COLOMA INTERMEDIATE… Fourth and fifth grade students at Coloma Intermediate School were presented certificates by their classroom teachers on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. These March “Students of the Month” were chosen by their teachers because of their leadership skills, strong work ethic, and caring attitude shown to students and staff at CIS. Shown are (from the left): Adalynn Mahler, Jordan Dowling, Ariella Brenneman, Claire Edwards, Eddy Gonzalez, Luke Miller, Mia Rodrigu

On Friday, April 24, 2026, shortly after the lunch hour, a deputy with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Secondary Road Patrol traffic unit attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Territorial Road near North Pike Road in Benton Township, for a Michigan Motor Vehicle code violation. The vehicle, a Dodge Grand Caravan failed to pull over and subsequently increased their speed and fled from the deputy. The deputy was in a fully marked Berrien County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehi

YOUTH LEAGUE WINNERS… Coloma Lanes Youth Bowling wrapped up their 2025-2026 season on Saturday, April 18 with an awards banquet. Pictured are the teams earning 1st place in each league. The league winners are as follows: Prep/Jr/Major League, back row (from the left) One Pin Wonder Bros - Rhyder Maines, Miles Brown, Robert Brooks, and Nehemiah Sanders; Bantam League, front row (from the left) Firecrackers - Archer Simmons, Lincoln Withrow, and Ariyah York. (Contributed photo

CONGRATULATIONS ON 70 YEARS… This photo was taken on April 9, 2026, in commemoration of Kellogg Hardware’s 70th anniversary being in business in the community of Hartford. Pictured (from the left): Jane Danger (City of Hartford Mayor), Kaitlan Trine (President of the Chamber of Commerce and owner of The Bake House), Mark Kellogg (owner of Kellogg Hardware), Stephanie Daniels (Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Director of the Hartford Public Library), and Nicol Pul

TRAIN SERVICE RESTORED… Heavy rainfall on Saturday, April 4, 2026, caused a significant washout underneath a CSX freight rail line east of downtown Coloma, leaving tracks suspended in mid-air and causing a temporary closure. The damage forced the cancellation of freight and Amtrak service. Intense, heavy rainstorms overwhelmed a 19th-century culvert, eroding the ground beneath the tracks. A CSX inspector discovered the washout around 5 p.m. on Saturday. Repairs were completed

A 12-year-old girl from Waterloo, Iowa, who was the subject of an Amber Alert was safely recovered Sunday in the Tri-City area following a traffic stop along Interstate 94. The young girl was reported missing on April 5, 2026, after she was last seen around 12:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Byron Avenue in Waterloo, Iowa.

PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES… Watervliet High School and Middle School have a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in place. Recently CERT conducted a drill to practice responding to a potential medical emergency. As part of this training, staff also participated in a Hold drill, which means students remain safely in their classrooms while the situation is addressed. The Watervliet School District nurse, Mary Spaulding is credited for her leadership in organizing, training,

On Monday, March 23, the Hartford City Commissioners’ business meeting was called to order promptly at 6 p.m. Mayor Jane Danger called for the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, the board approved the agenda, and the meeting proceeded.

The Hartford Public Schools Board of Education met on March 16, 2026, covering a range of personnel changes, student recognition, program approvals, and district updates that reflect both transition and continued momentum across the district.

CEREAL-OUSLY GENEROUS DONATION… Cooperating Ministries Food Pantry, in conjunction with Hartford United Methodist Church, received donation of over 300 boxes of cereal from Watervliet North and South elementary schools. The schools’ annual cereal donation program accumulated 1,760 boxes in total. Students from Watervliet Middle School then delivered and dispersed the cereal to five different food pantry locations. Cooperating Ministries thanks Watervliet Schools and its stude