Latest News
Two Clare women crowned pageant winners
Clare has recently been represented by two exceptional young women in the Miss Michigan Teen and the Miss Michigan USA, leaving a lasting impression and making outstanding contributions.Eliy Simmer of Clare was crowned Miss Michigan Teen USA 2025. Her success…
Incident involving unresponsive person being investigated in Lockport Twp.
LOCKPORT TWP. — The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help after finding an unresponsive individual in Lockport Township Tuesday. According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched Tuesday to the 17000 block of South River…
Township hall site improvements planned
By Scott Sullivan Editor The Saugatuck Township Board was scheduled Wednesday, Aug. 13, to review and perhaps approve a $1.575-million township hall redesign. If so, contractor Progressive AE will prepare construction documents for public bidding in September and work could…
Township bus ridership stays strong
By Jim Hayden Correspondent Bus ridership in Laketown Township continues to be strong with the Interurban Transit Authority picking up or dropping off 832 people township-wide in June. It was the second month of the trial service in Laketown. In…
Laketown wants third interview with Fox
By Jim Hayden Correspondent The Laketown Township Board Aug. 6 agreed to ask manager finalist Stephanie Fox to return for a third interview after citing new questions about her time as an Ionia County Administrator. No date or time has…
Sports
Lawrence high jumper has strong year
By John RaffelCorrespondent LAWRENCE — Lawrence senior Dillon Simpson ended his Lawrence track and field career in impressive fashion.Simpson came into the season as a high jumper, sprinter and discus thrower, hurdler and sprinter, and especially had success in the…
Clare pole vaulter ends impressive career
By John RaffelCorrespondent CLARE — Ethan Reeves likes what he was able to accomplish for Clare’s boys outdoor track season in 2025.He was a senior and Reeves had another strong season in the pole vault.His best performance was 14 feet,…
Gustafson built a lasting athletic legacy in Saugatuck
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorWhen she was in elementary school, recent Saugatuck High School graduate Kennedy Gustafson remembers noticing the distinct difference in crowd size for girls basketball games compared to boys basketball games.“I asked my mom why there were not…
Allegan’s Chestnut relishes Cooperstown experience
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Playing a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y.—home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame—is an amazing experience.Hitting your first ever home run there? That, as those MasterCard commercials say, is priceless.And that’s exactly what Allegan middle…
Thrower leads Bloomingdale girls
By John RaffelCorrespondent BLOOMINDALE — Rowan Hegelmann had a strong throwing season for Bloomingdale’s girls track and field team.Hegelmann threw the shot put 33-01.00 in the regionals for third place and narrowly missed qualifying for the state meet.Hegelmann was a…
Columns
Mike’s Musings: Why You Matter More Than You Think
In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, where headlines are filled with division, disaster, and doubt, it’s easy to wonder: What difference can one person really make?The truth? More than you could ever imagine.We are taught to look…
HISTORICAL NOTEBOOK
By Frank Passic ALBION 100 YEARS AGO—AUGUST 1925 We continue with our theme of “Albion—100 Years Ago.” August 5, 1925. Mrs. O.S. Rives of Morgantown, KY, owner of the Green River Republican, the only newspaper in Butler County, Kentucky,…
Out and About: Zippers, ponderings, and love
“I am not afraid. I was born to do this.” -Joan of ArcLook at your zipper. See the initials YKK? It stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushibibaisha, the world’s largest zipper manufacturer.A few Ponderisms:•I used to eat a lot of natural…
May I Walk with You? Do You Love Me?
In the Gospel of John chapter 21, Jesus is talking with Peter. Jesus simply asks Peter three times, “Peter, do you love me?” Peter’s response, which to me seems rather heart-breaking is, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorPorch GeeseThere is no better sign America has been made great again than the return of porch geese.“Life-size decorative goose statues for the lawn, garden or porch aren’t a new idea,” reports the Washington Post’s Kate Morgan. “They…
