Letters & Comments

Proverbs 3:7 reads, “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.” King Solomon wrote these words. He was a wise king. He wanted his people to look to God for guidance, and not to their own wisdom. Why? Because, when left to our own devices, our wisdom tends to lead us astray. There are two lessons I find myself taking away from King Solomon. The first is one that we can easily forget: it is important to seek out fellowship and community instead of “

Well, we’ve got a few extra eyes on us this week, don’t we? If the Tri-City Record doesn’t normally show up in your mailbox each Thursday, I’m Josh. The editor. I’m 30 years old, I grew up around here and, in a turn of events, I recently bought my hometown newspaper. Welcome. If you’re one of our regular readers, welcome back. You already know the ropes. No matter who you are, I hope you’re noticing the little extra pep in our step this week. I’ve spent a lot of time thin

Social Security recently announced major enhancements to my Social Security—expanding self-service options and the notices available to individuals navigating the disability claims and appeals process. The new tools provide you with greater visibility, faster access to information, and more efficient case processing throughout the lifecycle of a disability claim. If you have not created your personal my Social Security account yet, get started today at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

Last week, I joined Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin for a tour of the cleanup underway near the Trowbridge Dam in Allegan County to see how that work is progressing and discuss what it means for Southwest Michigan. This project is a critical element in the restoration of the Kalamazoo River, which has experienced generations of legacy pollution. Before the dam can come down and the river can once again flow freely, crews must remove the contaminated

Michigan's Auditor General just put a hard number on a soft promise. A September performance audit of the Going Pro Talent Fund found that about $59.5 million in awards reimbursed employers for new-employee on-the-job training that did not meet the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity's own rule that funded training lead to a transferable, industry-recognized credential. That was roughly a third of Going Pro awards over the nearly three-year review window. Bridge Mic

Benefiting the Tri-City area To all readers, Many people in the Tri-City area got to know me, I’m Joe Engel and was a salesman for the Record. One of my coworkers and friend was Joshua Coffin, now the owner and editor at the Tri-City Record. Together we created ads that ran, many for local businesses. Now Josh has the whole ball game, with the help of others to promote shopping locally to enrich the success of the paper’s loyal and local businesses. Josh is a dedicated man

I grew up on my family's farm, where the budget got worked out at the kitchen table, and one bad season meant tightening everything. When I finished college, Michigan was in the middle of its lost decade, and I watched classmate after classmate pack up for other states because they couldn't make a life work here. I stayed, but too many of my friends never came back. I think about that a lot, because I'm hearing the same worry again. It's the young couple who can't afford a f

For a retiree on a fixed income, increasing electricity bills mean less money for groceries or prescriptions. For farmers and small business owners, it adds another expense to the cost of staying in business. Protecting these customers should be a priority from the beginning of any major development. While ensuring America has the infrastructure needed to support its AI leadership should not excuse overlooking the people who already call a community home, nor should families

The latest M-STEP scores should stop every parent cold. Less than 40 percent of Michigan third-graders are proficient in reading. On the spring 2026 English Language Arts test, just 38.2 percent scored proficient, the lowest third-grade reading result in the exam's 12-year history and down again from 38.9 percent the year before.

Why getting involved matters as the school year takes off

This fall, you're going to hear a lot of plans to lower costs for Michigan families. Plans are easy. Passing them is the hard part. As chair of the House Energy Committee, I'd rather show you what my committee has done and tell you what's coming next.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is the story of Ichabod Crane and his unfortunate encounter with the Headless Horseman. As a kid in October I remember learning this piece of Americana. But I never knew the last line. It is frightening, and worthy of reflection. The community accepts that Ichabod Crane is missing, likely carried off by some otherworldly specter. Then it says, “As he was a bachelor, and in nobody’s debt, nobody troubled his head any more about him.”

September marks the beginning of the end of our garden. Plants have gone to seed or dried up, and it’s time to rip everything out for next year. I’m always surprised when this time comes—because I always find something I did not expect. One year I found a basil plant growing that I hadn’t planted. Another year I found a crop of tomatoes hiding among the leaves that I had missed. This year, it was bush beans—almost a half peck!—and more jalapeños.

Last week, I joined Benton Harbor’s mayor, city leadership, and first responders to commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11th. It was an opportunity to remember the lives lost, recognize those who answered the call to help, and thank our first responders who continue protecting our communities today, like Dr. Paul Delle. Dr. Delle was an EMT in Brooklyn who responded when the attacks on September 11th occurred. Today, he is an ER Doc and firefighter right here in Sou

Here’s a little common sense Lansing could use more of: the person paying the heating bill should get to decide how their home is heated. A report funded by your tax dollars and prepared for the Whitmer administration’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy sees it differently. It calls for 2.8 million heat pumps in Michigan homes by 2040, with every state department measuring its decisions against that goal. It wants the energy code rewritten so new homes can’t

Session came back last week. Families in Southwest Michigan expected a session about costs, roads, and kids who still cannot read. Senate Democrats used their first real floor day to pass nine bills their own governor vetoed this summer. The package sat in limbo for more than 18 months. That is not a plan to make it in Michigan.

I had a delightful walk and talk through the Tri-City Record with Karl Bayer, former editor and publisher, earlier this week. He stopped in, and we talked about just a few of the many things this building has seen over the years. There sure is a lot. Old documents, advertising books, photographs, hand drawn cartoons from years past… The list goes on. Open a drawer, move a box, pull something off a shelf and there’s a decent chance you’re going to find something that makes yo

There’s something special about Southwest Michigan in September. The days get a little shorter, the mornings get a little cooler, college football is back, and across our communities, farmers are working from sunrise to sunset to bring in another year’s harvest. For those of us who live here, harvest is more than a season on the calendar. It’s part of who we are. As a member of a fourth-generation farming family, I know that harvest represents far more than what we see fro

As each week comes and goes, I’m realizing more and more that Thursday doesn’t really care what else is happening around it. Two things we can always promise are that the paper comes out each week and time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking. I’ve been at the paper for six years, but seeing the whole operation through this new editor lens has made me realize just how steady the rhythm really is. We can be having a great week or a not-so-great week. Everything can fall perfect

This Friday marks 25 years since the morning of September 11, 2001. For those of us old enough to remember it, the details have not faded. Most Michiganders can still tell you exactly where they were standing when they learned what was happening, and how the rest of that day felt. Nearly 3,000 people were killed. They went to work that morning, or boarded a flight, and never came home. More than 400 police officers, firefighters, and paramedics died running into buildings th