NOVI — The staff at Novi Meadows Elementary School, on Taft Road, south of 11 Mile Road, commemorated the construction of their very own building by autographing a beam Aug. 30 that will be used as part of the foundational structure above the office of the new school building.

METRO DETROIT — Large crowds flocked to Novi over the Labor Day weekend Sept. 1-5 for the Michigan State Fair.

NOVI — The city of Novi celebrated the end of summer with the first Novi Taco Fest and Fine Art Fair, which was held at Twelve Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk, 44425 W. 12 Mile Road, Aug. 26-28.

NOVI — The City Council voted 4-2 during its regular meeting Aug. 8 to approve a purchase agreement for lighting to be placed around the area of Nine Mile and Taft roads where a roundabout is under construction.

NOVI — The Novi City Council is considering naming Deputy Assessor Jan Ziozios as acting assessor and contracting with Oakland County for a short-term stopgap after the city’s former assessor, Micheal Lohmeier, left to take a new job with Oakland County.

NOVI — As summer is winding down, the city of Novi is gearing up for the Taco Fest and Fine Art Fair.

NOVI — The Suburban Collection Showplace is gearing up for the annual Michigan State Fair, which will take place Sept. 1-5.   

NOVI — A roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of Taft and Nine Mile roads beginning Aug. 13. The Novi City Council approved the construction agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation during its July 11 meeting.

NOVI — Local youth were able to learn leadership skills from various police officers and firefighters during the weeklong Police and Fire Youth Leadership Academy held at the Novi Police Department Training Center July 25-29.

NOVI — Chuck E. Cheese Novi recognized the variety of challenges that children who have autism encounter, including social interaction, so the newly renovated restaurant known for its Fun Centers gave children with autism and other developmental disabilities the opportunity to be “first to play” ahead of the establishment’s grand reopening celebration July 28.

NOVI — After nearly two years without a playground, children at Village Oaks Elementary School, 23333 Willowbrook Drive in Novi, will have a playground to use sometime this fall, according to an announcement from Novi Community School District Superintendent Ben Mainka.

NOVI — The Novi Community School District Board of Education approved a contract with Ben Mainka to serve as district superintendent during the board’s regular meeting July 14.

NOVI — An 11-year-old entrepreneur is working to rebuild his business after his mobile gaming bus was broken into at a Wixom storage facility in early June.

NOVI — Thousands of people attended the Festival of Chariots, an Indian spiritual and cultural festival also known as the Rathyatra, held in Novi July 17, according to event spokesman Madhu Mahadevan.

NOVI — After a lengthy interview process, the Novi Community School District Board of Education voted unanimously to select Benjamin Mainka as its next superintendent during a meeting June 30.