Lady Pioneers earn road win at Reed City

Jordan WilcoxJan 7, 20222 min read

by Ben MurphySports Writer The Clare girls basketball team returned from winter break with a solid win over host Reed City on Tuesday. The Lady Pioneers were able to hold a 10-5 lead after the first quarter and stayed ahead…

Lady Ramblers claim road win at Roscommon

Jordan WilcoxJan 7, 20221 min read

by Ben MurphySports Writer The McBain girls basketball team opened up the new year with a 59-20 Highland Conference win at Roscommon Tuesday.The Lady Ramblers played to a 10-10 tie after the first quarter, but they took control of things…

Montabella doubles up Coleman in MSAC action

Jordan WilcoxJan 7, 20221 min read

by Ben MurphySports Writer The Coleman boys basketball team was able to hang around with host Montabella through the first quarter of the two’s Mid-State Activities Conference game Tuesday. The Mustangs proved to be too much from there however, as…

Clare boys slip by Reed City, on late bucket by Warner

Clare boys slip by Reed City, on late bucket by Warner

Jordan WilcoxJan 7, 20222 min read

by Ben MurphySports Writer Now that is an exciting way to start a new year. Clare, playing their first boys basketball game of January on Tuesday, hosted Reed City in a non-conference game and used a drive to the lane…

Fast start leads Harrison boys to win over Marion

Jordan WilcoxJan 7, 20222 min read

by Ben MurphySports Writer Harrison got off to a fast start in its non-conference boys basketball game at Marion on Tuesday. The Hornets were able to keep the Eagles at arms-length the entire way, allowing them to claim a 60-47…

Farwell boys rough up in loss at Lake City

Jordan WilcoxJan 7, 20221 min read

by Ben MurphySports Writer The Farwell boys basketball team wasn’t able to get much going in their road non-conference loss at Lake City on Monday. The Eagles fell behind by double digits after the first quarter and never recovered, falling…

Lady Comets blow by Houghton Lake

Jordan WilcoxJan 7, 20222 min read

by Ben MurphySports Writer A big night on offense and an impressive defensive effort led to a lopsided home victory for the McBain Northern Michigan Christian girls basketball team Tuesday. The Lady Comets, hosting Houghton Lake, dominated their way to…

Year in review: 2021 one last time

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 202211 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorJust because we’re a week into 2022 doesn’t mean our need to fill space as result of the news-starved holiday season is quite over.Last week’s “2021 Rear in Your View” extended into mid-July, i.e. wait, there’s more. Let’s…

Gerrymandering lives, county chair complains

Gerrymandering lives, county chair complains

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20223 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorAllegan County Commission chair Jim Storey (R-Holland) is not impressed by redistricting that divvies the county among three U.S. Congressional districts and places Saugatuck-Douglas in a state House district that truly resembles a salamander.The latter (see map) slithers…

Fennville to seek public safety millage

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20222 min read

Fennville will seek a 4-mill levy for public safety in a special May election to cover rising police, fire and ambulance costs, Commercial Record correspondent Jim Hayden reports on his Bicycle Base Fennville blog.The city commission, of which he is…

Township weighs dog park upgrades

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20222 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorSaugatuck Township Manager Joe Frey was scheduled Wednesday to pitch the parks commission on a plan to expand services and trail access at its 6-acre Tails ‘n’ Trails Dog Park, 6359 134th Ave.Opened in 2004 thanks to a…

Obituary: Jeffrey Richards, 75

Obituary: Jeffrey Richards, 75

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20224 min read

Dr. Jeffrey E. Richards of St. Joseph passed away at 75 from COVID complications on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021.He was born on May 17, 1946 to Donna (nee Finnegan) and Edward Joseph Richards in Plymouth. He attended a one-room school…

Maggie’s Pantry

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20223 min read

By Maggie ConklinMakin’ BaconMy dear husband has annual health checkups with local boy/now man done good, Dr. Jason Meyers,They were perusing my husband’s current blood work when Dr. Meyers noticed the total cholesterol scores. “Gee, your cholesterol has always been…

Require politicians to first work in private sector

Require politicians to first work in private sector

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20223 min read

By Mike WilcoxPublisherHere’s a novel suggestion: require persons running for Congressional seats to spend a few years in the private sector.This idea was presented to me a few weeks ago, and the more I thought about it the more it…

Township OKs $358K in 2022 road work

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20222 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorThere will be a whole lotta crack sealing going on this summer with the Saugatuck Township Board last month approving work orders for an estimated $358,000 worth of road improvements in 2022.The Allegan County Road Commission will seek…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20225 min read

By G.C. StoppelI read Mike Wilcox’s father’s reflections on small town life with delight.I grew up in a city of some 30,000. After ordination I moved to a church in a hamlet of 92 people, with one gas station, one…

Thanks for column on gratitude

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20221 min read

To the editor,Bravo and congratulations to columnist G.C. Stoppel for daring to share your thoughts/observations on the topic of expressing gratitude!It seems like this “old-fashioned” courtesy has simply been discarded by the younger generation(s). “Just give me whatever, because I…

Letter to the Editor: More guns piece made no sense

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20222 min read

To the editor,It seems that a day can no longer go by that I don’t get angry about the “More Guns” opinion piece (by publisher’s son and IT support person Jordan Wilcox) that ran in The Commercial Record recently.Oxford shows…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Jordan WilcoxJan 5, 20224 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorSpace JunkAstronomers, reports The Daily Beast, can’t agree whether the “GN-z11 flash” was a gamma-ray burst from the universe’s infancy or reflected light off junk orbiting the earth.Last year a Chinese team working in Hawaii glimpsed something in…