News
Volunteers brave extreme cold for Albion’s annual Point-in-Time Count
By Maggie LaNoue, Contributing Writer Volunteers gathered at a building on Austin Avenue in Albion Thursday night, Jan. 29 to take part in the annual Point in Time Count — a nationwide effort to count individuals and families experiencing homelessness…
Steve Tucker fired from Michigan Theatre
By KATHRYN PALON and ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writers The long-time executive director of the Michigan Theatre of Jackson, Steve Tucker, was abruptly fired by the Board of Directors late last month and former Board Chair Nan Whitmore has been named…
Albion resubmits $1.1 million grant to rehabilitate downtown apartments
By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer Albion City Council approved the resubmission of a $1.1 million Community Development Block Grant application during its Feb. 2 meeting, advancing plans to rehabilitate 10 downtown apartment units across four properties, with the majority reserved…
Showing Up When It Matters: Albion Takes Care of Business on Feb. 2
More residents than usual attended Albion’s Feb. 2 study session and regular meeting at City Hall. As people arrived, they picked up printed agendas from the podium at the front of the room and settled in for an evening focused…
Massage establishment’s permit approved amid TR mayor’s calls for review of ordinance, city code
By Robert TomlinsonNews Director THREE RIVERS — Amid a call for what Three Rivers Mayor Angel Johnston called a “line-by-line review” of the city’s code and a call to revise or get rid of language in the city’s massage establishment…
Ambitious projects envisioned if Sturgis school bond is approved A closer look at details of some initiatives
By Dennis Volkert Sturgis Public Schools eyes numerous major projects, if a bond election proposal is approved by voters in May.On Jan. 12, the board of education approved the bond election resolution. The initiative is scheduled to appear on the…
Sturgis man charged with six counts for alleged abuse of adopted daughter
By Robert TomlinsonNews Director CENTREVILLE — A Sturgis man was formally arraigned and charged Monday for the alleged sexual abuse of his adopted daughter over nearly a decade.According to St. Joseph County Prosecutor Deborah Davis, 57-year-old Raymond Bontrager was charged…
Clare health park scandal recovers 4.8 million dollars
By Christopher Johnson A onetime aide to a former Michigan Speaker of the House was charged last year with multiple felonies following a lengthy investigation into a stalled health park project north of Clare. Which was an investigation that ultimately…
Leitha Jennings celebrates 105th birthday
Leitha Jennings turned 105 this past Thursday 2/5/2026.She worked for Fisher body in Pontiac where she was an accountant for 37 years. Born in the depression with 2 siblings she remembers her mother cooking and making their clothes.She has lived…
Accounting troubles, transfer station have Surrey residents up in arms
By David Hutchinson The Special Meeting was held in the Surrey Township Hall on January 27. All five board members were present—Mike Coon, Mindy Campbell, Glenna Bradbury, Dixie Adams, and Paul Ghinelli. More than ten people attended. The meeting was…
No injuries in house fire on Maple Street in Sturgis, investigation of cause continues
Sturgis Department of Public Safety’s fire division is investigating cause of a blaze Feb. 4 at a home at 229 N. Maple St. Upon arrival, around 5 p.m., flames and smoke were visible from second-story windows on the north and…
Six more weeks?
So the groundhog didn’t see his shadow Monday, per myth meaning six more weeks of winter. We are Michiganders, we can handle it. Last weekend’s sunshine outbreak brought to light the beauty of downtown Saugatuck, as seen in Ted Swoboda’s…
New township park to get LCWM assist
By Scott SullivanEditorSaugatuck Township and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan have signed a memorandum of understanding by which conservancy will fund 5-percent, up to $200,000 of its costs to establish a new 119-acre Riverside Park and nature preserve on…
Otsego turns to wing blades as snowbanks continue to grow
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor With snowbanks continuing to rise along city streets, the City of Otsego has begun using wing blades on its plow trucks in an effort to keep roads passable during a winter that shows little sign of…
Christian Neighbors food pantry director departs to work with children
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor After nearly four years of service, Christian Neighbors has announced that Food Pantry Director Amy Van Putten is stepping away from the role.In a statement, Christian Neighbors said Van Putten “has been so much more than…
Data center opposition continues in Dorr Township
By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher Pushback against proposed data centers continued in Dorr Township this weekend, as the local Facebook group “Dorr Township MI – We the People” hosted a Saturday meeting with lawmakers, residents, and industrial experts who believe Microsoft’s…
M-89 Cinema to host West Michigan’s first dementia-friendly movie program
By Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher Dementia is a tragic, progressive decline in mental ability that causes memory loss, cognitive deterioration, and functional impairment. It affects more than 55 million people worldwide and is the seventh-leading cause of death. Its most well-known…
West Michigan joins country’s response to ICE
By Gari Voss The second Friday in a row found businesses and individuals expressing their belief that President Donald Trump’s use of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) teams and the Department of Home Security (DHS) to disrupt communities…
Man suffers leg injury while on ice
South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) responders were called to the city’s South Beach at 3:05 p.m. Sunday to a report of a subject who fell while on the Lake Michigan ice shelf approximately 100 yards offshore.The subject suffered a…
Black History Leadership Society celebrates Black History Month
By James Windell The Black History Leadership Society celebrates Black History Month on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at Lily of The Valley Church in Covert.It will be the 48th Annual Celebration by The Black History Leadership Society and this year…
