The Ionia County Health Department has confirmed  a human case of West Nile virus (WNV). This is the first case reported in Ionia County in 2025.

WNV is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes and is the leading cause of mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, but its effects can vary from person to person.  

Most people infected with WNV do not experience symptoms. About 1 in 5 develop mild, flulike illness such as fever, headache, body aches, or rash. About 1 in 150 may develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system, which can sometimes be fatal. Adults who are 50 years and older have the highest risk of illness caused by West Nile virus.

At Tuesday’s Barry County Board of Commissioners meeting the Board voted to adjust its’ meeting schedule for the 4th quarter of 2025 to eliminate the Committee of the Whole meetings and will only hold regular Board of Commissioners meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month.

Allegan Central Dispatch received multiple phone calls for a multi-vehicle accident on south bound US-131 South Bound in Wayland Township Wednesday morning.  There were multiple injuries involving two vehicles. 

Five patients were transported to area hospitals for various none life threatening injuries.  One patient was found unresponsive on scene.  That patient succumbed to their injuries while en route to the hospital.  The preliminary investigation shows speed was a factor in the crash.  The names of all parties involved are being withheld at this time due to the investigation being on going and notifications that need to be made to family members.  US-131 south bound from the 61MM has been opened back up for normal travel.

The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Wayland EMS, Plainwell EMS, Life EMS, Wayland FD, Martin FD, Hopkins FD, Wayland PD, Gun Lake Tribal PD, Allegan County Accident Reconstruction Team, MDOT, Allegan Central Dispatch and Allegan County Emergency Management for their assistance in this incident.

A change in ambulance service is coming to Hastings, as Mercy Ambulance is on its’ way out and Life EMS will take over the Hastings service area around September 15^th.  In addition to the city, the service area includes Baltimore Township, Carlton Township, Hastings Charter Township, and Hope Township.

During the Hastings City Council meeting Monday night, Council  approved the mayor to authorize a Memorandum of Understanding allowing the transition from Mercy Ambulance to Life EMS under the terms of the current agreement that expires at the end of the 2026.

Life EMS anticipates that most of the current Mercy EMT’s and staff will stay, and are already  transitioning  to the new company.  Residents will not experience a lapse in service. Life EMS plans to maintain 24-hour staffed ambulances, operating from the same location on South Michigan Avenue that Mercy Ambulance has used for several decades.

The Hastings Hastings/BIRCH Fire Department recently purchased an EMS rescue vehicle as part of the Departments’ medical license upgrade to an EMS transporting agency, and is able to supplement the current EMS system of Barry County.

In other business:

The City Council approved a water tower easement agreement, replacement of a DPS dump truck, a contract for remodeling the bathroom at the Hastings Fire Department, and contracts for lead water line replacements and for chip sealing of various streets.

Hastings is planning to eliminate the Director of Public Works staff position, which has been vacant for several months, and instead create a new  Assistant City Manager position that will be a hybrid of public works and administrative responsibilities.

A major redevelopment project, Mill Street Apartments, is underway in downtown Hastings. On the former brownfield site along the north side of the Thornapple River, a new, three-story building is being constructed that will bring over 140 rental housing units to the area. The developer,  ‘420 E. Mills LLC’ is owned  and operated by CopperRock Construction.

According to the Barry Community Foundation and Michiganfoundations.org, the new Mill Street Apartments will also feature a massive community and arts center, spanning over 10,000 square feet. This project is a multi-faceted effort, designed to address several community needs at once. It will include a commercial kitchen, a cafe, a much needed daycare, and a unique "farm stop"—a year-round farmers market that sells local produce and goods.

Bonnie Gettys, CEO of the Barry Community Foundation, said the farm stop is designed to connect farmers directly with consumers, and that the redevelopment project will  support the community by providing a walkable connection to the core downtown Hastings business area. 

This project, which had its groundbreaking last month, is a collaboration between the Barry Community Foundation and local philanthropists, with support from the state's Revitalization and Placemaking program and will bring an anticipated capital investment of over $30 million.

The Barry Eaton District Health Department has detected elevated E. coli levels in the water at Tyden Park. An advisory was issued on Friday to avoid activities like swimming, kayaking, and floating down the river in this area - it will be retested Monday 8/18/25.

You should:

-Avoid any smelly or murky water

-Clean up your pet's waste

-Don’t feed birds, it encourages them to stick around

-Use public restrooms

-Don’t touch or drink the water

E. coli can cause a range of illnesses, including, diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, and fever. Most healthy people recover in a few days, but it can be more serious in children, older adults, or those with weakened immune systems.

This Sunday radio station WBCH turns 67 years old.

It was on August 17, 1958 that Barry Broadcasting Company placed WBCH-AM on the air after purchasing WAHL, an AM station that had been started by Don Gary a few months prior to that date.

