The process of appraising properties involved in a federal lawsuit over the Fred Meijer River Valley Trail is under way. The U.S. Department of Justice Natural Resources Section and Missouri attorney Mark “Thor” Hearne, who is representing landowners along the trail, agreed to a schedule Wednesday for appointing an appraiser.

A robber swiped a handful of valuables from Huch’s Fine Jewelry in downtown Greenville this afternoon. The suspect entered the store at 212 S. Lafayette St. and asked to look at some items around 1:10 p.m. He then distracted the employees and grabbed an undisclosed amount of jewelry before fleeing out the back door. Police believe the suspect did not have a weapon.

A Michigan State Police (MSP) Lakeview Post trooper has been arrested for allegedly hitting two pedestrians with his car near Ionia, killing one. Trooper Daniel Parker was arraigned Tuesday in 64A District Court on misdemeanor charges of committing a traffic violation causing death and committing a traffic violation causing impairment. He is free on $10,000 bond.

Fred Meijer kept his trademark wit and vigor until the end. Friends are remembering the Meijer Inc. chairman emeritus for the humble, pleasant presence he brought to any gathering and the many ways he helped West Michigan — especially Greenville.

A Belding man won’t get a new trial after a wild night of crime in 2009 involving a head-on accident and sexual assault. The Michigan Court of Appeals issued a ruling last week that upholds the conviction against Chester Raymond Bodman.

A Crystal businessman is alleging Crystal Township has been blocking his plans for years to develop a campground so the government can use his land to expand a park. Gerrit Bakker of Lakeside Resort filed a lawsuit in 8th Judicial Circuit Court in Stanton on Nov. 1 seeking more than $150,000 in damages and the right to develop the Sunset Beach Campground on North Shore Drive on the east shore of Crystal Lake.

A bank robbery in downtown Greenville on Wednesday morning had ripples across the area, especially in schools. All Greenville Public Schools buildings went into a “code yellow” lockdown situation minutes after the robbery was reported at 10:35 a.m. About a half-hour later, the Greenville Department of Public Safety advised school officials to upgrade to a “code red” lockdown about a half hour after the robbery.

One of the most well-known names in books is taking over Montcalm Community College’s on-campus bookstore. The store will become a Barnes & Noble beginning Dec. 1 under a five-year agreement the college’s Board of Trustees approved on Tuesday evening.

United Solar Ovonic’s parent company delayed its quarterly results conference call planned for today as it seeks further cost cutting and a debt restructuring plan to stay alive. Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (ECD) was planning to reveal its financial performance from the July 1-Sept. 30 fiscal quarter on Wednesday. Company officials called that off late Tuesday in a press release that revealed more troubling news for the struggling solar panel manufacturer with a pair of plants in Greenville, including 500 more job cuts.

The 65-year environmental cleanup at the former Crystal Refinery in Carson City will enter a new phase next month. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) plans to test some new technology by drilling new monitoring wells in the Carson City Cemetery, located next to the former refinery. The agency has hired a consultant to solicit bids for installing four to six wells in the cemetery and pumping out oil, contaminated groundwater and vapors to see what works best.