Daily News

07/23/2026

Check out photos from Saturday's Ionia Free Fair and Ionia Fairgrounds parade!

Check out photos from Saturday's Ionia Free Fair parade.

07/23/2026

Less than a year after the Danish Festival Band surprised Bob Hansen with a driveway concert before he moved from his longtime Greenville home into a senior living facility, the musicians returned one last time.

Bob, who co-founded the band in 1972 and directed it until he was 90 years old, tapped his foot on July 11 as the musicians played his favorite song, “Yankee Doodle Boy” — No. 49 in the music songbook.

Robert “Bob” Hansen died on July 14, two days after the final concert for him. He was 93. Music was his passion and he left his mark on his hometown in ways that will reverberate into the future.

Less than a year after the Danish Festival Band surprised Bob Hansen with a driveway concert before he moved from his longtime Greenville home into a senior living facility, the musicians returned one last time. Bob, who co-founded the band in 1972 and directed it until he was 90 years old, tapped h...

07/23/2026

TODAY: ‘Mr. Music for Greenville’: Bob Hansen dies at 93
* Montcalm County board tentatively approves nearly $650K in Sheriff ’s Office requests during first budget workshop
* County budget talks expose personnel incident in Prosecutor’s Office
* Herbruck’s Kids Day visitors meet with health heroes, League of Enchantment at the Ionia Free Fair
* SPORTS: Greenville girls basketball building program through youth summer camp
* CLASSIFIEDS: Public notices from the village of Pierson and the Horseshoe Lake Improvement Board
* plus the MCC Insider page, Mike Taylor's weekly column and more inside

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07/23/2026

As a lawsuit over proposed “boat condos” moves toward a courtroom hearing, Monday night’s Pierson Township Board meeting revealed a disconnect between residents’ expectations and the legal realities of how local governments operate.

The meeting illustrated a common challenge for townships: Residents expect complete transparency, while elected officials are sometimes limited in what they can disclose during active litigation.

Tony Kropf and Rob Rowland are suing Pierson Township after the township Planning Commission voted 5-2 to deny a special land use request to construct a boat storage facility on the north side of Cannonsville Road east of Elmwood Drive near Big Whitefish Lake. The property in question is zoned rural residential.

As a lawsuit over proposed "boat condos" moves toward a courtroom hearing, Monday night’s Pierson Township Board meeting revealed a disconnect between residents' expectations and the legal realities of how local governments operate. The meeting illustrated a common challenge for townships: Residen...

07/22/2026

Few coaches begin a new head coaching job with the level of familiarity that Shawn Nelson has at Tri County.

Having spent the last decade being involved with the Vikings boys basketball program in some capacity, Nelson will now take over as the team’s varsity head coach, eager to build upon the relationship and experiences he’s developed along the way.

Already a familiar face within the Vikings athletic department as the head baseball coach for the last six seasons as the head baseball coach, Nelson saw the opening as another chance to invest in Tri County student-athletes while helping shape the future of one of the school’s prominent programs. This is Nelson’s first varsity head coach position in basketball, following the exit of former head coach Abe Newell, who sat at the helm of the Vikings program for six seasons.

Few coaches begin a new head coaching job with the level of familiarity that Shawn Nelson has at Tri County. Having spent the last decade being involved with the Vikings boys basketball program in some capacity, Nelson will now take over as the team’s varsity head coach, eager to build upon the re...

07/22/2026

Success has become the expectation within the Greenville boys basketball program.

The Yellow Jackets enter the 2026-2027 season on the heels of consecutive River Cities Alliance (RCA) championships and back-to-back 20-plus win campaigns, accomplishments that rank among the most successful stretches in program history. Rather than rebuilding, the Jackets find themselves in a position of trying to sustain excellence.

That responsibility now falls to first-year head coach Kaleb Keipert, following the exit of Joel Visser.

Success has become the expectation within the Greenville boys basketball program. The Yellow Jackets enter the 2026-2027 season on the heels of consecutive River Cities Alliance (RCA) championships and back-to-back 20-plus win campaigns, accomplishments that rank among the most successful stretches....

07/22/2026

TODAY: Pierson Twp. residents voice frustration over legal process while township officials defend procedures in pending boat storage lawsuit
* Civil War veteran laid to rest in Greenville once captured enemy’s flag
* from Bridge Michigan: Bill legalizing backyard deer feeding passes, but bans could remain
* plus Sandy Main's Once Upon a Daily local history column and more inside

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07/22/2026

Judges selected recent Ionia High School graduate JoAnna Platte of Muir as this year’s Ionia Free Fair and Ionia Fairgrounds queen, along with first runner-up Dalilah Tubergen of Ionia and second runner-up Katelyn Bignall of Belding

Platte, 18, served as her high school class president and was active in Interact Club and the National Honor Society. She plans to attend the Radiant School of Ministry in Kalamazoo this fall to become a minister.

“I’m just so grateful, and I really wish that my brother was here to see this,” Platte told the Daily News after stepping offstage with her sparkling crown, silk sash and bouquet of fresh roses. “I’m just so thankful for everybody, and I can’t wait to talk to my family. I’m so excited.”

Judges selected recent Ionia High School graduate JoAnna Platte of Muir as this year's Ionia Free Fair queen, along with first runner-up Dalilah Tubergen of Ionia and second runner-up Katelyn Bignall of Belding Platte, 18, served as her high school class president and was active in Interact Club and...

07/21/2026

For four seasons, Joel Visser helped usher Greenville boys basketball into one of the most successful eras in program history.

Under his leadership, the Yellow Jackets captured back-to-back conference championships for the first time since 1983 and 1984 while producing two of the winningest teams the program has ever seen.

Now, Visser is closing that chapter. After four years at the helm, he stepped down to accept an assistant coaching position at Rockford, his alma mater, where he was a member of the state championship team in 2003.

For four seasons, Joel Visser helped usher Greenville boys basketball into one of the most successful eras in program history. Under his leadership, the Yellow Jackets captured back-to-back conference championships for the first time since 1983 and 1984 while producing two of the winningest teams th...

07/21/2026

TODAY: Waving in the Ionia Free Fair
* Montcalm County board revises new union contract
* Pierson Twp. still working on fire contract with Nelson Twp.
* SPORTS: Greenville’s Latimer, Lisagor and Graber continuing their basketball careers at North Central Michigan College
* Former Belding volleyball coach Mikayla Linebaugh returns to lead Black Knights after nine-year hiatus
* CLASSIFIEDS: Public notice from the city of Belding
* COMMUNITY: MCC dean’s historical narrative reimagines Patrick Henry’s life

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