Several local elementary schools were named by the Michigan Department of Education this week as 2010-11 "Beating the Odds' schools.

"Because of the way we write the dates, 11/11/11 kind of jumps out at you,' said Paul Stephenson, chairman of the statistics department at Grand Valley State University. Right now, the fact that children are turning 11 on Nov. 11, 2011, is interesting - "but not remarkably shocking' when you are looking at the fifth-grade population, he said.

Northwest Ottawa County firefighters were kept busy Monday, responding to several "possible wildfire' calls in the late afternoon and evening.

Plantenga's Cleaners has begun its 13th annual coat drive. More than 6,000 individuals have been helped through the event over the past 12 years.