News
Picking peaches
By Scott SullivanEditorIt’s prime time for pictures of people picking peaches. Bella Vista Farm west of Fennville is bursting with Allstar, Sweetstar, Loring and Blushing Star brands plus plums, raspberries, nectarines and early Sweet Maya apples.Mary and John Renaldi bought…
Township dedicates ‘Canary’ sculpture
By Scott SullivanEditorYou can’t miss Saugatuck Township’s first public art piece “Canary in a Coal Mine.”The 11-foot-tall yellow steel sculpture went up this May as centerpiece in the year-old Blue Star Highway/Old Allegan Road roundabout.At a dedication ceremony Wednesday, Aug.…
Plainwell Schools share transportation information
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The 2005-26 school year official began for Plainwell Community Schools on Monday, Aug. 25, with a half day of classes.And with the resumption of school, district officials wanted to share some reminders from the transportation department…
Gus Macker Tournament proves successful once again
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor The Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament returned for its 10th appearance in the City of Otsego on Saturday, Aug. 23, and Friday, Aug. 24.And the event shows no signs of waning in popularity.To the contrary, the…
Allegan Ladder Truck returns to firehouse
By Gari Voss The buzz around the firehouse on Saturday, August 23, 2025, was not just about a wonderful pancake breakfast complete with eggs, hashbrowns, and sausage or the delicious spaghetti supper that followed, but about the 1951 Ladder Truck…
Council approves downtown apartments, water bill possible increase
By Gari Voss During their August 25, 2025, meeting, the Allegan City Council accepted a Block Grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority to create 10 new second story apartments in Downtown Allegan, approved a budget alignment to complete…
Maryanne Ruby receives proclamation from the Governor
By James Windell When Maryanne Ruby received a standing ovation from colleagues, family and students at the South Haven Area Recreational Authority (SHARA) meeting recently, it was in recognition of her more than 25 years as a swim coach.But the…
Chamber of Commerce hosts 49th annual All Crafts Fair Labor Day weekend
By James Windell More than 150 vendors and 13 food trucks will take up residence in Stanley Johnson Park August 30 and 31, 2025 for the 49th Annual All Crafts Fair.Organized by the South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce, the…
Deputies rescued jet skiers who spilled in Lake Michigan
Deputies from the Marine Division of the Van Buren County Sheriff Department assigned to South Haven rescued jet ski boaters who were spilled in the high waves of Lake Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred approximately two miles southwest of…
Lawrence Ox Roast & Homecoming festival set for Labor Day weekend
By Paul GarrodStaff Writernews4garrod@gmail.com LAWRENCE – The Lawrence Ox Roast & Homecoming festival on Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29 – Sept. 1, will see fireworks and more to celebrate a century-plus tradition, while marking the annual event.The event began on…
Mattawan Stadium ribbon cutting to be held September 5
A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Friday, Sept. 5, celebrating the completion of Phase One of Mattawan Stadium, a new turf and track, at Mattawan Consolidated School. It will be held at 6:45 p.m., just prior to the…
Village of Paw Paw begins work on Briggs Dam
PAW PAW – Following the partial failure and subsequent repair of Briggs Dam in 2017, the State of Michigan’s Dam Safety Division recommended the complete replacement of the spillway as a long-term solution.The Village of Paw Paw has been working…
Suspect in a thirty-one-year-old cold case charged with murder
By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer Leonard Hugall, has been charged in 1984 disappearance and death of 13-year-old Kelly Harris, in Summit Township in the Jackson metro area. According to Sheriff Gary Schuette in an email statement, the homicide victim was…
Suspect in Mia Sims murder apprehended in California
By ELIZABETH FERSZT Contributing Writer Antonio Treyvonne Green, age 19, the only suspect wanted in the shooting death of Mia Sims in front of People’s United Community Church on July 27, has been located and apprehended in Fresno, California, Jackson…
Albion NAACP holds Back to School 2025 Grand Celebration
By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer Nearly 400 people gathered Aug. 18 at Harrington Elementary School for the Albion NAACP Back to School 2025 Grand Celebration. The event brought the entire community together to prepare students for the year ahead. Families…
Albion City Council approves PILOT ordinance to support Washington Gardner redevelopment
By MAGGIE LANOUE Contributing Writer Albion City Council’s regular meeting Aug. 18, took place in the Opportunity High School library. About 40 people attended, most of them there to hear and weigh in on a proposed Payment in Lieu of…
Nottawa Community Schools launches new GSRP program
By Robert TomlinsonNews Director NOTTAWA — Prior to this year, every school district in St. Joseph County offered the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) for pre-kindergarten learning, except for one district.Now, that one district is fully on board.Nottawa Community Schools…
Public encouraged to comment on updated city master plan
By Robert TomlinsonNews Director THREE RIVERS — Residents of Three Rivers, as well as the surrounding area, will have a chance to weigh in on the city’s plans for the future. On Tuesday, the Three Rivers City Commission approved a…
Victim identified in suspicious Lockport Twp. death
By Robert TomlinsonNews Director LOCKPORT TWP. — A person found unresponsive in Lockport Township last week has now been identified by authorities.St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Zachary Zuk said in a release Tuesday that the victim found unresponsive…
Cemetery Tours 2025A Meet and Greet with “town ancestors”
By Rosemary Currier Did you ever look around downtown Sturgis and wonder what it used to be like? Who the people were who made this a great town? What were their stories?Oak Lawn Cemetery Tour 2025 is for those who…
