News
Battle of the Books brings excitement and retro reads to the PAC
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor For 25 elementary school teams from across Allegan County, Saturday was all about books, teamwork and a little friendly competition.The annual Battle of the Books competition returned to the Plainwell Performing Arts Center, bringing together students…
Otsego High School earns Gold status on AP School Honor Roll
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Otsego High School has been recognized at the Gold level on the College Board’s 2024–25 AP School Honor Roll, placing it among the top-performing high schools in Michigan for Advanced Placement success.OHS was one of 170…
Plainwell police warn residents about law enforcement impersonation scam
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The Plainwell Department of Public Safety is warning residents about a sophisticated phone scam involving callers who falsely claim to be court officers or law enforcement personnel.The alert comes after a recent incident in which an…
Historic Allegan Presbyterian Church closed
By Gari Voss The decision is final. The First Presbyterian Church on Cutler Street in Allegan has been closed by the Presbytery of Lake Michigan in Portage. The final service was Sunday, March 1, 2026, and members of the congregations…
County makes changes to senior home-delivered meals
By Gari Voss The Allegan County Board of Commissioners approved the continuation of the Home Delivery Meals to eligible seniors. In a conversation with Dan Wedge, the Deputy County Administrator of Services, he wanted to emphasize that the program, which…
Dorr Twp. approves 12-month moratorium on data centers
By David Young The Dorr Township Board Thursday evening decided to issue a 12-month moratorium on any development of data centers by Microsoft.The move was urged and cheered on loudly by more than 75 people who attended the meeting at…
SHAWSA approves Kalamazoo Street project
By James Windell Portions of Kalamazoo Street in South Haven will be undergoing redesigning and reconstruction later this year.The project was given the go ahead at the February 24, 2026 South Haven Area Water and Sewer Authority (SHAWSA) meeting.The engineering…
Chamber of Commerce announces Give Back Program
By James Windell New businesses in the area can have the backing of the South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce in a newly inaugurated Give Back Program.“The Give Back Program is designed to foster and support a new business in…
SH Harbor Commission elects officers, hears about needed repairs
ByJames Windell In a Harbor Commission meeting on February 17, 2026, officers were elected.Kevn Conway, who is serving a three-year term that ends at the end of 2026, was re-elected Chair. Brent Nichols, whose term expires in 2027, was elected…
Van Buren District Library, several townships, discuss decades old contract governing branch libraries
By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com DECATUR – Following a nearly three-hour meeting, that included a nearly 55-minuite closed session by the Van Buren District Library Board, Tuesday, Feb. 24, The Van Buren District Library Board plans to update a decades-old contract…
Brave citizens rescue two from fire
By Gari Voss Ricky Holly and Emily Steward came upon a burning home on CR 653 in Pine Grove Township before 9am on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The pair quickly went into action by calling 911 to contact the Gobles…
Senior Home Meal delivery changes
By Gari Voss The Allegan County Board of Commissioners approved the continuation of the Home Delivery Meals to eligible seniors. In a conversation with Dan Wedge, the Deputy County Administrator of Services, he wanted to emphasize that the program, which…
Historic Allegan Church closes doors
By Gari Voss The decision is final. The First Presbyterian Church on Cutler Street in Allegan has been closed by the Presbytery of Lake Michigan in Portage. The final service was Sunday, March 1, 2026, and members of the congregations…
Two killed, one injured after pickup strikes tree
PARK TWP. — Two people were killed while another was airlifted when a vehicle crashed into a tree in Park Township Saturday. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called just after midnight Saturday to the intersection…
Jackson teen dies in wrong-way crash on US-127
By Elizabeth Ferszt And Kathryn Palon Contributing Writers A Jackson teenager was killed in a wrong-way crash on US-127 last Thursday. The teenager, identified as 16-year-old Rickie Pickens, was a passenger in the car traveling the wrong way. Pickens was…
Man pleads no-contest to murder of child
By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer A 43-year-old Jackson County man, Donald Flack, pled no contest to second degree murder charges in connection to the death of a 15-month-old Jackson County child in 2022. According to a press release from Prosecuting…
Jackson Collaborative Network presentation gives demographic data about Jackson County
By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer Sheri Butters, manager of the Jackson Collaborative Network, gave a presentation at the Feb. 24 Jackson City Council meeting that highlighted some sobering data about the demographics, health, and wealth of both the city and…
