SAND LAKE — The majority of the Sand Lake Village Council and the Planning Commission resigned Monday, leaving the village without a governing quorum as it approaches the possible loss of its fire department and a May vote on whether to dissolve the village.

EDITORIAL - Lately, it feels as though the ground beneath us has been shifting. It hasn't been too subtle either, it has been enough to make people stop and ask, "what comes next?" An old building on Main Street came down last week. Some residents felt it was overdue. Others felt a sense of loss as they watched it fall. One township to the West, large scale development is being discussed, development that would change the look and character of an entire stretch of road. One township to the North, restructuring of local government and the uncertainty of emergency services are at the forefront of people's minds. These situations are not identical, but they do lead to the same uneasiness and, ultimately, to the same question. When change comes knocking, who speaks for the backyard? When we elect someone to a township board or a council seat, what are we asking that person to be? A messenger who delivers the loudest, or most desired, version of public opinion? Or a representative who listens, gathers information, weighs tradeoffs, and makes the best long-term decision, even when that decision is unpopular? Reasonable people can argue for either approach. Most of us, in practice, expect a balance. We want them to listen thoughtfully, think carefully, and then, and only then, act in good faith. What shouldn't be lost us is that service on a board or a council is as much about leadership as it is about administration. It's an exercise in leadership, which, at its best, is not assessed by how many people serve you, but by how faithfully you serve others. It's stewardship more than authority, the responsible use of time, talent, and public resources in pursuit of the common good. However, stewardship applies to decision making as much as it does to service. It is the understanding that leaders hold a community’s assets, character, and quality of life in trust for the people who live there. It requires asking not only, “Can we do this?” but also, “Should we, and if so, how do we do it responsibly?” Because the truth is, these decisions are rarely simple. A project might strengthen the tax base. It may bring jobs. It might also sit directly behind someone’s home, beside a retirement community, or along a residential road that has been quiet for decades. A demolition might clear the way for something useful and needed. It might also erase a familiar landmark, one of the everyday places that helped the town feel like home. Both can be true at the same time. Importantly, the people who live closest to these changes are not figures on a spreadsheet, and they aren't line items on a tax bill. They are not inconveniences to be managed. They are the ones who will hear machinery at five in the morning, watch traffic patterns change, lose a tree line, and see new lights through a bedroom window after construction ends and the dust settles. They are the ones who will be waiting, impatiently, and rightfully so, when awaiting the arrival of the fire department in a time of need. That's why transparency matters. Not every project is harmful, and growth should not automatically be treated as a threat. However, trust is fragile. Once residents feel decisions are being made around them rather than with them, it becomes difficult to restore confidence, even when the outcome is defensible. No reasonable person expects local officials to ignore economic opportunity. Towns have bills to pay, roads to maintain, and services to fund. Still, the obligation of public office is not to revenue alone. In fact, I would argue that economic growth, while important, should rarely eclipse other community priorities, including the quality of life of those who live closest to the consequences of major decisions Profit has a voice, and it is a loud one. It always will be. The backyard does not, unless someone insists that it be heard. Change is coming, whether we welcome it or not. The question is whether the people most affected, the people who will live with the consequences, are given a seat at the table. So, who speaks for the backyard? Ideally, it's the people we elected. When that's not enough, it must be the rest of us, as well.

CEDAR SPRINGS — A routine welfare check on a bitterly cold January morning led to a well-deserved honor for one deputy with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office.

DETROIT, MI - The Red Hawks made their presence known at Ford Field in Detroit during the 2026 MHSAA Wrestling Championships this past Saturday, bringing home two individual state titles and four All State honors in a thrilling weekend featuring 896 wrestlers and 1,568 matches.

CEDAR SPRINGS - Residents in Cedar Springs may want to set a few clocks and charge their phones before turning in this Saturday night.

