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Our Community's Children director retires, looks back on public service

Submitted 01-14-2021 under LOCAL LIFE

After more than two decades as executive director for Our Community’s Children (OCC), Lynn Heemstra retired from her role Jan. 5, leaving behind a legacy of youth advocacy. OCC, a public-private partnership between the City of Grand Rapids,...

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Ericka 'Kyd Kane' Thompson becomes Grand Rapids' new poet laureate

Submitted 12-15-2020 under LOCAL LIFE

Grand Rapids has a new poet laureate in Ericka “Kyd Kane” Thompson, who begins a three-year term on Jan. 1. As poet laureate, Kyd Kane will act as an ambassador of poetry for the city, creating programs that encourage the writing and...

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Local observatory sees steady turnout, interest in 2020 with in-person, online astronomy events

Submitted 11-18-2020 under LOCAL LIFE

Another hobby embraced by many West Michiganders throughout 2020: amateur astronomy. Amid this year’s fluctuating restrictions on social activities in response to COVID-19, the Veen Observatory in Lowell was able to stay open to the public for...

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City commissioners to vote on funding for ShotSpotter in Grand Rapids, as resident input continues

Submitted 11-11-2020 under LOCAL LIFE

Grand Rapids city commissioners plan to vote Nov. 17 on allocating CARES Act or city police funds to a gunshot detection system for Grand Rapids. Called ShotSpotter, the detection technology will cost around $500,000 for the first two years of its...

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Need help filling out your ballot? VOTE411 is here to help.

Submitted 10-19-2020 under LOCAL LIFE

For those who identify with one party or another, voting a "straight ticket" simplifies things quite a bit. However, even straight ticket voters may find themselves scratching their collective heads when it comes to non-partisan races like...

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Grand Rapids, Kent County leaders call for using COVID-19 relief funds toward anti-violence resources

Submitted 09-04-2020 under LOCAL LIFE

A coalition of community leaders are calling for more resources to address Kent County's recent rise in shootings and thefts, which they say is directly tied to the pandemic. In a September 1 press conference organized by Grand Rapids Second...

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2020 census enters home stretch with Grand Rapids' turnout goal still to be reached

Submitted 08-20-2020 under LOCAL LIFE

Just under six weeks remain to get counted in the 2020 census, after the U.S. Census Bureau shortened the deadline this month to September 30. That’s a month earlier than planned, as the deadline was originally October 31. Census officials...

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It's a Beautiful World: Remembering The Great Daryl Nathan

Submitted 08-06-2020 under LOCAL LIFE

Remembering The Great Daryl Nathan by Corey Ruffin   The entire Grand Rapids Community Media Center family is greatly saddened to hear of the recent passing of local legend The Great Daryl Nathan, one of the true spirits of GRTV in the late...

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Human trafficking in Grand Rapids continues amid pandemic

Submitted 07-10-2020 under LOCAL LIFE

As Grand Rapidians and Americans continue openly confronting the issues of COVID-19 and systemic racism, the issue of human trafficking lingers on behind the scenes. It’s an issue not disconnected from the pandemic’s impacts or centuries...

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Census count in full swing with rising Grand Rapids turnout

Submitted 05-26-2020 under LOCAL LIFE

Three months into the once-a-decade effort to get American residents counted, Grand Rapids turnout is beating the national average and on track to beat its own final turnout 10 years before. “66 percent of Grand Rapids households already have...

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