The Hastings City Band will wrap up its’ summer concert schedule in “A Tribute to America” this Wednesday, July 2^nd at Thornapple Plaza in Hastings at 7:30pm. Bring your own lawn chair and enjoy the show! It’s part of the “Hastings Live” summer concert series.

Thursday night, July 3^rd, the Algonquin Lake Community Association will hold it’s annual fireworks show at dusk over Algonquin Lake near Hastings.

Historic Charlton Park Village and Museum hosts the annual Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration and Veterans Barbecue on July 4th from 12pm to 3:00pm.  A flag raising ceremony will take place at noon with old time games on the Village Green to follow, along with a barbeque and a pie auction.

Middleville will have events throughout the day on Friday the 4th with music and bounce houses at the downtown ampitheater from 9 to 2, then live music, activities, and food trucks at the soccer fields at 6pm and a fireworks show at dusk.

Jordan Lake will hold its' boat parade at noon on Friday, then will celebrate with their annual “Ring of Fire” at 10pm Friday night when residents light hundreds of flares around the shoreline, forming the ring. The Ring of Fire can be viewed at the public beach in Lake Odessa.

The Dorr Business Association will have fireworks on the Fourth.

Caledonia will have a parade Friday at 11am and fireworks at dusk.

Gun Lake fireworks are planned for Saturday July 5^th dusk.

A big fireworks show takes place at Ah-Nab-Awen park in downtown Grand Rapids on Saturday.

And if you prefer to head to the lakeshore this holiday, South Haven will ‘light up the lake’ with fireworks on July 3^rd, then hold a parade at 11am on the Fourth  while Grand Haven will have a fireworks show on July 4^th.

Thornapple Kellogg High School had a groundbreaking ceremony for a new barn for the FFA program at 3625 Bender Road near the TK Bus garage.

FFA Advisor Alyssa Hamlin, said the program has received more than $150,000. in donations and grants for the project, with nearly $40,000 raised by the the FFA Advisory board fundraising committee.

FFA students are expected to use the new facility this fall.  The barn is being constructed by SE Agricultural & Commercial Solutions.  There will be two classroom spaces where students can learn about animal safety, reproduction, care and maintenance.  The key piece of the project is for the barn to function as a real farm.  Students will analyze inflow & outflow expenses, budgets and brainstorm ideas for fundraising opportunities.  The barn will also provide students with supervised animal experiences.

FFA members will also use the barn to house their broiler chickens for the State Broiler contest.  The TK FFA program had been dormant since the mid 1960's. In the 2022-23 School year the program was resurrected and has been growing strong.  Members currently attend State and National Conventions and take part in the regional and state FFA competitions.

The Barry County Sheriff’s Department and Jail will be getting body cameras, in-car cameras, and new updated portable and mobile radios after the Barry County Board of Commissioners approved a contract to purchase the equipment at their June 24^th meeting. 

The total cost for the encryption capable radio system, video system, and software from Motorola is  $838,358.  The Board also approved a 3 year installment loan through Highpoint Community Bank to finance the purchase. The county has submitted a grant application with MMRMA to cover a portion of the in-car and body cameras.

The Hastings Fire Department has announced that over the past couple of months, the department has been working on upgrading its' medical response from the current Medical First Responder license (MFR) to a non transport Basic Life Support License (BLS).

This week the process was completed with the final state inspection and HFD was officially granted the Basic Life Support EMS license by the state of Michigan. The upgrade will allow them to better serve residents with a broader scope of care in the pre-hospital setting; including further respiratory care, diagnostic cardiac care, and other services.

A social media post said "Hastings Fire Department is honored to serve our community and grateful for the support we have received during this process from the township boards and the City of Hastings."

Barry County Commission on Aging, an organization dedicated to providing innovative services and resources to Barry County seniors, is excited to announce the groundbreaking ceremony for its new 16,500 square foot facility.  The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 25, at 3pm at 2625 E M-79 Hwy.  Parking will be available at Harvest Pointe and Barry County Christian School.

This landmark project will allow for local production of Meals on Wheels meals for homebound seniors and their caregiver; greater inclusion of fresh, local produce in all nutrition programming; expansion of space for the Adult Day Service area for those with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other memory issues; additional respite opportunities for caregivers; expansion of health and fitness offerings; and an expanded dining room.

“We are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone as we break ground, “ said Executive Director Courtney Ziny.  “This project represents dedicated collaboration between government, philanthropy and the community to address the needs of the growing senior population.  We look forward to seeing this vision come to life.” 