If you spend enough time on social media, it starts to feel like the whole country is locked in a shouting match. Every issue turns into a contest and every national headline asks you to pick sides of polarized issues. Ask a resident here in Cedar Springs, and they'll probably tell you that isn’t how local life tends to unfold. Around here, the conversations tend to circle back to familiar ground. Property taxes. Water bills, (we won't even go into the color of the water at times). The need for a local teen "hotspot" where kids can safely hang out after school. These concerns belong to everyone who lives here. They show up at kitchen tables, in the aisles at Meijer while catching up with a neighbor, and in conversation outside Beach or Cedar View before pickup. They come up at church and at the gas pump. Simply put, they're the real concerns of daily life. When our attention stays fixed on national arguments, it drains energy and motivation from us. You can feel it after an hour of reading comments. You can feel it after doomscrolling through a dozen reels. You’ve reacted to people you’ll never even meet. And all the while taxes are still going up, the water bills are still due, and the kids still don't have a place to gather. There’s a reason outrage travels so quickly. It's the same reason national news outlets keep it in front of your face. Anger sells. It keeps us engaged. It keeps us clicking. It keeps us occupied with people far away. Meanwhile, the work of a town, the slow and sometimes frustrating work of it, asks for something different. It asks for patience. It asks for presence. But in a small town, you can’t reduce people to campaign slogans for long. The person you disagree with on an issue is still the one serving your coffee, fixing your furnace, and coaching your kid’s team. You're bound to run into each other again because you probably share the same streets and almost certainly the same weather and the same future. That reality changes the tone of a conversation. It doesn’t erase disagreement. Though, it does make it harder to treat someone like an abstract enemy. If there’s anything I can encourage you to do this week, it’s simply this: Take half an hour you might have spent in a comment thread and use it for the community. Walk into a meeting and sit in the back. Take a moment after to ask how a decision was made. Knock on a neighbor’s door and ask how rising costs are affecting them. If that's too deep a conversation, simply ask how they're doing. Walk a few blocks and pay attention to what needs fixing, then find out who’s responsible. You won’t solve everything in thirty minutes. No one expects you to. What you will do is anchor your attention where your life actually happens. Many of you have probably heard of the issues facing the Sand Lake community. We are, if I may be frank, fortunate not to be facing the same uncertainty their community is. But to keep it that way, Cedar Springs needs us to show up. It needs us willing to look each other in the eye and stay in the conversation. Photo courtesy of: Kristen's Flashback Photography A town holds together when people keep talking, even when it’s uncomfortable and especially when it's not about the next new Instagram trend. It holds together when questions are asked face to face and answers are expected in return. That kind of effort rarely makes headlines. It does, however, over time, shape the place we call home.

CEDAR SPRINGS - Cedar Springs’ Red Flannel Coffee Company is sending its first sponsored professional athlete to the world stage.

CEDAR SPRINGS - The March 5 meeting of the Cedar Springs Women’s Club was held at the Cedar Fields Community Building. The Hostess Committee had the tables decorated for St. Patrick’s Day with green tablecloths, sparkly green top hats and small pots of snacks for each person. They provided salads, fruit, veggies and dip, deviled eggs, and desserts for a pre-meeting snack.

CEDAR SPRINGS - The City of Cedar Springs has officially approved a purchase agreement for the property located at 66 South Main Street. The buildings will be sold to Red Oak Management, a property management company currently located at 25 W Beech Street, with deep roots here in town.

CEDAR SPRINGS - Step through the doors of 88 N Main St NE, and you might think you've wandered into a relaxing art studio rather than an optometrist's office. And for Dr. Matt Black, proprietor and Doctor of Optometry at White Pine Eyecare, that is exactly the point.

The City of Cedar Springs is making a thoughtful move to improve how it connects with residents through the launch of CivicReady, a new mass notification system designed to share important information when it matters most.

The Cedar Springs Community Players are inviting the community to an evening of mystery, intrigue and live performances at the Kent Theatre for their 8th Annual One Act Festival.