The list of local cities that have adopted and installed rail to trail projects within their communities continues to grow. Alma, Edmore, Greenville, Ionia, McBride, Owosso, Sidney, Stanton and St. Johns have all reaped the benefits of paved recreational paths, all part of one 125-mile stretch, the fifth longest of its kind in the nation.

The search for the next Belding city manager has been narrowed down to two candidates after a lengthy interview process Saturday at the Pere Marquette Depot in Belding. Members of Belding City Council interviewed five candidates for the position during an eight and a half hour meeting that began at 8:30 a.m and concluded at 5 p.m.

More than three months ago, the wheels were set into motion on the demolition of the Belding Clock Tower and surrounding silk mill and Gibson Buildings. Now, physical evidence of the demolition process is beginning to emerge as city officials in Belding have been notified that buildings will begin coming down starting the week of March 11.

After a thorough reevaluation, members of the Belding Area Schools Board of Education reversed a decision from more than a year ago that will now keep the district’s administration building on Orchard Street open and in use. At Monday night’s school board meeting, a unanimous vote changed a decision from November 2011 that was originally in favor of closing the facility.

There’s no denying a desire for more sidewalks throughout the city of Belding. Providing ample pathways for foot traffic throughout the city limits is a dream that many residents have wished to come true for years. But at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, an issue focusing on the addition of sidewalks in the industrial zoned areas of the city drew critical response from business owners and citizens as members of City Council rejected an ordinance amendment that would have allowed the Belding Planning Commission to declare the installment of certain sidewalks as “unreasonable.”

A fire that burned through a power line pole, snapping the top of the pole and leaving live wires hanging over a propane tank and several buildings at Double R Ranch, caused a small fire at a home on Whites Bridge Road Thursday evening, leaving smoke and water damage throughout the home.

From a distance, the nuts, bolts, gears, wires, batteries, sweat and tears that go into building a robot at the high school level are hard to measure or place in the proper perspective when the mechanical machine is sitting lifeless on a classroom desk within Belding High School. But with the flip of a switch Saturday, eight students put all of those components and months of effort to work, bringing their robots to life as they raced, battled and bruised their way through the first robotics competition to be held at Belding High School in the Redskin Arena gymnasium.

The Belding High School robotics teams have been competing at a very high level this year, taking first place in several competitions and tournaments throughout the state. But on Saturday, the seven students who make up the varsity and junior varsity teams will have a chance to showcase their skills in front of a home crowd for a change as Belding High School hosts its first Vex Robotics League competition in the new school gymnasium.

Shivering in the freezing, crisp morning air, with a blanket wrapped tightly around his body and wearing a bright green hat, the one item he was able to recover from his home, Scotty Foote closed his eyes and listened as gun shells continued to pop and echo throughout the surrounding woods as the fire that had just destroyed his home burned away at the last remaining ammunition shells from his room closet.

In celebration of the freedom to have choice in choosing a school for a child’s education, students and faculty at Threshold Academy in Orleans celebrated National School Choice Week Thursday.