The highest honor bestowed on a 4-H clubber in Montcalm County is the Earl Peterson 4-H’er of the Year award. In a field of four contenders, Mikalah Gribbell, 16, of Trufant, came out on top to be named 4-H’er of the year at an awards ceremony Saturday night.

She did not win the top title, but Audrey Frank was still beaming following the Miss Michigan Scholarship Pageant in downtown Muskegon late Saturday night. Frank, Miss Danish Festival 2011, won the Congeniality Award, worth a $500 scholarship.

It was on a whim that Audrey Frank opted to compete in the Miss Danish Festival pageant last August. She won that title, earning the right to compete in the Miss Michigan Scholarship pageant and perhaps proceed to the Miss America Scholarship pageant. Following a send-off celebration last Friday at Greenville Area Community Center, Frank, 20, of Greenville, will leave Sunday for Muskegon for rehearsals, public appearances, photos and autograph sessions prior to two evenings of preliminary rounds and Saturday evening’s final round of competition among the 31 contestants vying for the title of Miss Michigan.

More cuts may be necessary for the Central Montcalm Public School as it strives to submit a balanced budget to the state in four weeks. In April, the board approved $1.5 million in cuts. In May, they made another $238,000 in cuts. At a special meeting Wednesday afternoon, board members learned an additional $500,000 to $600,000 in cuts may be necessary.

After placing as first runner-up two years in a row, Haylee Kimball wanted to try for Sheridan Springfest queen one more time, and talked her best friend Alexis Brown into competing too. The pair were both crowned in last night’s pageant. The duo vied for the top title while Gracey Vandenburg ran for princess and Dana Langin for junior princess.

Following a cut of $1.5 million from its budget last month, which included losing five teaching positions, the Central Montcalm Public School Board of Education voted Monday to cut one administrator and two more teachers for an additional $238,000 in savings. The board approved layoffs for Central Montcalm Upper Elementary second grade teacher Robin Garlock and Title I teacher Kristen Kohn.

Valedictorian Morghan Minnick stood before her 109 Central Montcalm classmates in a warm high school gym at Sunday afternoon commencement exercises and told them this day was not an ending but a beginning. The graduating seniors, wearing green and black gowns, were surrounded by family and friends who whooped and cheered proudly as the men and women crossed the stage and received their diplomas.

Caitlynn Bupp will begin her first year at Grand Valley State University this fall, but the Central Montcalm senior won’t be going as a freshman. When the 19-year-old graduates on Sunday afternoon, she will already have 26 college credits under her belt. Bupp — who served as her class president her freshman, sophomore and junior [...]

Five teachers, the assistant principal/athletic director, the curriculum director and others are losing their jobs as a result of nearly $1.5 million in budget cuts at Central Montcalm Public School. School Board President Doug Bowen, Vice President Bill Simpson, Secretary Roxanne Switzer and board member Mike Barnwell voted in favor of $1,491,148 in budget cuts. Board members Bill Collins, Todd Giles and Mark Grossbauer voted against the cuts.

The Central Montcalm Public School Board of Education unanimously approved a contract for a new superintendent. During Monday’s regular meeting, the board voted 7-0 to approve a two-year contract with an annual salary of $115,000 for Kristi Teall, who will start on July 1, following the retirement of the current superintendent, Jake Helms.