Kenneth Alan Hemming, 74, of Alpena, passed away Monday, May 5, 2025, at his home after an extended illness.

Kenneth was born to the late Gunnar and Florence (Chiconsky) Hemming on Aug. 29, 1950, in Dearborn. He was married to Dianne (LeFave) Hemming for 18 years. She survives him as well as his three children, Ryan Hemming, Mary-Ellen Hemming, Heather Hemming and their families; two stepsons, Devin (Summer) Hartman, Cole (Sara McLeskey) Hartman; special lifelong friendships with Timothy Cole, Jeff Still and Jeff Holt.

Ken was deeply devoted to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and prayed the rosary daily for many years. He was a member of All Saints Catholic Church of Alpena where he found many good friends in Christ. He deeply appreciated their prayers and loving thoughts which helped to carry him through his illness.

Ken loved sports, especially Detroit Tiger baseball. He collected sports memorabilia and was an umpire for local baseball and softball leagues in Sault Ste. Marie, MI where he lived for 30-plus years.

Ken graduated from Walled Lake High School in 1968 as the Salutatorian. He went on to graduate from Michigan State University and attended law school at the University of Michigan.

He spent much of his career specializing in grants and contracts with Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians and the Lake Superior State University from where he retired in 2017. He also served as the Board Director, Vice President and President of Sault Area Public Schools during his tenure on the Board.

Ken was preceded in death by his brother, Donald Hemming and sister, Linda Hemming.

Visitation will take place at St. Anne Church of All Saints Parish on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of the Mass of Christian Burial at noon with the Rev. Emmanuel Finbar officiating. Arrangements are being handled by the Bannan Funeral Home.

Interment: Holy Cross Cemetery

Memorials: Hospice of Michigan or any local youth sports program

by Linda Hubbard on May 7, 2025

Menlo-Atherton High School principal Karl Losekoot sent this message to the community and staff earlier this afternoon.

“I am sorry, once again, to have to share some heartbreaking news. This morning, Dylan Taylor, an M-A athletic coach and member of the Menlo Park community, was riding his bike to work on Middlefield Rroad and was struck by a vehicle. Coach Taylor sustained life threatening injuries and did not survive.   Coach Taylor grew up in the community, worked as a paraeducator in local middle schools, and has been an athletic coach for youth in the community for several years. His tragic loss will be felt by many.

“This year, Coach Taylor was one of our freshmen football coaches, and he has also coached youth basketball and track and field in our local middle schools, La Entrada and Hillview.  Several of our younger students may know Coach Taylor or may have been coached by him, and some of our older students have worked with Coach Taylor as fellow coaches.

“Tomorrow, M-A will have additional counselors on hand to support students and staff.  We will also be reaching out to students on the football team as well as reaching out to students who we know were coached by Mr. Taylor in middle school to see if they would like support.  If you do not wish your child to be contacted, please email Shionda Nickerson at tnickerson@seq.org.  You can also email Ms. Nickerson if you would like to talk about your child’s specific situation related to this news.

“We are aware that M-A students and staff have experienced a lot of tragedy this year, and this news can compound feelings of grief or cause old feelings of grief to resurface.  Our social emotional team from M-A, from the Sequoia Union High School District, and from the community are here to support in any way we can.  Please remind your students that they can access support by walking into PAWS, contacting their school counselor, or completing this online request for social emotional help: Request for Social Emotional Support.  Several resources can also be found in English and Spanish on our website: Wellness resources

“Additionally, Menlo Park City Schools shared these resources to help families navigate conversations about loss.  I found them helpful and am re-sharing them here.

“Our thoughts are with Coach Taylor’s family and friends as well as with all of the students he has worked with here at M-A and in the community.”

A spokesperson for the Atherton Police Department said it would be issuing a press release on Thursday, May 8, concerning the accident.

Webster City Middle School fifth-grader Brendan English tries on safety wear for working with chemicals

More than 450 area youth recently attended the annual Environmental Agriculture Days at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. The event was presented by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach through a collaboration between three area counties: Hamilton, Humboldt and Webster.

Over the course of three days, fifth-grade students from seven local schools participated in a variety of educational sessions.

This year’s sessions included touring the Iowa Corn trailer, learning about chemical safety with New Co-op, walking through the farm-to-table food cycle, meeting piglets, lambs, a calf, and a pony from Webster City FFA, experimenting with agricultural technology, interacting with Hamilton County Conservation through its educational water table, practicing mock-crop scouting, engaging in a healthy living activity, learning about pollinators, and participating in activities led by the Iowa Pork Queen Amanda Ostrem.

This year — 2025 — is year 29 of Environmental Agriculture Days, with more than 10,000 students having attended over this time.

“I remember attending Ag Days as a fifth-grade student at Webster City Middle School almost 15 years ago. This event creates an impact on youth, and it gives us an opportunity to reach those students who traditionally would not receive education on these important topics,” Katie Brandt, Hamilton County youth coordinator, said.

“Data tells us that one in five Iowans have jobs in agriculture. We are leading producers of major agricultural products, such as corn, eggs and pigs. Our goal is to play a part in educating youth so they can make more quality, informed choices — and maybe even choose a career in agriculture.”

From left, Addy Schaa, Pippa Herrick, Bailey Miller, Mia Stuck and Alice Phipps, South Hamilton fifth-graders, participate in a crop scouting activity.

