Disability Advocates of Kent County will host a Kent County Transportation Forum on Monday. (WKTV)
Disability Advocates of Kent County will host the Kent County Transportation Forum on Monday, April 10 in the Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center, 160 68th St. SW. This event will bring together stakeholders to discuss options for countywide mobility.
“There is so much planning going on for the future of mobility in our community,” said David Bulkowski, executive director of Disability Advocates of Kent County. “We need to make sure people are informed about plans being considered and organized to deliver the best outcomes.”
In Michigan, 19% of people with disabilities live within the federal poverty rate and 48% of people with disabilities struggle to afford basic costs of living. Unemployment remains a driving factor behind this high level of economic instability; only 34% of adults with disabilities in Michigan have a job. Those who have a position often work part-time without a living wage.
Expanding Transportation Options
One way to address financial hardship among people with disabilities is to expand accessible public transportation options. Many individuals rely on public transit for their work commute and other common destinations.
Public transportation access remains scarce outside of the six cities in The Rapid service area: Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Walker, Grandville, and Kentwood. Those who live in places like Cedar Springs, Rockford, and Lowell often struggle to find a bus route and must rely on specialized services like Hope Network, but usually options are limited to expensive rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft, assuming these services can even be found in these areas.
Community Organizer Michael Williams, who leads the Concerned Citizens for Improved Transportation (CCIT) advocacy work group, believes the community could deliver better results for people with disabilities. He calls for greater connectivity between transportation systems in cities instead of having a series of distinct, fixed bus routes.
“There is not one perfect solution to this challenge,” Williams said. “However, solutions start at aligning current efforts to better compliment each other, rather than repeating each other.”
Building on the past work of Faith In Motion and CCIT and a strategy session conducted during Disability Advocates’ Disability Awareness Day, Williams will host the Kent County Transportation Forum. State and local elected officials, municipal organizations such as Mobile GR, and transportation providers such as Hope Network will have a presence at the forum.
Everyone Welcome to Join the Discussion
The Kent County Transportation Forum seeks to coordinate local, state, and federal approaches toward achieving countywide mobility. Representatives from the City of Grand Rapids, the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council, The Rapid, and Kent County Mobility Task Force will discuss their transportation plans and seek ways to find agreement between plans. Kent County recently appointed its County Wide Mobility Task Force. Connecting current efforts will better help identify the needs for Kent County’s new team.
“We’re bringing riders, transportation providers, and planners to one place,” Williams said. “How can we work together and connect people in Kent County and beyond? This forum is a fantastic opportunity to align current planning processes into a coordinated regional effort.”
Those interested in learning more about accessible transportation or getting involved with CCIT can contact Michael Williams at michael.w@dakc.us.
A competition at the FIRST Robotics event at East Kentwood. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
By D.A. Reed WKTV Contributor
GRP Titans Nikolai Nigersoll demonstrates how the team’s robot works. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
Battery issues were the challenge that Grand Rapids Prep Titans FIRST robotics team faced on Saturday, but they did not have to go far to find support.
“We are a team here,” GRP Titans mentor Matt Stewart said of all the 39 participating robotics teams at Kentwood’s FIRST Robotics competition. “All of robotics is a community-oriented thing. We’ve learned so much from all of the other teams.”
Multiple teams reaching out to give GRP Titans tools to help them test their battery, offering their team’s batteries, and offering to let the Titans charge in their pits.
“Everyone is so graceful and helpful,” said Stewart. “In the pits, it’s a community. Once you’re on the field, then you (have to) compete.”
“The Hardest Fun You’ll Ever Have”
The East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics Team (3875) hosted the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) qualifying tournament March 31-April 1, 2023. The competition was sponsored by Dematic, a supplier of materials handling systems, software and services based in Grand Rapids. It gave the teams an opportunity to qualify for the state competition, which is April 6-8 at Saginaw Valley State University.
FIRST Robotics Competition is designed to combine the excitement of sport with the precisions of science and technology. FIRST Robotics’ website calls their competitions “the ultimate Sport for the Mind,” while high school participants have labeled it “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.”
Michigan Robotics teams strive to teach students a multitude of skills, including mechanical engineering, computer-aided design, electrical engineering, programming, systems integration, website building, animation, and fabrication/machining skills.
“You see the kids mature, and one of the big things is all the technical skills,” said event coordinator Wendy Ljungren, adding that the program has opened the college door for many students. “It’s been great to see our kids going into the STEM fields. We’ve had people become doctors, and lawyers, and professionals in engineering and STEM fields, and really see them transition.”
Teaching Life Skills
Sara Robarge, mother of EK teammate Kailey Robarge, said she has seen strong leadership skills taking hold in her daughter over the last year.
Red Storm Robotics teammates Mo Otajagic and Kailey Robarge carry the team’s robot Terence off the field. (WLTV/D.A. Reed)
“I have seen her take on leadership that I hoped I had instilled in her, but I have seen her put it into practice this year,” Robarge said. “As a freshman, she stepped out and tried out for the Drive Team. She also stepped up and said, ‘I’ll lead a robot build.’”
EK robotics mentor Mark VanderVoord said he has seen growth in many students, this year being current team captain Sarah Shapin.
