KENTWOOD (WZZM) -- West Michigan emergency service personnel are once again preparing in the case of a major emergency. This time the training exercise is focusing on chemical spills.

The exercise will be at Lacks Industries on Airlane Drive in Kentwood from 8am until 10:30 Tuesday morning. The Kent County Local Emergency Planning Committee, along with Kentwood Fire Department, Kentwood Police, TriCom HazMat Team, National Weather Service, Kent County Sheriff's Department, Spectrum Health, and other agencies will be conducting the chemical emergency response exercises. Lacks' internal HazMat team will also be helping out in the exercise.

Lacks volunteered use of its facility. Community members will volunteer as victims.  There will be no chemicals used in the exercise.

KENTWOOD, Mich. (WZZM) - When it comes to saying and spelling words like "Hoomalimali" or "Monotonous", West Michigan will be well-represented at this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee.

13-year-old Mwangi Wa Maina, an 8th grader at Crestwood Middle School in Kentwood, has been trying to get to the National Bee for four years. This is the last year he can compete. He's been studying the official list two hours per day with only Saturdays off.

"I get to know different words and get to know different languages," says Maina.

So far, the hard work has paid off. Mwangi won the spelling bee at his school, went on to win the regionals, then the finals.

"I'm happy," said Maina. "I'm very grateful to God for letting me go through this experience and go to DC."

Esther Yff-Prins was invited by the organizers to observe the national bee. The former English teacher has been a pronouncer for the Grand Rapids bees for 34 years.

KENTWOOD, Mich. (WZZM) -- May Colbert, 85 years old, fondly called "mother" by those who knew her, couldn't escape a fire in her home. Her son Larry, had dropped her off an hour before it began.

Larry Colbert, May's son says, "It is no pain like this on Mother's Day, and you lose your mother, before you could get to her." 

Family says, Colbert was known for giving back, not just to her family, but to the entire community. 

Colbert says, "Through her strength and power, as the oldest son, I'm going to be strong make my brother's and sister and neices, I'll make sure she lives on through me." 

Neighbors say they heard an explosion, before flames and smoke shot out of the garage. That's when her neighbor tried to rescue Colbert, who was trapped upstairs.