News
Saugatuck UMC to close doors after 160 years
Saugatuck United Methodist Church will suspend operations at the end of this month after a final post-Easter service. The downtown Saugatuck church at 250 Mason St. has hosted served the community for 160 years. “I notified the district last November…
Blaze totals rural storage building
By Scott Sullivan Editor Saugatuck Township Fire District crews joined mutual aid partners from Ganges, Graafschap, Fennville and Hamilton knocking down this storage building and vehicle fire in the 2500 block of 63rd Street early Friday morning. Firefighters responding to…
Old home may soon sell shaved ice
By Scott Sullivan Editor Part of an 1873-built home at 453 W. Center St. across Ferry Street from the Old Root Beer Barrel may soon sell Italian shaved ice if its owner’s plans are realized. Douglas City Council Monday approved…
Douglas to sell 1870s church to Ox-Bow
By Scott Sullivan Editor Douglas City Council agreed Monday to sell the 1870s-built wood-frame former church at 137 W. Center St. to the Ox-Bow School of Art for $430,000. Nonprofit Ox-Bow in 2022 began leasing the space, which had previously…
Sparks receives Otsego Outstanding Alumnus Award
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Each year, Otsego Public Schools honors a past graduate with the Outstanding Alumnus Award during the Otsego High School Honors Night.This year’s honoree was Brian Spark.Described as a “lifelong bulldog” in a release from OPS, Sparks—a…
Firefighters snuff blaze near propane tanks
By Scott SullivanEditorSaugatuck Township Fire District crews joined mutual aid partners from Ganges, Graafschap, Fennville and Hamilton knocking dousing a storage building and vehicle fire in the 2500 block of 63rd Street Friday morning.Firefighters responding to the 5 a.m. call…
Local group plans to reopen Mermaid site
By Scott SullivanEditorSaugatuck’s Dockside Marketplace, home of the former Mermaid Bar & Grill and Baldy’s Smoked Meats, has been sold to local investors who plan to reopen it with a fresh look and new restaurant concepts.Boat Shed Properties LLC —…
Summer children’s theater returns to Plainwell
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Children’s theater is returning to Plainwell for the upcoming summer.The Plainwell Arts Council recently announced the Missoula Children’s Theater (MCT) will put on a production of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” featuring more than 60…
Easter weekend brings crowds to Allegan
By Gari Voss The weekend of April 18-20, 2025, was again packed with possibilities for all ages. The events really began on Thursday, April 17th and did not slow down until the afternoon of Saturday, April 19th.The “weekend” really began…
Many hoops exist if council were toconsider police change
By Gari Voss Conversations arose when the City of Allegan was informed by City Manager Joel Dye that the council needed to find ways to finance a laundry list of projects over the next 10 years. During that meeting, the…
Ice cream shop reopens under new ownership
By James Windell If you’ve lamented the closing of Sherman’s Dairy Bar, a South Haven summer ice cream shop for the past 66 years, take heart.Sherman’s Dairy Bar, which closed last October, is now reopened under a new owner as…
SHARA surprised Council delayed Recreation Director approval
By James Windell Based on the interest in the proposed Community Recreation Director agreement, which the South Haven City council did not approve on April 7, it was not surprising that the topic would come up at the South Haven…
City Council holds capital improvements workshop
By James Windell In a special workshop meeting on Monday, April 14, 2025, the South Haven City Council received a capital improvement plan.Presenting a 90-minute slide presentation on capital improvement for the years 2026 to 2032 was Department of Public…
Harbors may be affected by EGLE mandate
By James Windell Earlier this month Michigan Congressman Bill Huizenga released a statement regarding the Whitmer Administration’s “ill-defined” EGLE requirements for PFAS testing as a condition for harbor dredging.EGLE is the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. It…
County man wins $1 million playing Michigan Lottery’s Cashword
A lucky mistake led to a big payday and a treasure hunt for a Van Buren County man who won $1 million playing the Michigan Lottery’s Major Cashword instant game.“I play Cashword tickets occasionally, but purchasing this ticket was a…
Hartford teenagers honored by Sheriff for putting out fire
By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com HARTFORD – Two Hartford teenagers, students at Hartford High School, were recently honored by the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office for their quick actions in putting out a construction trailer fire.Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott…
Protest raises $863 for Eleanor’s Food Pantry
PAW PAW – More than 150 people demonstrated in Paw Paw as part of the Take America Back protests held around the country on Saturday, April 19. The protests are in opposition to the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE.Protest…
Sturgis city notes: West Street closure, brush collection and hydrant-flushing
West West Street in Sturgis is closed to traffic April 21-25 at various intersections from North Centreville Road to North Street, for contractor utility work, officials announced. Travelers are asked to seek an alternate route and use caution in those…
‘Cross Walk’ held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Sturgis
Trinity Lutheran Church in Sturgis held its traditional Good Friday “Cross Walk” on April 18. It began with a brief service at the chapel, then the group walked along Lakeview Avenue and other nearby streets, singing hymns along the way,…
