Many school districts have closed Thursday, Jan. 23, as snowfall continues - particularly along the lakeshore - in a weeklong winter storm.

A chain reaction crash developed Tuesday morning in white-out conditions along Interstate 94 in West Michigan.

“In cold temperatures like this, when the firefighters stop and they have sweat underneath, once they lose the protection of that vapor barrier --they never get it back,” Fire Lieutenant Jason Hendrick with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said.

Below are News Channel 3's top, local stories from this past week. West Michigan couple sentenced to federal prison for $3 million fraud scheme Two West Michigan people have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in defrauding nearly 40 victims of over $3 million in a fraud and identity theft scheme.

A former West Ottawa wide receiver, Bosma was named first team all-state in Division 1-2 by the Associated Press for his senior season, a year in which he broke the school record for receptions in a season with 80, as he finished with 956 yards and eight touchdowns

Western Michigan University will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22, due to ongoing sub-zero winter temperatures. WMU was also closed on Tuesday, Jan. 21 due to cold temperatures. An arctic air outbreak is bringing the coldest temperatures in six years to Michigan,

WAYLAND, Mich. (WOOD) — Hot ‘n Now, the once-popular fast food restaurant, will return to West Michigan. Gun Lake Investments announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Hot ‘n Now and plans to open two locations over the next year, one near Gun Lake Casino in Wayland and one in Alpena. It plans to open more locations in the coming years.

Former President Jimmy Carter’s influence extends far beyond his time in office, reaching all the way to local breweries in West Michigan.

With widespread school closings in West Michigan this week, some districts have now seen a half dozen or more snow days this school year.

Principal Clarinet Jonathan Holden is a longtime stalwart member of West Michigan Symphony, whose tenure dates to his time as a doctoral student at MSU 20 years ago.

“In cold temperatures like this, when the firefighters stop, and they have sweat underneath. Once they lose the protection of that vapor barrier, they never get it back,” a Fire Lieutenant with The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said.

Snowy, slick roads led to slide-offs and crashes on West Michigan roads Tuesday, with I-94 proving particularly troublesome.