CEDAR SPRINGS — A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded Friday afternoon at Northland Estates Mobile Home Park, where a child was killed after being struck by a pickup truck. Just after 4:00 p.m. on April 3, 2026, deputies with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan State Police, as well as Cedar Springs and Solon fire crews were sent to the park following a report of a child hit by a vehicle. First responders arrived quickly and immediately began life-saving efforts, but despite those attempts, the child died from severe injuries sustained in the crash. In the aftermath, investigators with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Unit and Investigative Division remained at the scene to piece together exactly what happened. Kent County Sheriff's Office informed The Bugle that the investigation is still ongoing. The child’s death has left family members and first responders grappling with a devastating loss. A spokesman with the sheriff's office noted that incidents involving children are especially difficult for everyone involved and also acknowledged the work of the deputies, firefighters, EMS personnel, and dispatchers who responded to the scene.

“The stories are everywhere. They’re in the quiet pride of a new business opening on Main Street. They’re in the shared grief when we lose a neighbor. They’re in the laughter that rings out from the corner seat of the diner.” - Light of a Town, 2025. We’re a community who grieves together. It is with deep sadness that we learn of and take note of the passing of Donna Clark. Donna was one of our most devoted and avid readers, and a pillar of the Cedar Springs community. Donna’s life was woven into the heart of our town. As the former Director of the Cedar Springs Library, she poured her energy, creativity, and determination into making it a place where everyone felt welcome. Her tireless advocacy was instrumental in the vision, planning, and eventual building of our current library, leaving the legacy of her belief that Cedar Springs deserved a vibrant, modern space for learning, gathering, and growing together. Donna was a passionate champion of literacy and a steadfast supporter of children’s programs. Generations of local families have memories of story hours, summer reading challenges, and special events that she helped to create and nurture. She understood that when you invest in children and their imaginations, you invest in the future of the whole community. Beyond the walls of the library, she was an unwavering advocate for our schools, local museum, and for community development, always asking how we could do more, reach further, and lift each other up. Donna will be greatly missed by all those whose lives she touched with her conviction and gentle strength. Her legacy lives on in every book opened by a curious child, every gathering in the library she helped build, and every act of kindness inspired by her example of service. To her family, we extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers. May you find comfort in knowing how deeply Donna was loved and how profoundly she shaped Cedar Springs for the better. God speed, Donna, and may God bless and keep your family in this time of loss. - Jake Watson, Publisher, The Cedar Springs Bugle

NELSON TOWNSHIP — What began as a brush fire Sunday afternoon quickly escalated into a structure fire in the 13000 block of Tisdel Avenue, drawing a multi-department response as crews worked to keep the flames from spreading further.

Little League season is back. You can tell because the folding chairs and coolers full of Capri Sun and fruit snacks have reappeared. The group texts have returned, and on any given weekday, there's a line of minivans and pickups pulling into the parking lots just as the sun begins to fall to treetop level. If you're a millennial parent like me, this probably invokes a strange yet familiar feeling. It doesn't feel all too long ago that we were the ones in an oversized t-shirt featuring a local business's name, staring at the dandelions in the outfield, wondering when we'd get to bat next. Now, we're the ones in the bleachers or in the grass just off of the first base line, drinking our coffee, trying to follow the batting order, and downloading the scheduling app that tells us when the next game is. There's something grounding about Little League. Sometimes the score matters, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes kids strike out, forget which base to run, or bring their glove up to bat. But, that's all part of it. These kids are out there learning, and I don't just mean how to hit a fastball. They're learning how a game is played and how to be part of a team. How to be involved in something bigger than themselves, and what it means to have good sportsmanship. And maybe we're learning a few things too. We're learning that development, not just in baseball, takes time. That confidence doesn't grow overnight, but does grow. And that sometimes the hardest part of parenting is staying quiet and letting them figure it out. In a world that moves fast and measures every tiny detail, especially in the world of social media, Little League and the kids in it, run at its own pace. Three strikes, four balls, and everybody bats. There's something healthy about that. So here's to the volunteer coaches and umpires, to the parents who clap even when the play falls apart, and most importantly, here's to the kids who go out and give it their all. These seasons don't last forever. One day we'll no longer need the folding chairs, the team schedules, and the group text with the other kids' parents. But for now, the bases are out, the kids are up to bat, and we get a front row seat to watch them grow. And that's a pretty good place to be.

