News
Douglas hires Tien as Treasurer
BY SCOTT SULLIVAN EDITOR Douglas has hired former Allegan County elections coordinator and Plainwell city payroll administrator Jennifer Tien new city treasurer for $74,000 a year plus benefits. City council approved the move at its Monday meeting. Tien will start…
Brandess marks 30 years Saturday
Artist James Brandess will celebrate 30 years in his James Brandess Studios & Gallery, 238 Butler St., downtown Saugatuck, this Saturday, June 22, from noon until 5 p.m. On view in his shop — a historic, tin-ceilinged former post office…
Space for ‘stuff’ squeezes campground plan
By Scott SullivanEditorCalifornia-based Autocamp has scaled back plans from 112 total to 76 phase-one campsites on 29.24 acres 34.61 Blue Star Hwy. because “stuff” happens — specifically, need to dispose of sewage.The Saugatuck Township Board June 12 weighed a proposed…
SHS shooter makes swift study
Saugatuck High School junior Leilani Schoonmaker’s journey through a lens crescendoed — so far — with a National Scholastic Art Awards Gold Medal.Her black-and-white photo of the 2023 Portage Cross Country Invitational start (below) made Schoonmaker SHS art teacher Daniel…
Otsego hosts family-friendly summer programs
Children participate in one of the Otsego Summer Fun Night events last year. (Photo provided) By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Fun, family-friendly summer activities are back in Otsego.Summer Fun Nights will take place each Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at the…
Artisan Market returns to downtown Otsego
This was the scene at last year’s Otsego Artisan Market. This year’s market will feature nearly 40 artists sharing their work in a variety of mediums. (Photo provided) A vendor interacts with young customers at last year’s Otsego Artisan Market.…
Severe weather sirens fail to activate, fix resolved
Severe weather has raised its frightful head several times throughout Spring 2024, and that gives rise to ensuring all warning systems work correctly. The tornadoes that ripped through Portage and other surrounding communities are just one example of the importance…
Tornado does damage in Gobles, Bloomingdale
One of two homes in Gobles damaged by storm By Paul GarrodSome of the severe storms Sunday night included a tornado touching down near GoblesA tornado warning came just minutes after a tornado was spotted in Gobles. The National Weather…
Louis Stoel returns to Normandy for D-Day Anniversary
By Donald Talonen On June 6, 2024, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) commemorated the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Approximately 10,000 individuals participated in the ceremony at Normandy American Cemetery. Among them was a local Veteran named Louis…
Lanett hosts Juneteenth celebration
By Pamela Holloway A Juneteenth celebration was hosted on Saturday in downtown Lanett. The day started out with presentation of the flag, welcome, prayer, and greetings from surrounding areas mayors, Lanett Mayor Jaime Heard, West Point Mayor Steve Tramell, LaFayette…
Chambers County grant should bolster postsecondary, economic development efforts
$2.1 million grant has been awarded to UniteIn its college prep program, Unite Inc. takes high-school students in Chambers County on college tours.Unite Inc., an organization dedicated to increasing college access for Black students in rural Alabama, has been awarded…
Nearly 1,700 MEC Customers still without power from Sunday night’s storm
Midwest Energy & Communications (MEC) reports that about 1,672 customers are still out of power late Monday afternoon, June 17, following Sunday night’s storm in southwest Michigan. The largest outages are currently in the townships of Porter (Van Buren County),…
Judge denies injunction request from Arlington Township
ARLINGTON TWP. – On Wednesday, June 12, a show cause hearing in Courtroom 3 at the Van Buren County Courthouse, before Judge Susan Metzger, saw Arlington Township ask the court to issue an injunction stopping Stoneco from engaging in gravel…
Alumnus receives Silver Star medal nearly six decades after Vietnam War
Milo Plank, Jr., center, a 1963 graduate of Paw Paw High School, recently received a belated Silver Star Medal, America’s third highest combat award, below the Congressional Medal of Honor and Navy Cross. It was presented by Colonel William Chairsell,…
MDOT to make pavement repairs on M-60 and M-86
Photo via Michigan Department of Transportation By Robert TomlinsonNews Director THREE RIVERS — The Michigan Department of Transportation announced that starting Tuesday, June 18, they will be performing some pavement repairs on stretches of M-60 and M-86 in Three Rivers.…
Delinquent water bills to be added to summer tax bills, Senior Housing coming closer to reality for Albion
Those who owe delinquent water bills can expect to see them added to their summer tax bill. At Monday’s meeting, the Albion City Council voted to approve the addition of delinquent water bills and receivables owed to the city to…
180 graduate at Marshall High School Commencement
Albion High School graduate, Dr. Chris D. Coleman, is guest speaker, urges graduates to “focus on the task and the effort at hand, but don’t limit your possibilities” By John Hendler On a sunny, cloudless evening, 180 students were given…
Flowerfield Twp. approves Road Commission gravel operation, but litigation looms
Flowerfield Township Supervisor Ron Shaver reads over a Finding of Facts document prior to a vote on approving the conditional rezoning for a property on Cranberry Lake Road to be used for a St. Joseph County Road Commission gravel operation.…
‘Sturgis Fest’ week ready to roll
Doug VanMeter Mary Kay Schultz 12th ‘Sturgis Fest’ week ready to roll. Keith James/Indigo Web Services via Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce By Dennis Volkert “Sturgis Fest” takes place June 18-22.Theme for this year’s festival is “Disney Days.”Festival week opens…
Resident addresses Sturgis City Commission regarding incidents of speeding
By Dennis Volkert During public comment Wednesday at the Sturgis City Commission meeting, resident Greg Lomax addressed the board regarding a problem of speeding in areas near the roundabout, Thurston Woods Village and Doyle Community Center. He said drivers continue to…
