Free Soil News

Seven fire departments battled back flames Wednesday night at the Manistee National Golf and Resort clubhouse near the corner of U.S. 31 and Countyline Road.

Firefighters from Fountain and Free Soil were called to a structure fire on North Custer Road about 4:40 p.m. Thursday.

Firefighters in northern Mason and southern Manistee counties spent the day battling a house fire at 458 E. Hoague Road Sunday.

A 9-year-old boy sat with eyes red from crying as firefighters from Fountain and Free Soil finished extinguishing the fire he started at his grandmother's home at 6610 N. Custer Road.

The Gold Bar VFW and Auxiliary Post 5096 of Custer continued their annual tradition of honoring fallen comrades by performing five Memorial Day ceremonies Monday.

The Mason County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday not to take on the task of creating a county-wide ORV ordinance - even though the majority of townships and municipalities in the county would like them to.

A 38-year-old Free Soil man, who led police on a high speed chase within Ludington's city limits early this morning, is being transferred to a Grand Rapids hospital for injuries sustained while crashing his vehicle.

Area voters will cast ballots for local school board members during today's annual school election.

Free Soil testing, garden art for sale and 5 free daylilies will highlight this year's annual fund raiser plant sale to support Leila Arboretum Society.

Gravel roads in the township will be given a mineral well brine solution instead of the usual calcium chloride solution to help control the dust.

Many people gathered Saturday to say thank you and welcome home to local soldiers who are back from the war in Iraq.

About a hundred people attended the public comment portion of Tuesday's meeting of the Mason County Board of Commissioners to show their support for the county creating an off-road vehicle ordinance.

Firefighters in Mason County kept a fire in a motel's ceiling from spreading and destroying the building early Sunday morning.

The first six winners have been drawn in the Ludington Daily News Readers Survey contest.

Mason County's rural firefighters will continue to earn some wage for their work, but who will pay it - and will training be included - is being questioned.

These counties could see another 4-9" tonight with localized heavier amounts. A Winter Weather Advisory/Lake Effect Snow Advisory is in effect for Antrim, Kalkaska, Missaukee, Oceana and Mason County.

Girls on the Run is back. The program - to encourage healthy living among third-, fourth- and fifth-grade girls - will return to Mason County this spring thanks to Jamie Healy, who will coordinate it again ...

's proposed $59-per-student funding cut for Michigan's K-12 schools is expected to hurt local school districts that are already spending savings to stay open this year.

Things are tough these days. Businesses are down to skeleton crews, and employees are thankful just to have their jobs.

Winter 2008-09 is only about two weeks old and several local school districts have already used up the five snow days allotted by the state.