By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor COLFAX TOWNSHIP — A 40-year-old Walkerville woman died when the lawn tractor she was operating rolled on top of her Tuesday evening, Aug. 25, in the 7800 block of North Tall Timber Trail near School Section Lake, said Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast. The woman’s 42-year-old husband returned home and made the horrifying discovery of…
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief Mason County Press and Oceana County Press are strongly encouraging readers to subscribe to the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing as Facebook considers changes that could make it more difficult — and potentially expensive — for publishers and other organizations to share links with their followers. The Daily Briefing provides subscribers with MCP and OCP headlines delivered directly…
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor HART — An $888,861 Safe Routes to School grant will fund a portion of the Pentwater Hart Trail near the Hart Public Schools campus. The project will extend the William Field Memorial Hart Montague Trail, providing a safer route to the school campus and north to 72nd Avenue where it will eventually connect to the…
PENTWATER AND WEARE TOWNSHIPS — Lane closures for road and bridge work will be in effect on US 31 between Monroe and Hammett roads Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 26 and Aug. 27, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. Please Support Local News Coverage For generations, local newspapers were supported by subscriptions. Today, while Mason County Press and Oceana County…
HART — An 18-year-old Ada man has been charged in Oceana County’s 79th District Court with a felony count of operating an ORV (off-road vehicle) while intoxicated causing death in connection to a fatal crash that occurred over the weekend. Luke William Kooistra, 17 of Ada was pronounced dead at the scene following a side-by-side rollover crash Sunday, Aug. 23,…
WALKERVILLE — Students at Walkerville Public Schools will begin the new school year with a new principal. John Oleson, an educator from New Underwood, S.D., was hired July 30 as Walkerville’s principal. He replaces Joe Conkle, who accepted an administrative position at the Newaygo County Career Tech Center, which is closer to his home in Hesperia. Conkle served as superintendent/principal…
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor Democrat Rebecca Amidon and Republican Kim Cole will face each other in the Nov. 3 general election for Michigan’s 32nd Senate District. The district includes all of Benzie, Mason and Oceana counties and portions of Manistee and Muskegon counties. Mason County Press and Oceana County Press reached out to both candidates and asked them to…
MEARS — A new place of worship, ResLife Silver Lake Ministries, is hosting an open house Saturday, Sept. 5, from 1-4 p.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m. and a grand opening Sunday, Sept. 6, with the service beginning at 11 a.m. The church is located at 2752 N. 34th Ave. “We are a non-denominational, full Gospel church,…
GOLDEN TOWNSHIP — A 17-year-old Ada, Mich. boy died in an ORV crash early Sunday morning, Aug. 23, and the ORV driver was arrested for operating while intoxicated causing death, according to the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office. Luke William Kooistra was pronounced dead at the scene. “At approximately 12:39 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, Mason-Oceana 911 received a report…
The police news is a presentation of Smith & Eddy Insurance, serving west Michigan since 1902, smith-eddy.com. The following is recent activity of the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026: 10:30 p.m., a 34-year-old Hart man was cited for improper license plate, and a charge of cocaine possession is pending lab analysis of the substance, northbound US 31…
NEWFIELD TOWNSHIP — After receiving several complaints about a pontoon boat operating after dark without navigational lights, the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office Marine Division initiated a stop on McLaren Lake Friday, Aug. 21, at 9:21 p.m., and the boater fled from the marine deputies, said Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast. “The operator of the vessel refused to stop and identify,”…
LANSING — Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are reminding survivors of April’s severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that one week remains to apply for federal financial assistance. “Nearly every part of our state felt the impact of April’s severe weather, from widespread flooding and…
Richard Joe Fairchild, 83, passed away Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, peacefully in his “home away from home,” in the care of his family. Although he passed in Muskegon, Hesperia was his home. Richard was born on April 22, 1943, in Hesperia, where he was raised by his loving parents, Charles and Mabel (Kirwin) Fairchild. He and his siblings grew up…
Pirate News is a presentation of Hart Public Schools in partnership with Oceana County Press. By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor HART — Mac Houston is the new strength and conditioning teacher at Hart High School. In addition to the physical education courses, Houston will also teach history and is also serving as the Pirate varsity football team’s defensive coordinator. “Strength…
Response time has reduced from one to two hours to approximately 31 to 38 minutes. GOLDEN TOWNSHIP — Since Memorial Day Weekend, the Hart Area Fire Department has provided dedicated medical response coverage on the Silver Lake Sand Dunes every weekend, resulting in dramatic improvements in emergency response and patient transport times for dune-related injuries, states a press release from…
Pirate News is a presentation of Hart Public Schools in partnership with Oceana County Press. By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor HART — Caitlyn Ramos is the new ninth and 10th grade English language arts teacher at Hart High School. A 2021 Hesperia High School graduate, Ramos is excited to board the Pirate ship. After high school, she attended Muskegon Community…
The following births have been reported: Kendall Elisabeth Hasty, the daughter of Shelby and Ryan Hasty of Shelby, was born on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. Finnian Percival Hansen, the son of Savannah and Jon Hansen of Manistee, was born on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Unless indicated, births occurred at Corewell Health Ludington Hospital. List of 2026 births List of 2025 births …
The police news is a presentation of Smith & Eddy Insurance, serving west Michigan since 1902, smith-eddy.com. The following is recent Hart Police Department activity: Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026: 9:05 p.m., suspicious situation, Polk Road and 72nd Avenue, City of Hart. 11:15 p.m., suspicious situation, 10 block of East Main Street, City of Hart. Friday, Aug. 14, 2026: 5:05 p.m.,…
The police news is a presentation of Smith & Eddy Insurance, serving west Michigan since 1902, smith-eddy.com. The following is recent Oceana County activity of the Hart post of the Michigan State Police: Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026: 2 p.m., a 38-year-old Hart man was cited for driving without a license, 100th Avenue and Polk Road, Hart Township. 10:10 p.m., a…
Sand Sculpture Contest draws many creative competitors PENTWATER — Creative ideas, enthusiastic competitors and another large crowd made the 53rd annual Pentwater Sand Sculpture Contest a highlight of Pentwater’s 2026 Homecoming weekend. Sponsored by the Pentwater Service Club, the longtime community tradition brought children, families and teams to the sugar-sand beach of Charles Mears State Park, where competitors transformed little…
Oceana County is accepting proposals from organizations and groups for projects addressing opioid prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. Funding may be used for the development, implementation, enhancement or expansion of eligible programs serving Oceana County. Awards of up to $100,000 per proposal are available for a three-year funding period running Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2029. Proposals must…
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