Gary Monroe Merrill, age 88, of Portland, passed away on Monday, May 25, 2026 peacefully at his home. He was born on June 4, 1937, the son of Royce and Mildred (Friend) Merrill. Gary proudly served in the U.S. Army in Korea. He was an avid hunter, which included deer, rabbits, squirrels, and birds. Gary also enjoyed golfing, bowling, and playing shuffleboard. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Dean Merrill and Ralph Merrill and his wives, Nancy Merrill and S

Mary Louise Martin (Barley), 90, of Traverse City, MI, passed away on May 21, 2026, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Mary Lou was born on December 10, 1935, to Albert C. and Elizabeth J. (Gregg) Barley. She was raised in Portland, MI. She graduated from St. Patrick High School in 1954. After high school, she attended Wells College in New York, earning a degree in Education. After college, she returned to Portland, and in 1959 she married Dennis W. Martin. They ra

Michael Lee Hodge, age 71, of Portland, passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2026. He was preceded in death by his parents, Geraldine and Albert Hodge; brothers, Robert and Ronald Hodge and brother-in-law Jim Miller. Surviving are his loving wife, Sherry Hodge; children, Brian (Emily) Morse and Michael (Amanda) Morse; grandchildren, Haley Morse, Mira Morse, Braxton Gonzalez, Harper Morse, and Nyssa Fortenberry; siblings: Gary (Barbara) Hodge, Irene Miller, William (Barbara) H

On Saturday, the Shamrocks competed in their districts. In game one, the Shamrocks defeated Lansing Christian 15-0 in three innings. Eight Shamrocks had hits in the game, led by Charlie Thelen and Tyler Thelen who each had two hits. Sean Fedewa got the win on the mound for St. Patrick. He struck out eight batters over three innings. In the district finals, the Shamrocks defeated Fowler 9-0. Brady Leonard went six innings on the mound for the Shamrocks striking out fi

The Raiders traveled to Charlotte on Saturday for district play. In the semi-final round, Portland defeated Eaton Rapids 5-0. Max Sandborn threw a complete game shut out for the Raiders, striking out four and holding the Greyhounds to just four hits. Sandborn also led the Portland offense with three hits. Deacon Townsend added two hits. In the finals, the Raiders out hit Charlotte 9-6, but just left too many runners on base. Portland ended up losing by a score of 6-4.