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Crew members from Sturgis Department of Public Services on Dec. 30 prepared for repair of a water-main break on Cherry Avenue near Michigan Avenue. MISS DIG provided emergency service for the situation, said Tom Sikorski, director of DPS. Dennis Volkert/Sentinel

Curbside recycling in the city of Sturgis will remain on its twice-monthly collection schedule throughout January. Beginning in February, the sequence will switch to every-other-week. City clerk/treasurer Ken Rhodes confirmed the arrangement earlier this week. Service will continue to alternate between properties…

Typically, the board meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, although some exceptions apply to accommodate “Sturgis Fest” week and some holidays. In addition, special sessions may be announced throughout the year, as situations arise. Meetings begin at…

STURGIS, Mich. — The Strand Theater, a beloved downtown landmark in Sturgis for over six decades under family ownership, has been listed for sale, with its final day of operations set for December 31, 2025.Third-generation owner Eric Saitz announced the…

The city of Sturgis recently reiterated its snow removal policy. Snowfall of 1-3 inches will be addressed with de-icing and plowing as necessary. In some cases, it may involve plowing of intersections, major streets and local roads. Snowfall of 4 inches or more…

By Genine Hayden This winter started early and it has given only a small reprieve for Christmas before coming back with a vengeance beginning Friday and hitting hardest Sunday night through Monday.  About half of the residents in Clare County…

By Christopher Johnson According to Clare’s Fire Chief, Sam Eberhart, he has never seen a busier time for the city’s fire department than the week just gone.From 8 o’clock Friday morning until 6 o’clock Monday night, there were between 80…

By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com With Mother Nature delivering a one-two knockout punch of rain, ice and snow late Sunday night and Monday morning, Van Buren County Road Commission (VBCRC) crews began an early start Monday to their work week. The…

The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office recently experienced an historic milestone, its first all-female general road patrol shift. Though other deputies are assigned to township-specific cars, this shift handles the countywide general road patrol Shown in photo from left, Deputy…

The Paw Paw Fire Department served as Santa’s personal escort as the Jolly Old Elf made his way on a fire truck through the community on Wednesday, Dec. 24. The fire department has served as Santa’s escort for several years,…

By Scott SullivanEditorMonday’s blizzard brought chaos to local roads when a northbound semi slid off I-196, plunged down the Old Allegan Road overpass and caught fire there.First responders — who battled whiteout conditions, heavy snow and 45-60 mph wind gusts…

By Scott SullivanEditorNew Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance executive director Elaine Sterrett Isely no stranger to nonprofit environmental leadership.Isely took over as the SDCA’s fulltime director Nov. 1 on heels of the group’s 17-year co-founder and board president David Swan’s announcing…

By Aaron MitchellOtsego City Manger The year 2025 was a great one for the City of Otsego!We started with a few plans and ideas that we planned on tackling throughout the year, but as you could imagine, there were a…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor For more than a decade, patrons of the Otsego District Library have been treated each winter to the annual early literacy fundraiser, which has transformed the library into immersive, storybook-inspired experiences featuring themes such as Charlotte’s…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor A day that many consider to be one of the most joyous of the year took a tragic turn in Gun Plain Township on Christmas night.On Thursday, Dec. 25, a 52-year-old Plainwell-area man was killed after…

By Gari Voss The call began as a medical incident on M-40 near 136th Avenue in Heath Township in Allegan County at about 6pm on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, but in an instant, everything went wrong when the announcement came…

By Parker Johnson Bundle up and count down to 2026 with the LARGEST New Year’s Eve ball drop in Michigan!Downtown Allegan doesn’t have much in common with New York City, but one thing this small West Michigan community mirrors each…

Curbside recycling in the city of Sturgis will remain on its twice-monthly collection schedule in January, city clerk/treasurer Ken Rhodes said. Beginning in February, the sequence will switch to every-other-week.  Pick-up service will continue to alternate between properties on the north…

MENDON TWP. — A man in Mendon Township is in stable and good condition at a local hospital after accidentally shooting himself. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, the man, who was not identified, was placing a loaded…

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” -Thomas JeffersonFor you ladies, believe it or not, Sam Elliott does wake up with “Morning Breath”. For you guys, so does Nora O’Donnell. As a matter of fact, I don’t…