Eaton Rapids
Getting to Know…Jeremy Whittum
Deb Malewski Contributing Writer In January, without much fanfare, Eaton Rapids’ Jeremy Whittum became the chief executive officer of Eaton County as he began his four-year term as the chairman of the Eaton County Board of Commissioners. A 1990 graduate of Eaton...
Warm Hearts and Coats
Deb Malewski Contributing Writer Stacia Smith-Temple really didn’t know what she was getting into when she proposed collecting winter outerwear and giving it away to those in need last December. “WANTED: CLEAN, new or used coats of all sizes and genders,” she posted...
Fleece for Foster Kids
Deb Malewski Contributing Writer Eaton Rapids is known as a small town with a very big heart, and a recent project at the Eaton Rapids Congregational Church illustrates that. Members of the church recently gathered to make fleece blankets for area foster children....
Who You Gonna Call? Goose Busters!
Deb Malewski Contributing Writer Canada Geese love the Grand River and the parks in Eaton Rapids, it’s very obvious. The city estimates that over 1,120 of these large waterfowl live within the six parks in the city. They are beautiful birds and add natural charm to...
G.A.R. Island Park Begins Major Improvements Project
Deb Malewski Contributing Writer The City of Eaton Rapids has received a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of $2,678,190 from the Michigan Strategic Fund to improve the G.A.R. Island Park. Construction began on the project on February 22 and will continue until...
Remember When: A Local History Mystery
Deb Malewski Contributing Writer One of the biggest historical mysteries in Eaton Rapids involves a house that is no longer in existence. It was located south of town, on Kinneville Road in Hamlin Township. The house was known as the Calvin Hale (1812-1896) house and...
Eaton Rapids Girl is Sparrow’s 2021 Miracle Child
A four-year-old Eaton Rapids girl who has fought and beat cancer twice in her young life is nothing short of a miracle and so it makes sense that she is Sparrow’s Miracle Child for 2021. Delilah Steiner-Zehender will be the face of the Sparrow Children’s Center – the...
The Craft Company Continues
Deb Malewski Contributing Writer After a seven-month break, the Eaton Rapids Craft Co. bar and restaurant has re-opened with a new chef, a new menu, and a refreshed attitude and perspective on the business. The restaurant, like all others in the state, is bound by the...
Smithville Dam Returns to Producing Electricity
Deb Malewski Contributing Writer Roy Davis, of Eaton Rapids, is the new owner of the historic Smithville Dam in Hamlin Township, just outside of Eaton Rapids. “I’m just a blue-collar mechanic that fixes things,” Davis said. “If it deals with hydroelectric, I can do...
Getting to know Linda Kelley, the “Bike Lady”
Deb Malewski Contributing Writer At age 13, Linda Kelley went with her parents, who were missionaries, from their home in Titusville, Pennsylvania to live in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This life-changing experience helped shape Kelley into the person she is today. PNG is...