Child care providers say freeze in federal funds would hurt low-income families
Yvonne Hardiman has run a day care center at her Grand Rapids home for 20 years and counts on federal funding to stay open. (January 2, 2025)
Michigan artists, fans toast New Year’s with electronica, jazz, rock, Latin music and more
Today, Local Spins not only recaps New Year’s Eve celebrations across West Michigan in words and photos, but spotlights a memorable Michigan Music Showcase podcast filled with tracks by regional artists. EDITOR’S NOTE: Michigan enjoyed another banner year for new music, with literally hundreds of fresh releases by...
200,000 LEGOs, life-size animatronic dinosaurs coming to Grand Rapids
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - North America’s most popular interactive dinosaur experience, Jurassic Quest, and Brick Fest Live, a LEGO-inspired event, will “assemble” under one roof for the first time. This new experience brings Jurassic Quest’s life-size, animatronic dinosaurs spanning 165 million years of Earth’s history and...
We put a chair in downtown Grand Rapids and asked one question. Here’s what...
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In the dead of Michigan winter, stopping to smell the roses usually takes a back seat. But the new year is all about resolutions. So, we tried something simple and pulled up a chair. For one very cold hour in downtown Grand Rapids, we put...
Snow Sport Report: January 1, 2026
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After last weekend’s warmth and rain, winter came roaring back this week. Overall, the month of December has been quite favorable for snow enthusiasts as all of Michigan experienced below-average temperatures. Grand Rapids ended this month 4.4 degrees below average. The massive storm...
GRPS custodial worker charged after online child exploitation investigation
A Grand Rapids Public Schools custodial worker has been arrested and charged after deputies say he engaged in inappropriate online communications with someone he thought was a teenager.
Court orders MDHHS to restore Kent County’s unique nonprofit foster care model
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After more than two months of uncertainty, the a unique foster care modlel in Kent County will be restored, according to a judge's ruling last week. In 2025, The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) did not renew a contract with the West Michigan Partnership for Children...
Restaurant workers skeptical of wage, tip change benefits
Michigan's minimum wage went up with the new year.
Two Kalamazoo business owners thought they got their big break, but it turned out...
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Last year, Alexis Graham and Reed Zapf took a leap and started up their gourmet mini pancake business, Pancake Paws & Co. While they were busy all summer, they started to slow down in the winter, and in December, they got an email that they thought would kick them back into gear.
World of Winter kicks off in a week
World of Winter, which bills itself as the largest free winter festival in the country, gets underway in just one week.
