Loud bangs and the smell of sulfur filled the air in Carson City-Crystal Elementary School on Wednesday night, May 15, during a police training exercise. Kolton Kavanagh, 16, and Karagan Kavanagh, 14, were both student volunteers helping out Carson City Police Chief Bruce Partridge during active shooter scenarios. “I don’t think anyone can prepare for a real school shooter,” Kolton Kavanagh said. “But seeing the police train for what could happen is good thing for us.”

Community policing in Carson City has been a win-win since the very first day. A collaboration between the city of Carson City, the police department and Carson Health has been a substantial safety and security benefit for patients, hospital staff and the small mid-Michigan community.

For 10 seconds, Cliff Fry thought about calling it quits. On vacation in Florida on Feb. 20, Fry sat heavy in his chair as he watched live security camera video of his golf cart repair business burning to the ground. A fire that started in the back of the facility at 5575 S. Mt. Hope Road, likely from a golf cart battery explosion, consumed the storage facility that Fry and his employees operated out of.

When William Fleisher pulled into his driveway in his white pickup truck, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

The Mount Pleasant Midget Hockey team is the 2012-2013 ADRAY State Champions.

Historically speaking, there’s some doubt as to whether St. Patrick really drove the snakes from Ireland, or whether that’s simply a myth, bound inextricably to his conversion to Christianity of several pagan sects whose worship had previously included images of snakes. There have even been some latter-day theologians who have questioned the very legitimacy of Patrick’s sainthood itself. If that’s your opinion, it’s one you were probably inclined to keep to yourself on St. Patrick’s Day in Hubbardston. They take St. Patrick’s Day seriously at Shiel’s Tavern, reputed to be Michigan’s oldest pub.

A private golf cart business received a blow to its business Wednesday after a fire destroyed dozens of the owners’ golf carts stored in a pole barn. Eddie Avey was working Wednesday morning in the pole barn of Fry’s Golf Carts LLC, owned by Cliff and Bonnie Fry, at 5575 S. Mt. Hope road, when he heard a loud bangfrom the rear of the 60-by-100-foot building.

Road crews in Montcalm County have been working diligently last night and again early this morning, plowing and salting roads in attempt to open them up after heavy snow landed overnight throughout the area.

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 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.