Derek Rutledge Derek Rutledge of St. Ignace has completed four weeks of basic training for the United States Army and five weeks of advanced individual training in combat engineering at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

He leaves for Germany Sunday, September 20, where he will be stationed.

He is the son of Renee Bruce, Mike McNeely, and the late Blake Rutledge.

Ben Moran

Private First Class Ben Moran of the United States Marine Corps came home to St. Ignace over the Labor Day weekend to enjoy a few days with his family and friends.

He is a 2008 graduate of LaSalle High School, and is currently stationed at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.

Private Moran completed a 14- day combat training exercise at Fort Pickett, Virginia. His battalion participated in simulated combat training using M16 rifles and other weapons and explosives for both moving and stationary infantry targets, hostile fire simulators, and participated in realistic training on urban assault courses and urban terrain. His platoon built bridges to reach their destination, rode in a Humvee while a simulated bomb exploded, hiked with heavy gear for miles, and slept outside on the ground during training.

Ben Moran Next month, he will participate in a six-week training course. He expects to be deployed to Afghanistan in early 2010.