Since Shapin joined the team in sixth grade, “she has learned a lot of technical skills. She’s going to U of M (University of Michigan) next year to do computer programming. Outside of that, she has a high-level view of how it all fits together and how everybody should be working together.
“All of the kids look up to her at this point,” said VanderVoord. “And she was the goofy one when she started!”
VanderVoord emphasized that robotics students are learning far more than how to build a robot.
“It’s about all the life skills,” VanderVoord said. “The teamwork and the technology stuff, but there are kids on our team who are learning marketing and there are kids who are learning all sorts of disciplines. We’re teaching kids to learn (everything).”
Growing the team is a large part of Red Storm Coach Trista VanderVoord’s focus.
“This year we focused a lot on recruitment,” Trista VanerVood said. :We wanted to grow our numbers, but mostly grow our numbers of girls, of females in the program.”
The Building Blocks
That recruitment doubled the size of the Red Storm team overall, with now over 40% of the team consisting of females—quadrupling its female percentage from last year.
East Kentwood’s Red Storm Robotics team stand next to their robot, Terence. The team competes at the state championship this weekend. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
“It’s been awesome to see the growth, and it’s been awesome to see the sub-teams that have developed there and really come together and take on their part of the team,” Trista VanderVoord said.
EK’s Red Storm finished the tournament 20 out of 39 with a ranking score of 1.66, 5-7-0, 20 ranking points, and earned the Team Sustainability Award. The team already had earned a spot at the state competition by winning the highest award, the Impact Award, at the Lakeshore competition in March.
Other teams at this weekend’s state competition are Hopkns’ Tech Vikes (2054), West Catholic’s Enigma Robotics (2075), Forest Hills’ Comets (3357) and Code Red Robotics the Stray Dogs (2771), which is a community team based out of Byron Center High School.
Abby Strait, high school senior and part of Wyoming High School’s Demons Robotics (858) team, has no trouble taking ownership of her role on the team.
“I’ve always been one of the people who has their hands all over the robot,” Strait said. “By the time we get to the competition, I know the robot inside and out. The more you put into the program, the more you get out of it.”
Demons Robotics finished the tournament 15 out of 39 with a ranking score of 1.83, 7-5-0 (wins-losses-ties), and 22 ranking points.
GRP Titans
Grand River Preparatory High School participated in the EK tournament with its first robotics team in ten years, the GRP Titans (9206), due to grants received from FIRST Robotics.
Stewart said that all students participating have been very invested in the program.
“Some of them had no prior experience, some of them only had building, yet every student has been all hands on deck with everything, and it’s been really cool to see,” Stewart said. “They all know what they do best, what they need to work on, so it’s been really fun to see them all working together.”
Though the Titans currently have approximately 15 team members, Stewart sees that number growing and sustaining since the team is composed mostly of underclassmen.
The GRP Titans finished the tournament 28 out of 39 with a ranking score of 1.50, 4-8-0, and 18 ranking points.
D. A. (Deborah) Reed is an award-winning author of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor from the Grand Rapids area. To find out more about D.A. Reed, visit her website: D.A. Reed Author
At approximately 3 a.m. on Wednesday, April 5, officers from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to the area of Abbie Street SE and S. Division Avenue on the report of a shooting.
When officers arrived, they located a victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The victim, a 41-year-old male Wyoming resident, was treated by medical personnel and transported to an area hospital with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect, a 34-year-old male Wyoming resident, was taken into custody at the scene. The victim and suspect are known to each other.
The circumstances surrounding this incident are still being investigated by the Wyoming Department of Public Safety Investigative Division. Other individuals involved in this incident have been identified and interviewed by detectives, and there is no ongoing threat to the public at this time.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Wyoming Police at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345; 1-866-774-2345.
Annuities are a great way to ensure your financial security in the long term. Annuities provide regular payments that can help you pay bills and cover other expenses while also helping protect against inflation and market downturns. Annuities are popular with many retirees as they offer a steady income stream that can last throughout retirement.
The question is, how much income does an annuity payout on average?
The answer depends on several factors, including what type of annuity you purchase and the terms of the agreement. Annuities typically guarantee a fixed payment amount or can be variable, depending on the performance of certain investments or indexes. Annuities are also available with riders that increase the amount of income you receive.
If you’re purchasing a fixed annuity, the amount of income is predetermined by the terms of the agreement and is typically based on your age and the length of time over which payments will be received. Annuities with guaranteed payouts usually offer higher rates than variable annuities, which depend largely on investment performance. Annuity income may also be increased by adding riders like inflation protection or other options that guarantee additional payments.
Generally, an annuity can provide anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars a month in retirement income, depending on the type of product purchased and any riders added. As with most investments, it’s essential to consider all of your options before purchasing an annuity to ensure you’re getting the best deal.
Maximizing your payout
In addition, there are several steps you can take to maximize your annuity income and get more out of your investment. Annuitants should review their policy details regularly, as rates may change over time. Annuitants should also consider adding riders to their policy if it suits their particular circumstances. These additional features may help increase the income received from an annuity. Annuitants may also increase the amount of money they receive by taking a lump sum distribution option or electing periodic payments.
Overall, as stated above, the average income from an annuity will depend on the type of product purchased, any added riders, and other factors. Annuity income may range from several hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars per month, depending on the type of annuity and any riders added. By reviewing policy details regularly and adding riders to their policy, annuitants may be able to increase the amount of money they receive from an annuity. Annuities are a great way to ensure your retirement financial security, so make sure you understand your options before investing.
