Kody Gard hasn’t been racing long, but he’s a race champion. Gard, of Greenville, won the purple plate novice division at Vestaburg Kart Speedway this season. He beat Carson Ron of Mount Pleasant by 847 points.

For the second consecutive year there is a healthy debate regarding the American League MVP race. For the second consecutive season the debate involves a Detroit Tiger. Last year, we debated whether a pitcher (Justin Verlander) was worthy of winning the honor, despite pitching every fifth game. In the end, voters realized just how valuable verlander was and voted him MVP.

It’s football season and now area kids will have another opportunity to show off their various skills. The NFL’s Punt, Pass and Kick (PPK) competition is coming to Greenville on Sunday. The event, open to area kids ages 6 to 15 will take place at Legacy Field at Greenville High School beginning at 2 p.m.

Well, I will be rooting for the Los Angeles Angels beginning tonight. The AL Central leading Chicago White Sox will play their next three games against the Angels.

The second annual Mercy Run will take place Saturday at Klackle’s Orchard and Pavilion. Last year’s Mercy Run was a tour around Greenville’s new Fred Meijer Flat River Trail and was an 8-mile run. This year the committee moved the run to accommodate weekend runners with with more popular distances of a 5K and 10K.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run will be held for the first time in Greenville on Thursday. The run began when Wichita, Kan., Police Chief Richard LaMunyon saw a need to increase awareness of Special Olympics in 1981, according to somi.org/x366.xml.

The Great Lakes Buckskin Association (GLBA) has an all-breed horse show set for 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday at the Montcalm County 4-H Fairgrounds.

The St. Louis Spirits are champions of the Gratiot County Baseball League. The end of season league playoffs took place this past weekend with the semifinals on Saturday and the championship game on Sunday.

There were tents, grills, food, music and more. That was just before the game. Fans from both Greenville and Belding arrived early and were ready for the annual rivalry between the two longtime rivals, with the buzz as big as a college football game.

Here are three healthy lunch tips suggested for parents who are looking for fresh – economical ideas for children who bring their own lunch to school.