High school today is not what it was yesterday. As a public institution of higher learning, with teenagers shuffling from class to class on an hourly basis, the culture and world inside the doors of what many refer to as the “best four years of your life,” is an ever-changing whirlwind of new experiences found each and every day. But that culture, filled with children who are learning to become adults, is not always a favorable one, and students, faculty and administration at high schools throughout Montcalm County are ready to make a change.

More than 70 people attended a standing-room-only community forum on Monday night to hear about the future of Palo Community Schools. Bob Kjolhede, the superintendent of Palo and the Ionia County Intermediate School District (ICISD), opened the meeting on a somber note.

Scott Brauher, with his arms weighing heavy on the side of his green Ford pickup truck, stood in disbelief Tuesday afternoon watching helplessly as firefighters continued to extinguish the blaze that had just consumed and destroyed his Vestaburg area home.

Zooming across the white, powdery desert of snow upon Crystal Lake, Ben Clevenger was having the time of his life. The Stanton resident, sitting atop his classic 1972 Snow Pony vintage snowmobile, was one of dozens of snowmobilers who brought their sleds to Crystal Lake Saturday during the Crystal Lake Winter Festival, speeding on the frozen tundra with nothing but miles of fresh snow and solid ice to enjoy as a driving surface.

The first baby to be born at Carson Health made a grand entrance at 10:18 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2. Bernard and Kristin Lacy of Sheridan are the parents of a boy, Gunnar Michael, who weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces at birth.

The Crystal Township Board held a special meeting Wednesday night to discuss construction for a proposed addition to the fire barn. Fire Chief Lonny Fitzpatrick and Assistant Fire Chief Scott Brundage discussed the plans they had in mind for the addition.

The cause of a summer fire that killed nine horses and destroyed parts of a Carson City-area farm remains unknown. Michael and Sue Thome learned their barn was on fire when a passing motorist stopped and pounded on their door to alert them. The Crystal Township Fire Department responded to the fire around 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10, at Winterspring Dressage at 5260 S. Mount Hope Road.

The Ionia Conservation District would like to congratulate Richard and Beverly Divelbiss of R&B Farm in Hubbardston, on receiving verification under the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) for livestock practices.

Carson City Public Library will come alive with the Christmas spirit with this special performance of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” The free presentation will take place 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the library, located at 102 W. Main St. in downtown Carson City.

A check for $4,100 was recently presented to the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund as a result of the Salute Our Soldiers varsity football game on Sept. 14 between Carson City-Crystal and Vestaburg.