If you’re considering an annuity as a part of your retirement income, it’s essential to understand your options. Contact an annuity expert to learn more about the different types of annuities and how they can help secure your financial future.
Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463 or click this link: Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.comDave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety were called to two homicides this weekend and an accident that resulted in its fire engine being hit.
Homicide, Suicide on March 31
On March 31, officers from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to a 911 call from a residence in the 3000 block of Buchanan Avenue shortly after 7:30 a.m. When officers arrived, they discovered two deceased males who both had gunshot wounds in the driveway of the residence.
Andrew Gil, 25, was located inside a vehicle parked in the driveway, and Louis Gonzales, 30, was found in the driveway near the car. A handgun was recovered from the scene.
According to a report released today, based on evidence collected at the scene and autopsy findings from the Kent County Medical Examiner’s Office, investigating officers have concluded that this incident was a tragic homicide followed by a suicide. It has been determined that Gonzalez shot and killed Gil before turning the gun on himself and taking this own life.
Gonzalez and Gil are related and evidence of a dispute between the two has come to light during the course of the investigation.
Shooting on 44th Street
On April 2, police and fire personnel from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to a shooting in the 200 block of 44th Street SW at approximately 2 a.m.
When officers arrived, they located Isaia Mojica, 24, who had been shot. Mojica was given aid by first responders and transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Officers were then notified that another male suffering from gunshot wounds was dropped off at a local hospital. It is believed that this person was injured during the shooting on 44th Street. His injuries are non-life-threatening. The other occupants of the vehicle that dropped him off left immediately.
According to initial witness statements this incident began as a physical altercation involving several individuals. The shooting began during this altercation and multiple people fired shots. A handgun was recovered from the scene.
Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident and would like to speak to anyone who has any information.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Wyoming Police at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 or 1-866-774-2345.
Fire Engine Damaged in US-131 Accident
On April 2 at around 2:45 a.m., police and fire personnel from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety was assisting the Michigan State Police Department on a rollover crash on US-131 south of 44th Street.
While at the scene, the Wyoming fire engine and a Michigan State Police car were struck by two separate vehicles. No one was hurt.
The accidents are being investigated by the Michigan State Police.
Officials from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety stated they are still assessing the extent of the damage to the engine. The department may not know anything for about month, but the preliminary damage does appear to be significant, according to the department officials.
Firefighter Matt Young, Fire Lt. Brad Deppe, residents Lauren and Andy Gohlke with their son Emerson, Police Sgt. Blair Shellenbarger and Police Officer Lee Aktinson at the Wyoming Department of Public Safety Employee Recognition Ceremony on March 23. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
“I just remember thinking that I was watching my child die on the floor right now,” Lauren Gohlke said of Jan. 10, 2022, the day her son Emerson stopped breathing.
Through the quick actions of her husband, Andy Gohlke, and the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, Emerson’s life would be saved.
“I am so very, very thankful to our first responder and everyone at the hospital,” Gohlke said, adding she especially appreciated Officer Chad Lynn for assisting her. “How fast that they got there and that they truly cared about Emerson, even though they didn’t know who he is, which means a lot.”
Gohlke and her husband, Andy, were taking Emerson to his one-month check up on Jan. 10, 2022.
“I had been siting in the back with him and I noticed he was purplish-red in color,” Gohlke said. “We hadn’t even left the driveway yet and I said something to my husband, Andy, who got out of the car and immediately came around to the back.”
Andy Gohlke brought his son out of the car into the cold as the couple thought it might help to wake Emerson up. Realizing there was a problem. Andy Gohlke took Emerson inside and immediately began performing CPR. The couple had taken a class in infant CPR at Corewell Health a few months.
“He told me to call 911 and as I was on the phone with dispatch, I could him go “one, two, three…,” Gohlke said.
The Call No One Wants to Hear
“[It is] the call that no one wants to hear, an infant is not breathing” said Captain Timothy Pols, of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, during the department’s annual employee recognition ceremony on March 23.
Sgt. Blair Shellenbarger and Officer Lee Atkinson were first to arrive and observed Andy Gohlke performing CPR on his son, who was not breathing and did not have a pulse, Pols said. Shellenbarger and Atkinson worked together to resuscitate Emerson. Shellenbarger took over CPR and Atkinson prepared the AED (automated external defibrillator) machine.
Equipment Officer Steve Boetsma, Firefighter Matt Young, resident Andy Gohlke, with his son Emerson, Police Officer Lee Aktinson and Sgt. Blair Shellenbarger were recognized for their life saving efforts. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
“The whole thing is still a blur,” said Gohlke, who by this time had been moved to the living room with Officer Chad Lynn. “[Lynn] told me that the reason there was so many people there is that they are all dads and parents and they understood what we were feeling.”
Gohlke heard the AED advise not to shock. Shellenbarger continued to perform CPR and heard Emerson make a slight noise and take a shallow breath, Pols reported. It was then that Equipment Operators Steve Boetsma and Tom Marsman and Firefighters Matt Young and Dan Rettig arrived and took over resuscitation efforts by administrating oxygen and continuing CPR.
