News

South Haven City Council approves Master Plan

Editorial Staff May 20, 2026 3 min read

By James Windell The City of South Haven’s Master Plan is the city’s long‑range blueprint for how it should grow, develop, and invest over the next five to 20 years.Not only is it a blueprint, but it also serves as…

Area towns to hold Memorial Day services

Editorial Staff May 20, 2026 1 min read

LAWRENCELawrence will hold a Memorial Day Parade at 10 a.m., Monday, May 25, with a service to follow at Lawrence Village Park. Over 1,000 luminaries, representing Lawrence area military veterans, will be on display at Hill Cemetery, Lawrence, at approximately…

Veterans’ monuments undergo restoration at Lawton cemetery

Veterans’ monuments undergo restoration at Lawton cemetery

Editorial Staff May 20, 2026 3 min read

By Paul GarrodStaff Writernew4garrod@gmail.com LAWTON – What began as a project last fall to restore tombstones of service veterans buried in a Lawton cemetery, doing it out of the goodness of her heart to help out, continued last Saturday and…

Deputies honored for lifesaving efforts

Deputies honored for lifesaving efforts

Editorial Staff May 20, 2026 2 min read

On May 12, 2026, Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jason Erickson, Deputy Cody Bingaman, K-9 Charlie, and Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Larry Weers were honored during the Van Buren County Board of Commissioners meeting for their actions…

Paw Paw High School Class of 2026 Academic Elite announced

Paw Paw High School Class of 2026 Academic Elite announced

Editorial Staff May 20, 2026 1 min read

Paw Paw Public Schools recently announced the Class of 2026 Academic Elite students. Shown in the front row, from left, Caitlyn Crafts, Isabella McReynolds, Kassidy Derhammer, Emily Roy, Kate Rentschler, Aili Shaughnessy, and Ava Klimczak; in the second row, from…

Mayor, city commissioners praise preview of TR city budget

Mayor, city commissioners praise preview of TR city budget

Robert Tomlinson May 18, 2026 9 min read

Several street projects planned; water, sewer variable rates projected to go up By Robert TomlinsonNews Director THREE RIVERS — City leaders in Three Rivers were presented Tuesday, May 12 with a first look at the budget for Fiscal Year 2027,…

Proposal approved for Doyle roof project

Proposal approved for Doyle roof project

Dennis Volkert May 15, 2026 2 min read

Sturgis City Commission on May 13 approved a proposal from Newbury Square Construction of Shipshewana, Ind., to complete a roof overhaul at Doyle Community Center, at a cost of just over $729,000.  The plan is dependent on securing a private…

“You Told Us to Demo It”: Inside the Study Session Behind Albion’s Downtown Decision

“You Told Us to Demo It”: Inside the Study Session Behind Albion’s Downtown Decision

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 7 min read

By Maggie LaNoueContributing Writer Before the Albion City Council voted May 4 to acquire the fire-damaged building at 100 S. Superior St., city leaders, staff members, preservation advocates, and residents spent more than an hour in a study session weighing…

A new bridge closure and a nagging permit issue at Concord Township

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 4 min read

By Ken Wyatt Two issues challenged the Concord Township Board at Monday’s meeting: A new bridge closure, and an old gravel pit. The bridge: County Commissioner Earl Poleski brought the news that will affect anyone planning to drive from Concord…

Michigan Theatre lawsuit settled

Michigan Theatre lawsuit settled

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 2 min read

By KATHRYN PALON Contributing Writer A lawsuit over leadership and governance at the Michigan Theatre of Jackson was settled Wednesday, clearing the way for leadership changes, a larger interim board and a membership vote on the organization’s future within 90…

ADPS officer arrested for suspected OWI

ADPS officer arrested for suspected OWI

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 2 min read

Early Saturday morning, Albion Department of Public Safety officers conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of N. Superior St. and E. Pine St.  During the traffic stop, ADPS suspected the driver was operating his vehicle while under the influence…

Four injured in weekend shooting on Biddle Street

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 2 min read

By ELIZABETH FERSZT and KATHRYN PALOB Contributing Writers Emergency responders converged Saturday, May 9, on a house in the 300 block of Biddle Street in Jackson after a shooting that left four people wounded. According to Jackson Police Chief Christopher…

Mothers step back in history at Gardner House Museum and Royal Stagg Renaissance Faire

Mothers step back in history at Gardner House Museum and Royal Stagg Renaissance Faire

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 3 min read

By SYLVIA BENAVIDEZ Contributing Writer Mothers did not have a lack of places to go this Mother’s Day weekend in Albion or Marshall. Saturday in Albion, mothers could attend the Albion Historical Society’s annual Mother’s Day Tea at the Gardner…

Sturgis mayor Perez in podcast interview: ‘What’s right is right’

Sturgis mayor Perez in podcast interview: ‘What’s right is right’

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 3 min read

By Dennis VolkertEarlier this week, 500 Grand Studios broadcast a YouTube podcast interview with Sturgis Mayer Frank Perez.www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wU12Lvgrsw&t=2sIn it, Perez makes comments regarding an April 22 city commission motion to censure him and another to remove him as mayor.Each deadlocked…

Second attempt to censure Sturgis mayor is rejected by city commission

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 3 min read

By Dennis Volkert Tension surrounding mayor Frank Perez, Sturgis City Commission and uncertainty about the resignation of city manager Andrew Kuk continued on May 13, at a regular meeting of the board.  Aaron Miller, commissioner at-large, brought two separate resolutions,…

Yoder’s Auction, Flea Market returns to Clare this weekend

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 3 min read

Jordan WilcoxAssistant Publisher One of Clare County’s largest annual events will return this weekend as thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the Yoder farm for the spring edition of Yoder’s Quilt Auction and Flea Market.The two-day event, hosted…

Surrey Board talks tech issues, residents complain about clerk

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 9 min read

By David Hutchinson The Regular Meeting was held in the Surrey Township Hall on May 12 at 6 p.m. All five board members were present—Dixie Adams, Mindy Campbell, Mike Coon, Glenna Bradbury, and Paul Ghinelli. Around 20 people attended.The board…

Farwell’s Carnival returns for Memorial weekend

Editorial Staff May 15, 2026 4 min read

By Christopher Johnson The Farwell Fairgrounds, a beloved community institution since 1906, is gearing up for one of its biggest weekends of the year: Memorial Weekend 2026. A four-day carnival event, that will be running Thursday, May 21 through Sunday,…

Another attempt to censure Sturgis mayor Perez fails, in 4-3 vote

Dennis Volkert May 14, 2026 3 min read

Tension surrounding mayor Frank Perez, Sturgis City Commission and uncertainty about the resignation of city manager Andrew Kuk continued on May 13, at a regular meeting of the board.  Aaron Miller, commissioner at-large, brought two separate resolutions, each of which…

Blue + gold = green?

Editorial Staff May 13, 2026 9 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorSaugatuck long has been primed for growth. Think blue skies reflecting on water, sun glinting off sand dunes and beaches, the two primary hues combining to feed green trees, inland orchards and money as consequence, good or bad.…