The first manager of the station was Robert Greenhoe.  Ken Radant succeeded Greenhoe in 1960 as General Manager.  WBCH, then a daytime-only operation, was successful in obtaining a Class “A” FM license in 1967 when WBCH-FM first went on the air.

WBCH FM & AM thanks listeners and our advertisers for your loyalty and support during our first 67 years.

Students in area school districts will start heading back to classrooms next week, and motorists are reminded to drive with caution before and after school hours to help make it a safe and happy school year.

First Day of School: 2025-2026 Academic Year:

Hastings Area School System: The first day for all grades (K-12) is Monday, August 18, 2025.

Maple Valley Schools: The first day of school is a half-day on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

Lakewood Public Schools: The first day of school is a half-day on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

Wayland Union Schools: The first day of school is Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

Thornapple Kellogg Schools: Students begin the school year on Monday, August 25, 2025.

Caledonia Community Schools: The first day of school is Monday, August 25, 2025.

Delton Kellogg Schools: Classes for all students begin on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

The Hastings/BIRCH Fire Department has just purchased an EMS rescue vehicle, designated ‘Rescue 838’ as part of the Departments’ medical license upgrade process. 

Recently the department worked towards upgrading from MFR status to BLS non-transport level a couple of months ago, since then they’ve been working to upgrade one more step to an EMS transporting agency.

On Tuesday the Department passed all state inspections to be licensed at the BLS level with transporting capabilities. This means that the Hastings Fire Department will be able to supplement the current EMS system of Barry County in providing another transporting EMS unit to better serve local residents with a higher level of care and broader scope.

A post from the department said “With this new license comes bigger responsibilities and we would not be able to do it without the dedicated response from our department members, the support from our residents, the support from the City of Hastings, and the wonderful townships that we serve; Baltimore, Irving, Rutland, Carlton and Hastings. You will start to see the unit out and about in coming days as we are excited to start providing this new service from the Hastings Fire Department.”

At its’ regular meeting Monday the Hastings City Council approved the Summerfest Committee's request to hold the 48^th annual Hastings Summerfest celebration next week on August 22^nd , 23^rd , and 24^th at various locations around the city.  Fire Chief Mark Jordan reminded everyone of the Fire Department Pancake Breakfast on Saturday morning at the Fire Barn during Summerfest.

Council approved Barry County Great Start Collaborative’s request to conduct a Stroll-N-Read Event in Tyden Park from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM this Thursday, August 14, 2025.

Also approved was use of Fish Hatchery Park on October 12^th by Barry Roubaix to hold the Fall Fondo Fundraising Cycling Event.

During her report, City Manager Sarah Moyer-Cale said city officials will meet with a consulting firm for the Michigan Dept. of Transportation regarding the West State Street corridor.  MDOT is indicating it plans to reconstruct State Street from Cook Road, east to Broadway, in 2028. This is the very early stage of the planning process but will allow the city to have some input into what it wants for the next several decades on the major corridor.

In other business, the council:

-Authorized the Clerk and Mayor to sign a modified Independent Public Officials Contract for Construction Code Administration and Enforcement with Professional Code Inspections (PCI).

-Purchase of 87 new computer monitors for City Offices.

-Approved agreements with Murray’s Asphalt to do repairs on multiple major streets, and for patching lead service line pavement cuts in the city.

- Set a public hearing for Monday, August 25, to allow residents to comment on proposed activities included with a Homeowners Rehabilitation grant application to the State of Michigan.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is investing $1 million to resurface 5 miles of M-43 between Hickory Corners and Delton, from Sheffield Road north to Bush Street in Barry County.

Work is scheduled to begin this Monday, August 11th and continue til mid-September.

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.  

Monday, Aug. 4th Barry-Eaton District Health Dept. Beach monitoring team  tested Thornapple Lake for the presence of  a harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) after observing a green film on the water in some areas of the lake.  Preliminary results indicate the water may contain harmful  Algal Bloom.  It is recommended the public avoid swimming and any contact with areas of the lake with green film or other signs of HAB. 

How to spot Harmful Algal Blooms, look for discolored water (often green, blue, or red).  Watch for unpleasant smells or dead fish.

What to do:  Stay out of the water if you think a HAB is present.  Keep kids and pets away from the water and shoreline.  If the bloom is small, use other parts of the lake.

If you're Exposed:   Skin contact may cause rashes, hives, blisters or irritation.  You may also have runny eyes, a runny nose, or asthma-like symptoms.  Rinse off Thoroughly with clean water if you touch the bloom.

Report if you spot a potential HAB to EGLE by calling the Environmental Assistance Center at 1-800-662-9278 or send email to AlgaeBloom@Michigan.gov