The groundbreaking ceremony will feature remarks from community leaders and project stakeholders.  Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the project, its impact, and how they can get involved.  The community is invited to join in celebrating this exciting step forward.

To learn more about Barry County Commission on Aging activities, events and services available, watch our website www.barrycounty.org/coa, follow us on Facebook, or contact us at 269-948-4856.

Barry County Commission on Aging is a partner agency of the Barry County United Way.

Due to the severe weather forecasted, the 90th Lake Odessa Grand Parade scheduled for 6pm this evening has been postponed to 10am, Saturday June 21st. 

Also the 7pm Franco Trubulet,  7:30pm Draft Horse Pulls in the Grand Stand and the 8:30pm Straw Stacking contest have been cancelled this evening.  

The Carnival and Beer Barn events are pending at this time.

The Lake Odessa Fair begins Wednesday and run through Sunday. This is the fair's 90th year, and Rachel Haskins spoke with WBCH to tell us about it:

You can find out more about the fair online at  LakeOdessaFair.ORG

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Listen to Chad Henry's full interview with Rachel Haskins here:

MDOT is investing $1.8 million to resurface more than 5 miles of M-43 from M-37 (just west of Hastings) south to Schultz Road. 

Lane closures will be in effect throughout the project. Both directions of traffic will share one lane and alternate via traffic regulators. Short-term intersection closures will be in place during paving.   

"Across Michigan, we are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to grow our economy, helping Michiganders go to work, drop their kids off at school and run errands safely," said Gov. Whitmer.

County:  Barry

Highway:  M-43

Start date:  Monday, June 16, 2025

Estimated end date:  Mid-July 2025 

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), in partnership with the Barry County Drain Commission, is removing and replacing the Watson Drain culvert under M-43 and Sprague Road just south of Delton. Work crews are already on-site and traffic impacts are scheduled to begin Monday, June 23.

M-43 is scheduled to close 7 a.m. on June 23rd with traffic detoured onto Milo, Norris and Delton roads. Access to businesses will be maintained at all times. 

County:  Barry  

Highway:  M-43

Start date:  Monday, June 23, 2025

Estimated end date:  August 2025 

During a short Barry County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Sheriff Dar Leaf swore in 3 new deputies.

Pattrick Jansens, Emergency Management Coordinator, gave an update on parking and traffic control plans for  "upwards of 50,000 people" expected to attend this weekend’s “Rock the Country” festival at the Barry Expo Center.  Text updates from Central Dispatch can be received by subscribing: text the word ROCK  to   226787 to get those updates.

Commission Chair David Jackson presented Employee Service Awards to employees in following departments:  Central Dispatch/Building & Grounds; Treasurer; Sheriff’s Office;  Animal Control; Parks & Recreation; and Friend of the Court.

Local and state officials are gearing up for the upcoming Rock the Country 2025 festival, headlined by Kid Rock, with a strong focus on public safety and traffic management.

The event will take place Friday, June 13, and Saturday, June 14, 2025, at the Barry Expo Center. The General Admission parking lot opens at 12:00 PM each day, with performances scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM and end around 11:15 PM. Camping for this event begins at 8 AM on Thursday and campers will leave by 12 PM Sunday.

Upwards of 25,000 are expected to attend daily, and local emergency management and law enforcement agencies are taking proactive steps to ensure smooth traffic flow and community safety before, during, and after the event.

Traffic and Road Closures

Residents and visitors should expect temporary traffic delays beginning Thursday, June 12, and continuing through Sunday, June 15. Back-ups are expected into Middleville and Hastings and residents are encouraged to avoid the M-37 corridor.

Detailed maps and routing information will be shared in advance through county social media, Michigan State Police, and local media outlets. Drivers are asked to follow all posted signs and obey law enforcement instructions to ensure emergency routes remain open and accessible.

Some neighborhoods, especially those in cul-de-sacs, will experience restricted access during peak event hours (8 AM – 12 PM and 4 PM – 10 PM Thursday; 8 AM – 2 PM and 11:30 PM – 1:30 AM Friday and Saturday; 8 AM – 12 PM Sunday)

“Our top priority is keeping the community and attendees safe,” said Pattrick Jansens, Emergency Manager for Barry County. “By sharing information early and often, we aim to reduce confusion, keep emergency routes open, and make the event safe and enjoyable for everyone.”

Safety Reminders:

All attendees and residents are reminded:
- Use hands-free devices and focus on the road
- Follow detour signs and law enforcement instructions
- Call 911 if emergency assistance is needed

For more information Text “Rock” to 226787 to opt in for alerts regarding the event or visit BarryCountyEMD on facebook.