“With the application of this treatment, Emerson’s color improved,” Pols said. “He regained a pulse and was breathing on his own.”
Gohlke said Officer Lynn let her know that Emerson had cried a little, saying “That is good. That is good.” Gohlke added that it did make her feel better.
Appreciative to all the First Responders
Emerson was taken to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, where after a series of tests, it was determined that he had silent reflux. After doing some research, Gohlke learned silent reflux does not usually go to the extreme of a life-or-death situation.
Looking back, Gohlke said if she hadn’t been siting in the backseat, she might of just thought Emerson was sleeping and he probably would not have survived the trip to the doctor’s office. She is also grateful that her and her husband took the infant CPR class, something she now recommends to all young couples. Pols noted that the quick action of Andy Gohlke to perform CPR on his infant son helped “avoid losing precious seconds while waiting for first responders.”
Sgt. Blair Shellenbarger, Officer Lee Atkinson, Fire Lt. Brad Deppe, Equipment Operators Steve Boetsma and Tom Marsman, and Firefighters Dan Rettig and Matt Young all received the Life Saving Award at the March Employee Recognition Ceremony. Andy Gohlke received a citizen citation for his quick actions in performing CPR. Pols noted they were all just happy that Emerson and his family were able to join them for the event.
“You know its more than a year later and we are are still dealing with the trauma of the event,” said Gohlke, who described it as the worst week in the couple’s lives. “These guys just went back to work.
“It means a lot to know we have people in our community such as those on the Wyoming police and fire who are there for our children and our love ones.”
The Norton Indian Mounds is a prehistoric Goodall mounds located in Wyoming and protected by the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Used during religious rituals and ceremonies, Native American burial grounds were typically located on elevated bluffs near major bodies of water. Nearly 2,000 years ago, Native American tribes known as the Hopewell must have been attracted to the Grand Rapids topography. They constructed forty-six sacred burial mounds along the west side of the Grand River just south of what is now Bridge Street. The shape of these burial mounds may have varied some but often they were rounded, dome-shaped, ranging from 3-18 feet tall and 50-100 feet wide. These early mounds were regularly built to bury important members of local tribes along with artifacts such as stone knives, copper axes, carved pipes, pottery, and ornamental utensils with carved animals made of copper and shell.
Early missionaries and fur traders reported that the Native Americans of the time had no knowledge of the origin of the burial mounds and that they held them in great reverence. Due to residential and commercial expansion, settlers in the 1850s unfortunately held less veneration for the burial grounds and completely leveled them to provide dirt for roads in the Grand Rapids area. Flint arrowheads and other items were unearthed in nearly every mound and many artifacts were sold to museums and can be seen by visiting those museums today.
On the grounds of Ah-Nab-Awen Park outside of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, three symbolic Indian burial mounds have been constructed in honor of Michigan’s three major tribes, the Ottawa, Potowatomi, and Chippewa. Elders of the Three Fires Council proposed the name Ah-Nab-Awen which means “Resting Place.” The dedication of this park is a nice gesture in the right direction. Does it appease those ancient souls of those who had their graves grossly desecrated? Given all the burial grounds that were plowed under or plundered by treasure hunters, all the times Native American’s were displaced by land grabbers and forcibly relocated, all the broken treaties, and “The Trail of Tears,” unrest in the afterlife might be expected, even vengeance. So it’s no surprise some of the most frightening monsters of myth come from Native American legends, curses, and spells.
Ah-Nab-Awen Park features three symbolic Indian burial mounds.(grandrapidsmi.gov)
The Navajo skinwalkers used spells, charms, and curses to promote fear and practice evil to harm humans whenever possible with supernatural ability to shape-shift into any creature, even werewolves and vampires.
The Alaska Kushtaka or “land otter man” comes from the Tlingit people folklore and is believed to be shape-shifters capable of taking on human form, the form of an otter, and any other form it chooses, known to be cruel, evil, and a trickster.
The Wendigo, flesh-eater of the forests of the Great Lakes region and central Canada are historically known for murder, insatiable greed, and a voracious appetite for human flesh. Wendigo is known by several names that translate, “The evil spirit that devours mankind.” The Ojibwe’s description is that of a malevolent supernatural cannibalistic giant associated with winter, the North, coldness, famine, and starvation.
The Algonquin Legend of the Wendigo has the scariest artistic depictions, more than 15 feet tall with glowing eyes, long yellow fangs and claws, with an overly long tongue. It’s said the ash gray beast carries a strange odor of decay, decomposition, and death and can mimic human voices. The Wendigo will hunt you down with blinding speed and eat you or possess you and turn you into Wendigo.
Never disrespect the dead! If you should unearth human remains, immediately contact your county coroner and if the remains appear Native American, the Native American Heritage Commission should be notified. Leave Native American artifacts where you find them, it’s illegal and unethical to collect artifacts on public lands. Native Americans consider death a natural part of life and customs include preparing the soul for the spiritual journey, preparing the spirit to “walk on.” Interfering with the long walk is not recommended. Tread lightly, please!
John James Audubon (Courtesy, Library of Congress)
LANSING – A National Audubon Society decision to keep its name is bitterly dividing members, some of whom are pressing to distance the organization from namesake John James Audubon, who was an enslaver.
Many Audubon chapters across Michigan are still wrestling with what to do about the name on local levels.
