By Jason WesseldykSports Editor From Otsego to New York City.Margaret Dugan, a 2023 Otsego High School graduate, was recently selected for the Honors Performance Series that will perform at the world-famous Carnegie Hall in February.Dugan will play string bass in…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor A new display featuring a rare 35-star United States flag took center stage during a Veterans Day ceremony at the Otsego Area Historical Museum on Saturday, Nov. 11.More than 80 people were on hand for the…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Thank you.That’s the message students and staff members at Alamo Elementary School in Otsego sent to some local veterans on Friday, Nov. 10.Alamo held its annual Veterans Day breakfast on Friday, Nov. 10, with 35 veterans…

It’s time again for this newspaper’s annual Christmas Wish program. In the next few weeks we are asking readers that find themselves or their family in a dire situation to write us and in detail, tell us what you or…

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced that Leticia Gallarzo, 49, of Allegan County, pleaded guilty to using the identity of another person to obtain employment as a licensed registered nurse and…

Anyone out there in reader land that has had stem cell injections to repair an arthritic knee?I apologize out of the gate. Many of you don’t want to hear about my personal problems. It seems the older we get the…

One year after claiming the third Division 2 state championship in program history, the Otsego girls cross country team secured another podium finish at the 2023 State Finals on Saturday, Nov. 4.The Bulldogs placed second to Grand Rapids Christian, with…

Landen Yocum (below) and Grace Blanchard are two of eight Otsego High School seniors participating in Career Pathways. (Photos provided) By Jason WesseldykSports EditorHow can we help our students be better prepared for life after high school?That question led to…

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorTwo parcels of land along the Kalamazoo River that total nearly 15 acres have been made available by the City of Plainwell for housing development.The city, in conjunction with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, launched the request…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor OTSEGO—Elephants are known for having excellent long-term memories.Apparently, Bulldogs have pretty good memories, too—at least the ones who play volleyball for Otsego.A year after being upset by archrival Plainwell in the final of a Division 2…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor BATTLE CREEK—The Allegan girls swim & dive team made it through the dual-meet portion of the SCC schedule unbeaten.At the Conference Championships on Thursday, Nov. 2, and Friday, Nov. 3, the Tigers proved that regular-season success…

Arthur Joe Henry, 67 of Watson Township, Michigan, passed away November 4, 2023, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Born July 16, 1956, in Allegan, Michigan, he was the son of the late Arthur Sr. and Paula (White) Henry and the husband…

Marcia Ann Beltman, 83, of Hopkins, MI passed away Sunday, November 5, 2023 at her home with family at her side. Born January 23, 1940 in Zeeland, MI, she was the daughter of the late Arthur James and Ann (Jaarda)…

By Gari Voss It took 33 years of active service in the Army then another 20+ years as a Department of the Army civilian helicopter flight instructor before Rodney L. “Sande” Sangsland decided it was time to retire.As was reported…

By Scott SullivanEditor A quiet country night in Laketown Township burst into flames, explosions, emergency lights everywhere late Friday into early Saturday.“It was a barn fire,” Graafschap Fire Chief Doug DenBleyker said, near the 140th Avenue/63rd Street corner. “Guy had…

It’s time again for this newspaper’s annual Christmas Wish program. In the next few weeks we are asking readers that find themselves or their family in a dire situation to write us and in detail, tell us what you or…

We have a weekly column in one of our Michigan newspapers called Faces in the Crowd. Random bystanders are asked a question each week and we publish their answers. This week the question had to do with sending man back…

Some eighty years plus ago, when money was tight during the Great Depression,  a couple of women at my church made several batches of fruitcake to sell at their Christmas bazaar.  They were in one-pound blocks, wrapped and decorated. It turned out…

Barbara Jean Boot, age 81, of Otsego, passed away on Saturday, October 28th, 2023. She had a heart attack a month prior to her passing. After graduating from Rogers High School, Barbara and David married and began their family. Roots…

Roger Hugo Zantello, age 84 of Allegan passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 29, 2023 in Ft. Myers Florida. Roger was born July 7, 1939 in Kalamazoo, son of the late Hugo and Helen Zantello and had lived in the…