Cedar Springs Brewing Company is bringing German tradition and community spirit together today with its 10th annual Starkbierfest, a spring festival centered around strong bock beers, live music and outdoor celebration.

SAND LAKE — The Village of Sand Lake moved Monday night to stabilize its government and secure fire protection services, appointing five new council members, including former village president Dan Hula as village president once again, and unanimously approving a 10-year agreement with Nelson Township for the equivalent of $500,000 between equipment, trucks, and liquid assets; meaning fire coverage comes in at a cost of about $50,000 per year. The public erupted in applause after the vote took place.

SOLON TOWNSHIP — A contentious Solon Township Planning Commission meeting Wednesday night centered on two ordinance proposals that drew significant public criticism: a rezoning plan along 17 Mile Road and a draft ordinance addressing data centers.

CEDAR SPRINGS — If you want to know what Cedar Springs is focusing on in the year ahead, the new city budget offers a pretty clear answer: keep services steady, regroup financially after an expensive year, and prepare for the next round of big projects.

KENT CITY — After more than four decades of serving students and families as an outdoor classroom, the Howard Christensen Nature Center is facing a significant transition.

EDITORIAL — Late March in Michigan is never all that convincing. One day you’re outside without a coat, squinting in the sun and thinking maybe we’ve turned the corner. The next morning you’re scraping frost off the windshield and wondering why you got your hopes up. That’s just how this time of year works. It doesn’t necessarily arrive all at once. It eases in, backtracks, (more often than we'd like) and tests your patience. If you're apt to the nuanced changes in the air like me, you may notice that Cedar Springs feels like it’s in that same in-between space. The snowbanks are gone, but the grass hasn’t quite turned green. The trees are bare, but you know they won’t stay that way for long. The ground is soft and a little messy, not quite settled. This is also the time of year when a lot of quiet decisions get made. At home, people start thinking about what needs attention once the weather fully breaks. Likewise, around town, leaders are working through the next budget cycle, weighing what to fund, what can wait, when grants will hit, and what direction makes the most sense for this next year ahead. It’s easy to focus on what we can see, the things already built, those that what needs work, and what’s already blooming. But a lot of important work happens before anything is visible. Budgets are seemingly boring, especially if you're not all too interested in math, planning, and prioritizing. Importantly though, more than spreadsheets, budgets are statements of direction that reflect what a community values, what it’s willing to invest in, and what it believes needs attention. The same way a homeowner decides whether to repair the roof, repaint the porch, or plant a tree that won’t provide shade for years. None of it is glamorous, and sometimes it's tedious work. But it matters more than most would think. Spring teaches patience in that way. Before the leaves return, the branches look stark against the sky. Before the parks are green and full, they are muddy and wet. Growth begins quietly, long before it becomes obvious. And communities grow the same way. There will always be conversations about where we're headed and how we should get there. And that's great. It means people care and are paying attention. It's important to note, however, that not every decision will please everyone. Similarly, not every season feels comfortable while we're in it. But just like the turning of the weather, there's a steady rhythm to civic life. Plans are made, then adjusted accordingly. Lessons are learned from the past, and over time, the shape of the town shifts in small, incremental ways. Right now, we're between what was and what will be. The air is changing and the calendar is turning. The groundwork is being laid. Soon enough, the trees will bud once more. The parks will be filled, and the long evenings will return. But, for now, we live in the season between.

CEDAR SPRINGS - If you take a stroll through town next week, you might notice a rather large gap where a familiar piece of our Main Street cityscape used to be. Dean’s Excavating out of Sand Lake is spending this upcoming Monday and Tuesday, March 9th and 10th, tearing down the mixed-use building at 37 and 39 N Main Street.

CEDAR SPRINGS — When emergencies happen in the southern half of Nelson Township, the response has long come from Cedar Springs. That partnership will continue for at least two more years.