Rusty A. Ritsema passed away at his home, Aug. 27, 2023, after a long battle with cancer. He was born March 3, 1959, in Paw Paw, to Mildred (Compton) Ritsema and the late Benjamin Ritsema. Rusty graduated from Paw Paw…

1/10/1944 – 6/20/2023 Due to extenuating circumstances, the memorial service for Mrs. Judy Jones will be held at a later date.

I received a phone call from a distraught reader and mother a few days ago, that really hit home. She called me because of the strong positions I have taken in past columns about Big Pharma, opioids and doctors that…

    In 1951, the renown Protestant theologian, Richard Niebuhr published his important book Christ in Culture.  In it, he outlines the different ways Christ, and his church is in relationship with the secular world.  Seventy-two years later the book remains in print, and I…

By John RaffelCorrespondent LAWTON – Coach Kris Bullock’s Lawton cross country teams ran on Wednesday, Aug. 30 at the Michigan Rustbuster Invitational with the girls taking 12th and the boys not scoring as a team.For Lawton, Anika Weurding was 44th…

I recently obtained a list of words that a certain company is demanding their employees cannot use, or they will be subject to dismissal. The list was passed on to me after the confidential informant attended a diversity training seminar…

Monday marked the end of Labor Day weekend and summer holiday season and, for many, when children went back to school.When I was growing up. Father advised us, “Get to know the secretary, janitor, stay on their good sides and…

PAW PAW – Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival’s three-day event, Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10, offers something for everyone, from grape stomping to arts and crafts, free music and more.The Carnival Midway, sponsored by the Paw Paw…

By Paul GarrodStaff Writer LAWRENCE – Three Lawrence High School sports standouts and two state championship football teams (11-man and 8-man) were inducted Friday, Sept. 1, during halftime of the Lawrence High School eight-man football game against Martin, into the…

By John RaffelCorrespondent PAW PAW – It was a nice way for Paw Paw to kick off its football season with a 34-13 win over Big Rapids at home on Friday.Big Rapids led 7-0 after the first quarter and 13-0…

Carla Jean Austin, 90, of Mattawan, passed from this life to the next, Aug. 16, 2023. She was born Aug. 19, 1932, in Kalamazoo, the daughter of the late Carl Henry Enzian and Glenna (Culler) Enzian. She is survived by her…

            Donald Paul Graham, 85, of Decatur, went home to be with the Lord, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, after suffering a lengthy battle with dementia. His passing was peaceful with family by his side. Arrangements have been entrusted to Adams…

Here we go again- or I would like to say, I hope not. I continually hear rumblings that COVID vaccinations are again going to be required and masks mandatory in some locations. Will this lead to more schools and business…

Remember timelines we had to make in elementary school history classes? We drew a horizontal line, then vertical dashes to mark im-portant dates. For example, in February we might mark the 12th as Lincoln’s birthday, Washing-ton’s birthday 10 days later.…

By Paul GarrodStaff Writer PAW PAW – Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival’s three-day event, Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10, offers something for everyone, from grape stomping to arts and crafts, free music and more.The Carnival Midway, sponsored…

PAW PAW – Paw Paw seventh grader, Brynn Cummings, appeared live Tuesday night, Aug. 22, on the NBC television show, America’s Got Talent.Cummings, a seventh grader, moved on to the semifinals (the top 55 acts of the season) after her…

By John RaffelCorrespondent PAW PAW – Dennis Strey is looking to have a strong Paw Paw football team compete in the Wolverine Conference this season.Paw Paw had a 4-5 record last year and many sophomores competed.“Many sophomores saw game action…

A mercifully short-lived fad swept the U.S. in the early 1960s. It seems one day an aide to President Kennedy discovered a memo from President Theodore Roosevelt to the Marine Corps stating all Marines should be able to walk or…

Judy Kay Jones, 79, passed away on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 in El Paso, Texas. She was born on January 10, 1944 in Paw Paw, Michigan to Emerson & Miriam White. She graduated from Lawton High School, Lawton, Michigan in…