A Lakeview barn fire’s origin remains unknown more than three weeks after the blaze. A century-old barn burned to the ground the night of Nov. 22 behind the home of Robert and Ayla Noah at 9648 N. Satterlee Road just north of M-46.

The parent company of United Solar Ovonic has announced that it will skip a loan payment while negotiations with lenders continue.
Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (ECD) was supposed to pay interest charges on Thursday but will defer, taking advantage of a 30-day grace period allowed in the loan.

“Sticks and stones will break your bones, and names WILL hurt you,” said Ron Glodoski, a national expert on bullying, resiliency, and drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse. “How many people in this room have ever teased another kid or been teased by another kid?” Glodoski asked the Teen Summit audience at Montabella Junior/Senior High School on Dec. 14.

Tyler James was honored as a junior last year for his play on the offensive line of Central Montcalm’s football team. This season he tripled his accolades, getting a Division 5-6 first-team all-state selection from the Detroit Free Press and being named honorable mention in Division 5-6 by the Associated Press and the Detroit News.

The Central Michigan University women’s basketball team started the season slowly, losing its first four games. Since, the Chippewas have won four of their last five including wins over Purdue on Sunday and Ole Miss on Wednesday. Belding graduate Taylor Johnson, a sophomore, posted her first double-double of the season in the win over Ole Miss. She scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench.

A fixture of the Greenville community for more than 60 years, Hansen’s Music House will be closing its doors for the final time in June. Owner Bob Hansen said the store will begin hosting a “going out of business” sale in January to help sell off the store’s inventory. “We are going to close the store in six months,” Hansen said. “We’ll start a closing sale the first of next year and be finished in June.”

Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, was distribution day for 18 area food pantries. The Montcalm Challenge Food Drive gave away the 23,864 food items collected during this fall’s drive, which also raised nearly $25,000.

Montcalm Community College’s (MCC) nursing program is getting a major overhaul heading into the 2012 spring semester. MCC has reworked the curriculum in the nursing program to help both the students and the program itself to be more efficient with a better chance of job placement in today’s market.

The holidays are a special time of year for most of us. We enjoy time with our families next to the warm glow of a fireplace and a finely decorated Christmas tree with a blanket of gifts underneath. Children excitedly look forward to Christmas morning, when they can tear off the wrapping paper and play with their new toys at long last.

Sheridan Community Hospital (SCH) has many people to thank regarding its year-end Silent Auction fundraiser. But first, here’s how the event played out.