 min read

Age 72, passed away in his sleep on July 21, 2024. Will was born May 8, 1952 in Greenville, AL the son of Beder and Mary (Walker) Rayborn. He retired from Knouse Foods as a forklift driver and was able…

Lawton running back eager for college career

Editorial StaffJul 24, 20242 min read

By John RaffelCorrespondent LAWTON –Kal Motter was a talented three-sport athlete in track, basketball and football at Lawton.Football was his best sport and Motter will be going to Hope College as a running back.His strengths as a running back, Motter…

Fireworks end busy day at Youth Fair

Fireworks end busy day at Youth Fair

Editorial StaffJul 24, 20241 min read

Fireworks were held Friday night, July 19, at the Van Buren Youth Fair in Hartford Friday night. In the photo above, an inflatable alien staged at a vendor’s tent is shown in the foreground, while fireworks burst in the background.Courier-Leader…

Paw Paw Village Planning Commission addresses concert issues at Warner Vineyards

Editorial StaffJul 24, 20241 min read

By Paul GarrodStaff Writer PAW PAW – A standing room only crowd voiced compliments and concerns Thursday, July 18, about recent concerts at Warner Vineyards during the Paw Paw Village Planning Commission meeting held at the Paw Paw Township Hall.…

Obituary: Carolyn “Joyce” Sage

Obituary: Carolyn “Joyce” Sage

Editorial StaffJul 17, 20242 min read

Carolyn “Joyce” Sage, passed away peacefully at Bronson Commons, Mattawan, July 6, 2024. Joyce’s family is extremely grateful to the staff at Bronson Commons and Centrica Care Navigators Hospice for the care they provided to her during her final weeks.Born…