Two counties are coming together to develop a student-focused system called Hair on Fire. School districts in Montcalm and Ionia counties are working on the program that focuses on the needs of students.

A Blanchard resident who does not usually play the lottery was Wednesday’s $1 million Powerball winner. Kristen Martin claimed her $1 million lottery winnings Friday after realizing she had the winning ticket.

Employees at a gas station in Blanchard are celebrating after discovering they sold a $1 million Powerball ticket Thursday — the only ticket to match five numbers. Employees at Goldsworthy’s Inc. (Marathon station three), located at 6993 W. Blanchard Road, are full of excitement as they wait to see who the winning ticket belongs to.

Retirements in the Montcalm County Clerk’s Office and Sheriff’s Office are likely leading to promotions and new hires.

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.

Todd Wells of Stanton makes a living as a local disc jockey, playing music at numerous parties and weddings throughout the year. One might wonder then, why his favorite gig year after year is one where he blasts his music at full volume for an audience of students who can’t hear a single note or lyric. Enter Friday’s annual Deaf Pride Games at Montcalm Community College, where Wells set up his equipment and cranked the volume to levels that shook the college.

Really? Earn a tuition-free college degree while in high school? This tagline has been used in advertisements for the new Early College at Montcalm Community College that have been sent around the county, but what is an early college? This unique educational program is designed to fully immerse high school-aged students into the post-secondary learning environment. The institution expects high achievement and realistic planning from all students. It is designed so that students cannot finish the program without completing the coursework of their Educational Development Plan.

Heavier than average rainfall probably won’t have too great an influence on most crops grown in the area, according to Montcalm County Extension Field Crops Educator Fred Springborn, though it is likely to be responsible for some crops getting in the ground later than they would during a warmer, drier spring.

Drug Free Montcalm has seen an increase in success during yearly tobacco checks throughout the county. During the month of April, 71 stores that sell tobacco in Montcalm County received compliance check to determine if the store would sell tobacco to minors.

A Vestaburg home was saved after a fire spread from a nonattached garage on the property on Saturday afternoon. Richland Township Fire Chief Calvin Callison said the department was dispatched at 4:27 p.m. to a report of a garage on fire on North Douglas Road.