Nearly 200 Special Olympians from Montcalm and Ionia counties didn’t let a little wet weather rain on their parade at Friday’s Area 6 Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) Summer Games at Montabella Junior/Senior High School. Activities were moved inside and modified — four square replaced the softball throw, shuffle board replaced bocce ball and plastic horseshoes replaced metal ones.

Spring is a busy time for Lakeview’s Brian and Sheri Taylor, who own and operate three businesses that all revolve around farming.

Joann Camp had a vision when she purchased a vacant 1860s hardware building in downtown Blanchard in spring 1986. This vision — today’s Loafers Glory — has thrived for nearly 27 years as an indoor village of quaint shops and a bakery, restaurant and old-fashioned ice cream parlor.

Not long ago, Luverne Dickinson Adamson, 59, of Vestaburg, began her day with a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, toast with butter and coffee with creamer and artificial sweetener. She enjoyed traditional American foods — cheeseburgers, fries, coney dogs with all the fixings, and onion rings — and frequently ate out on weekends. Dinner often included salad soaked in creamy ranch dressing, steak or a chicken fillet, a hot vegetable and a baked potato smothered in butter and sour cream.

Nearly 50 concerned parents of Montabella Community Schools students attended a public forum at the school Thursday to address concerns about the district’s newly implemented schoolwide standards-based grading policy. “I’m actually pleased to know parents have questions about the policy,” said Superintendent Shelly Millis in her opening statement. “That means they’re concerned about their kids and what’s going on at school.”

It’s been five months since the Endeavor Youth and Community Development Center in Edmore had its grand opening after signing a one-year lease April 1 with Montabella Community Schools. The one-year lease on the gymnasium housed in Montabella’s Central Office facility is a probationary venture.

Grading for Learning, a new grading policy using standards-based grading, was implemented at Montabella Community Schools this year. According to Junior/Senior High Principal Shane Riley, many schools across the state and country are looking at standards-based grading to better prepare students for state and national tests and, ultimately, their futures. Grading for Learning has three areas of learning: practice, formative assessment and summative assessment. Each teacher determines appropriate assignment classification, including which ones will be graded.

Cowgirls and cowboys of all ages in Western shirts, boots and belt buckles as big as the Edmore water tower showcased their rodeo skills at the Super Kicker Rodeo at this weekend’s annual Potato Festival. Presented by main title sponsor Randall’s Old Mill, the rodeo stands were filled to capacity at Webb Field, formerly Montabella Community School’s football field.

After a 10-year battle with leukemia with several bouts of chemotherapy, experimental drugs and a bone marrow transplant, Deanna “Dee” Moore of Edmore lost the fight on Feb. 8, 2011.

Montabella Community Schools is bidding farewell to longtime Superintendent Ron Farrell as two new faces fill administrative vacancies. Shelly Millis is leaving her position as Montabella Elementary School principal to assume the superintendent vacancy, while Brad Reyburn is taking over as elementary principal.