West Michigan
Republicans go on the attack after Ford halts EV battery plant construction in Marshall
The Michigan Strategic Fund on Tuesday approved $65 million in additional funding for a Marshall site for a project where Ford Motor Co. this week halted construction of a $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant. The automaker’s action has spurned controversy and battle of words as the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against Ford, General […]
Former Grand Rapids gymnastics coach sexual assault case bound over for trial
Women who were as young as 6 years old when they say former Kent County gymnastics coach Shannon Guay sexually assaulted them told their stories Thursday to a Grand Rapids judge, who found it appropriate to bind 19 counts of criminal sexual conduct over to trial court. Guay, 49, formerly a coach at the now-closed […]
Potawatomi tribal council reaches consensus to establish 12-nation confederation
A national gathering of Potawatomi tribal council members in Battle Creek voted on July 27 to form a historic confederation of 12 Nations representing tens of thousands of members across North America. The gathering, hosted by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi (NHBP), saw seven out of 12 Tribal Councils voting in favor of […]
Democrat Chris Glasser joins race to unseat Rep. Huizenga
Public servant Chris Glasser has launched a campaign seeking the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s 4th Congressional District in 2024, a West Michigan seat held by U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland). Glasser, who works as a children services specialist for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, in July joined attorney Jessica Swartz from Kalamazoo […]
Grand Haven health care workers to management: ‘Invest in us!’
Updated, 9:36 a.m., 8/9/23 After a 24-hour strike on Friday, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) workers and Trinity Grand Haven Hospital health officials on Monday are at a stalemate centered on wages. Workers returned to their jobs on Saturday and are calling for management to return to the bargaining table. SEIU Healthcare’s position is that […]
Facing a long shadow of racism in agriculture, a Battle Creek farmer is inspiring change
Standing amid the tomatoes growing on a two-acre plot of land in one of Battle Creek’s lowest-income neighborhoods, Devon Wilson looked at the small, orange plant nestled in his hand. This, he explained, gesturing towards a sea of green — a melange of kale and cucumbers, collard greens and summer squash — growing under the […]
Grand Rapids Commission approves new ordinances targeting unhoused people
Over public objections, and with business-owners approval, the Grand Rapids City Commission on Tuesday approved controversial ordinances targeting panhandling and unhoused people. One of the ordinances will penalize a person for “accosting” someone by an ATM or while they are eating or drinking outdoors, which could result in a fine of up to $500 and […]
Citing ‘deep concern’ over Ottawa County leadership, deputy administrator resigns
Updated 11:35 a.m., 7/26/23 Ottawa County Deputy Administrator Patrick Waterman submitted his letter of resignation on Monday, citing tension with County Administrator John Gibbs and a “deep concern regarding what I have viewed to be a lack of effective leadership and an eroding culture of employee trust and support within the county.” Waterman, who was […]
Trinity Grand Haven Hospital workers set to strike on Aug. 4
Following seven months at the bargaining table, unionized workers at Trinity Health Grand Haven Hospital in West Michigan said Tuesday they will hold a one-day strike on Aug. 4 to protest understaffing and low wages, among other issues. Close to 200 workers represented by SEIU Healthcare Michigan are set to strike over what employees and […]
Dems seek to flip historically Republican congressional seat in West Michigan in 2024
Jessica Swartz, a Kalamazoo attorney, on Wednesday morning launched her campaign as a Democratic contender for Michigan’s 4th Congressional District, in hopes of challenging U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) in 2024. “There’s a lot of blue voters who are looking for a common-sense politician, a common sense member of Congress to support them. There’s also […]
‘A carnival for the rich’: GR residents slam proposed ordinances targeting unhoused people
One by one, the people who waited for hours to speak stepped up to a microphone in front of the Grand Rapids City Commission on Tuesday. Do not, the overwhelming majority of them urged, support two proposed ordinances they said would target unhoused people and further harm some of society’s most vulnerable members. The two […]
ACLU urges GR mayor, commissioners to reject proposed ordinances targeting unhoused people
Proposed ordinances targeting panhandling and unhoused people in Grand Rapids are unconstitutional and would essentially criminalize homelessness, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan wrote in a Thursday letter to Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and city commissioners. “The city’s recent proposals exacerbate the challenges facing our unhoused residents by narrowing the already limited […]