There are more than 30 chapters across the state.
Well established brand
The organization was founded in 1905 and named after America’s most famous naturalist and bird artist, John James Audubon, who died in 1851.
Kirk Waterstripe, a board member of the Grand Traverse Audubon Club in Traverse City, said he learned about the national decision from another member.
He said the local discussion was limited.
“We all agreed that’s how things were done in the 1800s, and we can’t really judge that world by our moral and ethical standards,” he said.
“We’ve learned from that history. We wouldn’t do it now, but the brand is established,” Waterstripe said.
He said that the Aububon name has become synonymous with birding.
“People see (Audubon) and they associate it with birds,” he said.
Waterstripe said the Traverse City chapter board will discuss releasing a statement in its newsletter.
Some National Audubon Society chapters, including ones in Chicago and Seattle, have already put out statements opposed to keeping the ‘Audubon’ name.
In a press release, the Chicago Audubon Society said it will call on the National Audubon Society to change its name and, if that doesn’t happen, the chapter will select a new name.
“The Grand Rapids Audubon Club has been monitoring and carefully considering these important conversations that are happening at the local, state and national levels. At this time we will maintain our club name,” the statement said.
Some chapter members say they need more time to think about what to do.
Don Burlett, the president of the Oakland Audubon Society, said it is going to take some time to decide at a local level whether to change its name.
“We are in discussions, Burlett said. “There is a lot to be considered in the whole decision, but those issues are all being discussed and it may take some time before we make a decision.”
He said the chapter may survey its members to get their opinions and thoughts.
Name change does not impact affiliation
“For many people, it’s a personal decision as to whether they would want to keep the name or change the name,“ said Burlett.
If a chapter decides to change its name, it can easily do so.
“Any organization affiliated with National Audubon is completely free to change their name and it won’t affect the affiliation, ” he said.
At a national level, the process of determining whether to keep or drop the Audubon name took over a year and included consulting with local chapters and staff.
Three members of the national board resigned in mid-March to protest the majority decision to retain the name.
Sam Blatchford was born and raised in Orange County, California. He is working on his bachelor’s degree in journalism. He has a passion for both tennis and music. He aspires to be either a tennis reporter or a music journalist. His favorite tennis player is Nick Kyrgios, and his favorite genre of music is rock. Sam’s hobbies include playing tennis, recording music and watching as many sporting events as possible. He has written articles for 89 FM, the Impact.
Firefighters Sam and Mike Jones check the vehicle over. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Lt. Jesse May, center, directs the clean-up at the intersection of 36th and Clyde Park. With him are firefighters Mike Jones (left) and Sam Jones (right). (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
From the left, Firefighters Cullen Dodge and Mike Jones help with clean-up at the intersection of 36th and Clyde Park. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
The Wyoming Fire Department uses its vehicles to block traffic so the team can clean-up the intersection. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Firefighter Sam Jones makes sure the engine is not on fire before loading the car on to the tow truck. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
The Wyoming Fire Department crew help to load one of the vehicles on to the tow truck. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Firefighter Cullen Dodge (center) pours a kitty litter-like material on to the street to absorb the oil and gas from the damaged vehicles. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Part of the duties of the Wyoming Fire Department is to clean-up after an accident. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Lt. Jesse May keeps an eye on traffic as his crew works on cleaning up the intersection of 36th and Clyde Park. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
NOTE: This is a two-part series on a ride-along with the Wyoming Fire Department. The first part is a glimpse of the daily activities of one of the department’s teams based out of the Central Station, located at 1250 36th St. SW.
“Did you see Steve almost get hit three times?” said Wyoming firefighter Mike Jones as he hops back into the department’s ladder truck.
It was not hard to miss the first incident. Equipment operator Steve Boetsma stood with a blower in hand clearing the debris from the intersection of Clyde Park and 36th Street while the driver of a large black SUV decided to go through the accident versus following the traffic cones to go around it.
Jones said the driver made a crude gesture with Lt. Jesse May noting, “Well, we are station 1.”
“People don’t like us,” Jones said. “They don’t like the police more, but they especially don’t like us when we are blocking an intersection.”
It is 11:15 a.m. on March 22 and this is the fourth run, the second to the same location, the Wyoming Fire Department’s red team has made since the start of its shift at 7 a.m. Within this 24-hour shift, which ended at 7 a.m. March 23, the Wyoming Fire Department would answer 21 calls in total.
The Start of the Day
Equipment operator Steve Boetsma puts the ladder truck through its paces in a check of the equipment. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
The start of the shift was busy with the five-member team of May, Boetsma, Jones, Sam Jones (Jones’ brother), and Cullen Dodge responding first to a medical call, followed by the team’s first visit to the intersection of 36th Street and Clyde Park Avenue, which also was a car accident.
Rolling in after 9 a.m., the team is able to focus on its daily routine of pre-checks, maintenance and starting breakfast.
Boetsma takes the ladder truck outside for a routine check, something that is done at the beginning of each shift.
“It is actually the only working ladder truck in the department’s fleet,” May said during a tour of the station. Smaller engines that pump water are both located at the Burton Street and Gezon stations, but are not at the capacity of the ladder truck. If a May 2 millage proposal passes, the department would be able to purchase a second aerial truck that would include a bucket. The second aerial truck would not only provide more water pump capabilities, but the department would be able to switch between vehicles, reducing wear and tear.
