March 21, 2015 • Vol. 136 No. 12 514 S. Kalamazoo Ave. in Marshall, MI • Phone 269-781-5444 and FAX 269-781-7766 • www.advisor-chronicle.com
In The News: KCC’s Dennis Bona accepts position in Minnesota Dennis Bona, president of Kellogg Community College, announced on March 18 he had accepted a college presidency in Minnesota and looks forward to a new and exciting opportunity after a 34-year career at KCC. Bona, president of KCC since 2010, will retire from the college as of June 30 and assume the duties of president of Northland Community and Technical College in East Grand Forks, Minn., effective July 1. See story on page 11 Consolidation pays off: Calhoun County 911 Dispatch Authority celebrates five years On March 25, the Calhoun County 911 Consolidation Dispatch Authority will mark five years of having an operational consolidated 911 center. “We’ve said it since day one, this is how collaboration and consolidation can work and benefit the residents and entities of a single county,” said Executive Director Jeff Troyer. “I would stay true to that to this date. We’ve been able to save money, create efficiencies, and I think we provide an equal or better service than what was provided before.” Since the collaboration, there has been an estimated dispatch savings of approximately $100,000 a year. See story on page 13 City supports plans for Cronin Building with grant application On March 16, the Marshall City Council held a public hearing to submit Blight and Rental Rehabilitation Grants for the J.H. Cronin Building at 101 W. Michigan Ave. The grants from the Michigan Housing Development Authority, in the amount of $280,000, and Michigan Economic Development Corporation, in the amount of $361,000, would assist Cronin Building Development, LLC. See story on page 12 Homer selects Robert Wright as next superintendent The Homer School Board of Education voted unanimously on March 12 to extend an offer to current Onsted High School Principal Robert Wright to serve as the district’s new superintendent. The board’s action took place after the completion of second round interviews. “Robert is a great fit for the candidate profile we developed and he made an excellent impression on everyone who met with him during the process,” said Homer Board President Gary Tompkins. “He’s also a great fit for our community. We felt we had two outstanding finalists, but Robert was definitely the best fit. We all look forward to working with him to move our district forward.” See story on page 10
he 2015 St. Paddy’s Day Dance Party will be held March 28 at the Marshall Country Club to raise money for the Calhoun County East Relay for Life’s support of the American Cancer Society. With the help of dozens of volunteers, sponsors and donors, Jim Pardoe and his staff of Standard Printing are guiding the event again this year, hoping to meet or exceed last year’s event total of $14,000. Pictured with Pardoe are committee members Kathy Miller, left, and Theresa ChaneyHuggett. See story on page 2
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