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PRESENTING… Contestants for the 2027 Watervliet Scholarship Pageant: (from the left) Sofie Shaffer, Elizabeth Torres, Tyler Cole, Mackenzie Birmele, and Norma Gutierrez. The four young ladies are vying for the title of Miss Watervliet 2027. Tyler Cole is the only contestant for Mr. Watervliet 2027. Pageant date is Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026 at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The theme this year for Blossomtime is Under the Big Top and Watervliet’s theme is Watervliet’s Gr

Thanks to the efforts of a former CTE student, Brian Tosh of LeValley Chevrolet-GMC, students in Ryan Ransom’s first hour Automotive Technology class got to witness the delivery of state-of-the-art equipment on Thursday morning, Oct. 29, 2026. It was exciting to see a 3.6-liter modern engine designed for advanced engine diagnostic lab students and a modern on-car brake lathe being removed

Voters across Berrien and Van Buren counties made their selections leading up to and on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the 2026 General Election, deciding races for federal and state offices, local government, school boards and several ballot proposals. While many major races have been called, other results remain incomplete at press time as election officials continue tabulating and reviewing votes. Michigan voters selected new leadership for several of the state’s highest offices, wh

COLOMA COURT OF HONOR… In the first community pageant for the 2027 Blossomtime Festival held Sunday, Nov. 1, the 2027 Coloma Court of Honor was selected. Pictured are: (from the left) Miss Teen Finalist Aubrie Genther, Miss Teen Sweetie Lainie White, Miss Teen Runner-Up Mary Drake, Miss Teen 2027 Kaelyn Jacobs, Mr. Coloma 2027 Kobe Tanner, Miss Coloma 2027 and Miss Congeniality Karsyn Jacobs, Miss Coloma 1st Runner-Up Josephine Brookshire and Miss Coloma 2nd Runner-Up McKenzi

BCYF 2027 BOARD MEMBERS… The Berrien County Youth Fair named their 2027 board members at the 81st annual meeting. Pictured are: (from the left) Front - Courtney Ertman, Rob Christner, Corey Burks, Jessica Tharp, Karen Klug; Middle - Cathy Reifschneider, Kelly Ewalt, Lizzie King, Bruce Foster, Noreen Soos, Mike Tharp; Back - Joe Barron, Kelsey Griffith, Dan Stacey, Ken Kuespert, Tom Rossman, Bob Mischke, Jackson Christner. (Contributed photo) President Corey Burks welcomed ev

Blue Star Mothers of America Chapter 177 will sponsor the 22nd Annual Support the Troops Christmas Open House on Saturday, Nov. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, 4071 Naomi Rd. in Sodus. Everyone is welcome! It is time, once again, to help make Christmas a little bit more special for our troops. Community members can partner with Blue Star Mothers to provide Christmas boxes for our veterans and active duty military personnel, stateside and ov

With the November 3, 2026 General Election approaching, voters across Berrien and Van Buren counties will face a range of choices involving federal and state offices, judicial positions, local government and school funding. Mid-term elections often receive less attention than those with presidential candidates, but on a national stage, Tri-City voters still have the responsibility of selecting their voice within the U.S. Senate and House on this ballot. These decisions will s

Coloma, Hartford, and Watervliet all represented

Coloma City Commissioners met for their second meeting of the month on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026 at the Coloma City Hall. All members were in attendance with the exception of Commissioner Julie Smith.

PRESENTING… Contestants for the 2027 Coloma Community Pageant: (from the left) Standing - Lainie White (Teen), Karsyn Jacobs (Miss), McKenzie Harris (Miss), Josephine Brookshire (Miss), Aubrie Genther (Teen); Sitting - Kaelyn Jacobs (Teen), Kobe Tanner (Mr.), Mary Drake (Teen). Coloma Community Pageant Organization will present its “Our Midnight Circus” pageant at 2 p.m. this Sunday, Nov. 1, showcasing the hard work and dedication of the young women and young man who have sp

CLEANING UP HAGAR BEACH… The local Adopt-A-Beach crew was out in full force last month at Hagar Beach Park. Seen here is Coloma Public Library employees Alicia Ford and Erica Anstey collecting litter and helping keep the community’s shoreline clean and beautiful. (Contributed photo)

A FALL DAY, THE WATERVLIET WAY… Downtown Watervliet was filled with seasonal sights and flavors during its Fall Festival on Oct. 24. From a chili cook-off and fresh-fried doughnuts to a car show, costume contests and DJ entertainment throughout the evening, the celebration offered something for all ages. A vendor market, haunted businesses, and lighted golf cart parade added to the hometown Halloween fun. (Contributed photos)

Bainbridge Township Supervisor Andy Gardiner called the Oct. 19, 2026 business meeting to order at 5:58 p.m. All board members were in attendance on this night. One item under new business was a new phone system for the township hall due to copper lined phones being discontinued. The board decided after looking at three different companies to go with IVS Communications due to both its cost and the benefits. Another item under new business was the Greater Berrien Transportat

Eighth grade Student Council President, Ember Gonzales, welcomed all Coloma Junior High School students to the Unity Day assembly on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. She challenged her fellow students to “Look around you. We’re all different. We have different interests, talents, personalities, and backgrounds. But there’s one thing that we have in common – we’re all Coloma Comets, and we all deserve to feel like we belong!” Students stand with guest speaker Matt DeMarais.

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK… selected at Hartford High School on Oct. 16, 2026 are: (from the left) 11th Grader Emanuel Sarco Rivera, nominated for helping every day in first hour to take down the chairs from tables. He always goes to class with a positive attitude and is polite. Twelfth grader Allie Muller was chosen for finding a phone on the bench outside and taking it to the office. The student it belonged to was very appreciative it was turned in. (Contributed photo)

Watervliet Public Schools Board of Education held their regular monthly business meeting on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, at the high school media center. The meeting was called to order by president, John Oliphant and was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence. A roll call revealed a few board members missing. The minutes from recent meetings were approved before Finance Director Joe Bergthold presented the budget review and examination of payments for the g

Costume contests, a chili cook-off and live music brought seasonal cheer to Coloma’s first Fall Festival on Oct. 17, 2026. Families browsed vendor booths, decorated pumpkins, and tried their hand at miniature golf too. The festival committee extends special thanks to sponsors Starlight Aerial Productions, Coloma Downtown Development, Best Way Disposal, Honor Credit Union, True Michigan Properties, Coloma Charter Township, Karla D. Smothers Insurance Agency, Sister Lakes Brew

Hartford Township Supervisor Ron Sefcik called the October 8, 2026, board meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Treasurer Susan Layer was absent from the meeting. An item under new business was repairs done at the township cemetery. A pipe was replaced now so that it is ready for the spring. Lights in the vault were replaced as well. The Treasurer’s Report reflected payroll for the month of September totaling $7,462.59. Police activity for the month of September showed there were

Thursday, October 22 JV/Varsity Volleyball vs. Michigan Lutheran (H), 5:00/6:00 p.m. Friday, October 23 End of 1st Marking Period; Varsity Football vs. Constantine (H), 7:00 p.m. Saturday, October 24 MS Cross-Country Gobles Invitational, 9:30 a.m.; MCBA Band Competition at Portage Northern Monday, October 26 JV Volleyball Quad at Lakeshore, 5:00 p.m.; Varsity Volleyball vs. Benton Harbor (A), 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 27 CIS/CHS Evening Conferences Wednesday, October 28 Late

CHS HOMECOMING ROYALTY… Congratulations to the 2026 Coloma High School Homecoming Queen Angaleana Gales and King Oscar Figueroa!