Mutual Aid
Lt. Jesse May shows the equipment on one of the medical response vehicles. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
An alarm signals. It’s for Grandville, near the Wyoming/Grandville border.
Even though close, “We can’t answer that call,” May said. You can tell it bothers him not to respond. “If we go, then there is no one to cover the city.”
There are mutual aid agreements between many of the West Michigan communities. In 2020, the City of Wyoming had to rely on assistance from neighboring communities 140 times because the department’s staff was on other calls. Most recently, during the March 18 snowstorm, the Grandville Fire Department responded to a call in Wyoming on Chicago Drive. While on the call, Grandville’s fire engine and a tow truck were struck by oncoming vehicles.
In a Kentwood Fire Department’s 2022 Fire Report, under the mutual aid section, Kentwood responded to mutual aid calls in Wyoming 50 times, while Wyoming responded to mutual aid calls in Kentwood twice. Of the 50 calls Kentwood responded to in Wyoming, 23 were for EMS.
The Increase in Medical Calls
Firefighter Mike Jones prepares a medical call. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
The alarm goes off. It’s 10 a.m.
“They made breakfast,” Jones said as he climbed into the truck.”There is enough for everyone. We try to eat together as a family at every meal; breakfast, lunch and dinner. It doesn’t always work out that way.”
For Wyoming, medical emergencies, such as heart attacks and overdoses have doubled in the past five years from 633 to 1,310. Nursing homes can sometimes have multiple calls in a day, May said. This call is to a doctor’s office.
The average response time for the Wyoming fire department is 5.16 minutes, which falls behind the national recommended average of four minutes. The team makes it to the scene within five minutes. To the team’s surprise, an ambulance service has gotten to the scene before them. May and Jones hop out of the truck to assist. For the three-man team to go out, assist and come back to the station, it takes about 30 minutes.
“Many times we are first on the scene,” May said. “Because we don’t transport, we can take vitals and evaluate, but we have to wait for an ambulance, which depending on the calls that day, could be 30 to 40 minutes.”
No. 1 Priority: Staff
As soon as they get back, Jones is corralling everyone for breakfast. It is about 10:30 a.m. when the group sits down at a large wooden table with the Wyoming Fire Department logo embedded.
As they eat, the group openly discusses the need for more staff. Boetsma noted that for a structural fire, the minimum staffing requirement is 14. A fully staffed day, with no one on vacation or sick, the Wyoming Fire Department has 11, but usually staffing levels are at nine. May noted that with nine on a shift, it allows for the department to staff three of its four stations. The only unmanned station is Division Avenue, which is the busiest area for calls, May said.
If there is eight or less on staff, then only Gezon and the Central Station are staffed. The city is divided into two with Central Station taking everything north of 44th Street and Gezon everything south of 44th Street.
Helping to ‘Soften the Load’
Having more staff is on top of the department’s wish list. A May 2 millage proposal would maintain that current staffing of 36 and add three more firefighting positions.
Chart from the City of Wyoming
Even with the additional staffing, the Wyoming Fire Department would still be at the bottom of area departments with 39 firefighters covering a population of around 77,000, which is one firefighter serving 2,000 residents. In the City of Grand Rapids, there are 195 firefighters covering a population of about 201,000, which is about one firefighter serving around 1,000 residents.
The additional staff would “soften” the load, May said, adding it would allow firefighters time for other tasks such as testing to make sure its self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are in working order. The department does this in-house to help keep costs down and for faster turnaround time, he said. It also would allow staff to work on certifications and other maintenance needs that are currently low priority.
Clean up on 36th and Clyde Park
Breakfast is over and the team splits up to take care of various tasks.
Equipment operator Steve Boetsma cleans the intersection of Clyde Park and 36th Street. Firefighter Cullen Dodge walks behind him. This was just before a black SUV almost hit Boetsma. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
“I think people believe we sleep all day or just sit around,” Jones said. “We don’t. We have equipment checks and stuff around the station that needs to be done.”
It’s 11 a.m. and the alarm goes off for the second accident at 36th and Clyde Park. This time, all five members head out, three on the ladder truck and two in a medical response vehicle.
No one is injured. The team puts out an engine fire and starts the process of clean up which includes a kitty litter-like compound on the oil and gas, sweeping up the debris, and assisting the tow truck drivers in removing the vehicles. To protect the scene, the firefighters, police officers, and others, the large ladder truck is used to block a portion of the intersection. The department has a vehicle to block traffic, but not enough staff to drive it to the scene.
“Since there were no injuries, if there had been a medical call, I could have sent two of the guys there,” May said. “I probably would not have though because of the need for traffic control.”
It only took 40 minutes for the clean-up and even with the engine blocking the intersection, there were several close calls, the three with Boetsma and a couple others, with vehicles trying to get around including one person using the wrong lane of traffic to try and make a left, which May had to stand in front of the car to get the driver to turnaround.
It’s back in the truck, but before heading back to the station, the team has one more stop they would like to make.
Next: Part 2, A visit to the Division Avenue station.
There is a well-known financial planner, and you may have seen him appear on television and in print advertising, who has built his reputation by making this bold and controversial statement. “I hate annuities…”. The intent of this paper is not to bring attention to or to discredit this professional pitchman.
