Local school officials said they are pleased with how their schools rated, despite higher expectations causing more schools not to make Adequate Yearly Progress in 2011. The report, released Monday, said 79 percent of Michigan's public school buildings and 93 percent of the school districts made AYP for the 2010-11 school year. This is down from 86 percent of the schools and 95 percent of the districts making AYP the previous year.

In order to highlight job creation efforts by entrepreneurs in Michigan's 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga will conduct a tour of small West Michigan businesses to talk to the people that created them. "As we continue to work in the (U.S.) House to give job creators an atmosphere of growth and economic certainty, I want to hear from businesses in West Michigan who are starting or growing a business what they need - or do not need - from government,' the Zeeland Republican said Monday.

The Grand Haven Tribune is looking for people directly impacted by the terrorist strikes of Sept. 11, 2001, for stories to run prior to the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

Tougher standards have left more Michigan schools failing to meet requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law. Michigan education officials said today that 21 percent of the state's public school buildings failed to make adequate yearly progress as defined by the law in the 2010-11 academic year. That's up from about 14 percent in the previous academic year. The decline in the number of schools meeting standards comes even though state test scores have been on the rise. Higher proficiency targets are now required under the federal law.

Two Muskegon teens are in trouble with the law after they were observed brandishing an Airsoft gun at 5 p.m. Thursday near Beacon Boulevard and Taylor Avenue in Grand Haven.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will host a musical recital and visual art display on Thursday evening. The church is at the corner of Quincy Street and 112th Avenue in Holland Township. The doors will open at 6 p.m. for the display, followed by a musical performance at 7 p.m. The vocal stylings will include straight opera (Puccini to Gershwin), musical theater and 1930s swing music. The artist mediums represented will include paintings, photography, sculpture, quilting and cross stitch. The event is free and open to the public.

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma returned to his hometown of Grand Haven last week to vacation and run his annual youth hockey camp in Grand Rapids. On Friday, he enjoyed a morning of charter fishing aboard the boat "Reel Pursuit,' captained by Ken and Jason Steigenga. Joining Bylsma on board was Grand Haven's Jay Brace, who submitted the winning bid at the Grand Haven Christian School auction last spring for the opportunity to enjoy a morning out on the water with the reigning National Hockey League Coach of the Year.