AMES, Iowa (KWWL) – An Iowa native and current video production specialist for Iowa State University was killed in a head-on crash in Kansas on Sunday.

“We are devastated by the tragic passing of Alex Ernst,” ISU Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard said. “For nearly 20 years behind the scenes, first as a student and then as a full-time employee, Alex was an unsung hero who played an important role our department’s success through his outstanding work in video operations.”

The crash happened Sunday south of Kansas City, Kansas. According to a report from the highway patrol, Ernst was headed north along a rural highway when a driver in the opposite lane entered oncoming traffic. The driver had been attempting to pass a slower vehicle at the time of the collision. Both vehicles involved caught fire.

Ernst along with his three passengers, all from Missouri, were killed. They range in age from 33 to 76 years old.

Five people connected to a youth sports team were in the other vehicle. Four of them, including two high schoolers and two coaches, were killed. A fifteen-year-old boy was hospitalized for his injuries. They were all part of a group with an Amateur Athletic Union, or AAU, youth basketball team from Tulsa, according to a state representative from Oklahoma.

University officials at Iowa State say Ernst graduated from the school in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in education before returning to campus to earn his master’s degree in 2014.

“We are heartbroken by this news,” Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell said. “Alex was an important and valued member of our football family and had a special relationship with so many in our program. He was exceptional at his job and took great pride in what he did. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this tragedy.”

The 2024-25 school year is nearing its end. High schools throughout our region are preparing for graduation and this month will see all of our local colleges and universities send thousands of young men and women into the workforce.

As we look back at the school year, it’s amazing to ponder all the excellent work our local students accomplish. From state championship athletic teams to academic achievers to exceptional musical talent to nationally acclaimed speech and debate programs, it’s true our local youth are set to do many wonderful things in the future.

We’ve been proud to chronicle those achievements in the pages of our newspaper and on our website over the past eight months. In considering where we’ve been this year, it’s amazing to think of the talent on display

Consider some of the happenings in recent weeks:

∫ Students at Wheeling Park High School put on the annual Park spring musical, a three-day event that showcased incredible vocal and acting talent;

∫ Wheeling Park High School speech team senior Kelsey Holeczy recently finished sixth at a national competition;

∫ Students (and faculty) at The Linsly School put on the annual Linsly Extravaganza, a wonderful year-end performance at the Capitol Theatre.

∫ Students at Sherrard Middle School finished first and second at this year’s West Virginia History Bowl. Sherrard’s Team 2 — Brady Barnhart, Drew Marling, Abby Allman, and Griffin Sturgill — topped Team 1 — Kabe Blake, Colsen McCutcheon, Izzie Dougherty and Chloe Weekley — in the finals.

∫ Wheeling Central Catholic High School senior Luke Tiu was named one of five Foundation Scholars at West Virginia University, the university’s most prestigious award for incoming freshmen;

∫ On the college front, six local students were named Outstanding seniors at West Virginia University: Natalie Keim, Glen Dale; Madalena Daugherty, Weirton; Lauren Marquart, Triadelphia; Madison Morgan, Wheeling; John Pino, Weirton; and Ella Dietz, Weirton.

There are so many others to note — music and choir students who today week will be performing at Wheeling Park’s Festival of Spring; our spring sports teams that are preparing for state tournament runs; youngsters who are getting ready to graduate high school with a skill in hand to enter the workforce.

It’s become easy for society to look at this generation of youth and think they’re not ready for what’s to come. We disagree. Many of our youth are ready to tackle the future and make their mark.

That’s surely worth celebrating.

Unrivaled Sports, an emerging leader in the youth sports sector through its roll-up strategy of sports operators and facilities, has successfully completed a substantial USD$120 million (AUD$185 million) funding round led by Dick’s Sporting Goods.

This investment round also saw continued support from founding investor The Chernin Group, alongside new contributions from Dynasty Equity, LionTree, and Miller Sports & Entertainment.

Commenting on the funds raised, chairman and CEO of Unrivaled Sports and a former Nike executive, Andy Campion, said: “The mission of Dick’s, from its inception, has been to positively impact children’s lives through sports.”

“Our aim in bringing them on board was focused on that shared vision,” Campion said.

This recent investment was finalised just over a year after the company’s establishment in March 2024, with backing from majority owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris.

The involvement of the Miller family was hinted at last month, following its acquisition of Real Salt Lake from Blitzer.

In making that announcement, Miller Sports & Entertainment expressed commitment to enhancing Utah’s youth sports infrastructure in partnership with Unrivaled.

In its inaugural year, Unrivaled has curated a diverse portfolio including Ripken Baseball, Cooperstown All Star Village, Under the Lights Flag Football, and Rocker B Ranch, with a reach spanning 30 states and serving over 600,000 young athletes annually.

Currently, Unrivaled has concentrated on establishing a dominant presence in baseball/softball and flag football, the latter experiencing a 30% increase in participation year-over-year.

Campion sees expansion opportunities within these strong segments, particularly highlighting the upcoming hosting of the first high school girls’ national championship in flag football this summer.

Don’t miss out on the latest in sports business – Subscribe today to the free Ministry of Sport newsletter and stay ahead of the game. For even more exclusive insights, event tickets, professional development and networking events, become a MoS Member today!