He has already done that by making irresponsible statements, such as this, in public while privately buying stocks in companies that sell them. My purpose is to state, “I love annuities…but annuities may not be for everyone or used for all purposes…especially if the purpose of your moneyis to leave part or all of your estate to your beneficiaries.” In cases like this, I recommend life insurance.
Following is a brief listing of reasons why I love annuities if the purpose of your money is to spend it while you are alive:
• Your money is safe in an annuity because your principal is protected. • Your money is secure in an annuity because it is protected by the strength of the insurance company that sells it. • Because annuities are tax-deferred, interest earned on your account is not taxed until you withdraw funds from your annuity. • The proceeds received from your annuity go directly to your beneficiary after your death and will avoid probate. • An indexed annuity earns interest on the income growth of the index but is not subject to market losses. • You may choose an income rider on your annuity that will guarantee lifetime income for you and spouse.
Following is a brief listing of reasons why I love life insurance if the purpose of your money is to provide for your beneficiaries after your death:
• Life insurance may be used to replace the policy owner’s lost wages after death. • Life insurance proceeds may be used to help pay for your children or grandchildren’s education. • Life insurance proceeds may be used to help pay off debts, and to protect your spouse’s financial independence. • Life insurance may be used to pay off a home mortgage, allowing your spouse to live in the family home without debt. • Life insurance may be used to support your favorite charities. • Life insurance may be used to pay funeral expenses. • Life insurance provides tax advantages to the owner and beneficiaries like no other product can. • Some life insurance policies may provide benefits to pay for nursing and home health care expenses.
In conclusion, I love annuities and you should too if the purpose of your income is to provide for you while you are alive. I love life insurance and recommend it to my clients if the purpose of your money is to leave it to your beneficiaries after your death.
What is the purpose of your money? What do you want it to accomplish?
I recommend you consult your trusted advisor to help answer this critical question for you and your family.
Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463 or click this link: Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.comDave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.
Terence, the Red Storm Robotics FRC Robot, is rolling into Kentwood’s home tournament on March 31 and April 1 to take on 37 other FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Teams’ robots for a chance to advance to the state tournament. In this Charged UpSM competition, the Red Storm Robotics team reimagines the future of sustainable energy and powers its ideas forward to victory.
Terence, the Red Storm Robotics’ robot. (Courtesy, Red Storm Robotics)
This is a free event for everyone starting at 10:30 am on Friday, March 31. WKTV Community television crews will be at East Kentwood both days providing television coverage of the FIRST Robotics competition. WKTV’s coverage will be available for broadcast on WKTV and streamed via WKTV’s on demand service in the month of April.
The public is encouraged to attend and cheer our Red Storm Robotics team, or their favorite local team, as they demonstrate “gracious professionalism” through their application of mechanical engineering, computer-aided design, electrical engineering, programming, systems integration, website building, animation, and fabrication/machining skills. Red Storm Robotics’ Terence utilizes autonomous and driver-assisted modes, optical sensors to help guide it to targets, an elevator arm with a mechanical cone-grabbing claw, and gyroscope-assisted balancing to help it perform in this year’s 2022-2023 competition. The KPS FRC Team #3875 is made up of approximately 40 high school students, four coaches, and four mentors from the Kentwood Public Schools and nearby communities.
Project-based, hands-on FIRST® programs introduce students to engineering and coding in an engaging, inclusive, and creative after-school environment where students work collaboratively to solve an annual robotics challenge centered around a yearly theme. Boosted by a million-strong global community of students, mentors, educators, volunteers, sponsors, and alumni in over 100 countries.
JCI South Kent will host its annual Easter Egg Scramble April 8 at the soccer fields of Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. Registration for the event opens at 10 a.m. and the event begins as 11 a.m.
The family-friendly event is free and open to children ages two through11. The Easter Bunny will be in attendances and ready for pictures. To ensure each child comes away with a full Easter basket, about 10,000 plastic eggs and pieces of candy have been readied for the event. Children will need to bring a basket or bag to hold their treats.
JCI South Kent is part of the United States Junior Chamber or Jaycees. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to personal and leadership development through community service for people ages 18 to 40. The organization provides residents of Kentwood, Wyoming and the surrounding areas opportunities to grow personally and professionally through volunteer community service.
To find out more information about members, mostly meetings, projects, and volunteer opportunities, visit jcisouthkent.com.
The annual event will take place at Lamar Park’s soccer fields. (Courtesy, JCI South Kent)The Easter bunny will be available for pictures. (Courtesy, JCI South Kent)
Tied at 22 apiece at the half, Tri-unity Christian outscored Kalamazoo Phoenix 32-19 in the second half to grab a 54-41 win in a Division 4 quarterfinal Tuesday at Gull Lake High School.
The win advanced the Defenders (21-6) to a semifinal matchup with Frankfort (18-8) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Breslin Center at Michigan State University.
“The team is very excited and very tired; a lot of emotion,” said Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler, whose team won a state title last year. “They are looking forward to playing in the Breslin Center.
“They (Kalamazoo Phoenix) jumped out on us and then we tied the game heading into the half. We started out nervous and scared. I was quite surprised by our start. However, the boys settled down and we finished strong with excellent defense. We led most of the second half, but it was not decided until late in the fourth quarter.”
