The seventh annual Make a Difference Awards was held Wednesday to recognize those who have gone above and beyond in helping students with special needs. About 100 people were in attendance at the Greenville High School Performing Arts Center to show their support for those who were nominated and honored for going beyond what the job description states.

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 parade in Lakeview was held on Friday afternoon to commemorate the dramatic increase in ACT scores at the school over the course of the past few years.

Lakeside Park is about to receive $200,000 worth of improvements thanks to a private donation and a contribution from the Lakeview Downtown Development Authority. Lakeside Park, located on the banks of the Tamarack Lake, will see a host of proposed improvements, including a new fishing and boat pier, parking enhancements and a professional amphitheater to host the annual Music in the Park series. There will also be upgrades to park lighting and walkways so that the entire park will be handicap accessible, including the new pier.

Lakeview Community Schools Superintendent Kyle Hamlin will act as negotiator for the district with the architectural firm and contractors chosen to work on upcoming school improvement projects. At Monday evening’s school board meeting, board members voted to give Hamlin the power to act on the school system’s behalf, provided the architectural firm’s bids come in at 5.95 percent or less of the projects’ total budget. The improvements are the result of a narrowly passed millage increase approved by voters in February. That millage allows Lakeview Community Schools to borrow up to $12.25 million against the bond.

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

If she had been born 20 years earlier, Alexis Justice’s life, at age 7 would be nearly half over. As it is, the charming Lakeview Elementary School second-grader, who wants to grow up to be the next Taylor Swift, may live long enough to celebrate her 35th birthday, maybe her 40th.

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.

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.