Roy Fogg led the Defenders with 16 points, followed by Owen Rosendall, 10 and Akais Giplaye, nine. Keaton Blanker had four assists and five rebounds.
Roy Fogg led the Defenders with 16 points. (Courtesy, Tri-unity)
“Roy played an excellent game the entire night,” Keeler said. “However, he was in foul trouble a lot, missing a lot of the second quarter and the last half of the third quarter.
“Owen Rosendall really stepped up big with excellent defense on Phoenix’s explosive guard.”
Keeler said they are looking forward to playing at the Breslin Center.
“Frankfort is a good team with nice size,” Keeler added. “We will need to be at our best to beat them.”
After three years of limited offerings during the COVID pandemic, family–friendly activity options are once again available at The Salvation Army Kroc Center during Spring Break 2023 from April 3–7.
Open swim, climbing wall, and gymnasium hours are extended to help parents make sure they never hear, “I’m bored!” New this year, guests can use the Kroc’s online registration system to reserve an open swim session and pay in advance to cut down on wait times when they arrive.
Day passes are only $12 per person for all ages during Spring Break week, and as always, Kroc Center members get unlimited free access to all activities. All children age 11 and under must be supervised by an adult while visiting the Kroc Center. There is also a “family room” where parents and kids looking for a break can have snacks, play games, and more.
Those who may be looking for a place to celebrate Easter can also visit Kroc Church for special events on Easter Sunday, April 9. Activities include a breakfast, Easter egg hunt, and a 10 AM worship service. There will also be a Good Friday observance on April 7. Please see the Grand Rapids Kroc Church page on Facebook for more information.
“Spring Break has always been one of the most popular times of year at the Kroc,” said Major Carol Huffman, Senior Kroc Officer. “Our entire Kroc Krew is excited for the opportunity to welcome in families again for a week of fun close to home.”
Once Spring Break wraps up, the Kroc Center will be excited to also launch some new building renovations in April to better serve members, including the addition of new second-floor locker rooms, plus changes to the lobby to improve safety, traffic flows, and energy efficiency.
Visit GrKrocCenter.org or call 616-588-7200 for more information on open recreation hours and other details.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
The Kent County Recycling and Education Center is temporarily closed due to structural damage. (Courtesy, Kent County)
UPDATE: The Kent County Recycling and Education Center will reopen on Friday, March 24.
TheKent County Recycling and Education Center (REC), located at 977 Wealthy St. SW, is temporarily closed after an incident caused structural damage to the building on Monday afternoon. The damage occurred when bales of cardboard recycling built up and pushed through the building’s sidewall, damaging the exterior wall and a roof support beam. No one was injured and the incident is under administrative review to further understand the cause.
According to Steve Faber, public relations for the Kent County Department of Public Works, there have been structural engineers out looking at the facility last night and today. The engineers are assessing the extent of the damage and putting a plan in place for repairs.
“They will give us the plan on how things can be shored up and hopefully we will be back in operation soon,” Faber said, adding the ultimate goal is to have the facility up and running again as soon as possible..
For today, items coming to the recycling facility will be sent to the county’s Waste-to-Energy Facility, which serves as a back-up when the recycling has to close, Faber said. All tours and education programming at the REC are postponed indefinitely.
Residents wishing to make sure their recyclables head to the recycling facility are encouraged to hang on to items until next week, Faber said.
“The health and safety of our employees and customers is our number one priority,” said Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works. “We’re gathering a full assessment of the damage and will only reopen once repairs are made, and we know it’s safe for workers and visitors to enter.”
Kent County’s REC serves as the primary materials recovery facility for residential recyclables generated throughout West Michigan.
Wyoming community members will be among the first in West Michigan to use a new community engagement and feedback solution after an interaction with the Wyoming Department of Public Safety. This new service uses text messaging to contact community members after calls to dispatch or after receiving certain police services.
These text messages are sent shortly after the incident and will ask community members to take a quick survey about their experience with the dispatch and our officers. It will also allow them to provide comments, feedback, or words of gratitude after receiving public safety service. Text surveys will begin going out later this week.
This product, called PowerEngage, will send text message surveys to those whose number is recorded as part of a call for service or in an officer’s report. Community members can also take a text message survey and provide feedback even if they did not receive a text message. The department will soon be announcing a number dedicated to sharing feedback, and QR codes will be made available to scan and start that conversation.
Residents that do not want to participate can simply not respond or let the department know in advance by calling 616-530-7309 and the person’t number will never receive a survey. As with all texts, residents may reply with STOP and that will opt them out of all future text surveys from the department. It is important that everyone know that these surveys should not be used to report any type of emergency or crime. Call 9-1-1 for any emergency or to report any criminal activity.
“It is important for our department to hear from the community about how we are doing, especially from those that we have recently met,” said Wyoming Department of Public Safety Chief Kim Koster. “This new product, called PowerEngage, will give me access to community feedback in near real time, providing insights into areas where we can improve the service we provide to Wyoming. It also has potential to boost officer morale when positive feedback is provided.”
Members of the community may provide feedback to the Wyoming Department of Public Safety through the new survey option or at City’s website feedback option at https://www.wyomingmi.gov/Contact.
As of February 2023, the Biden Administration, in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have plans to end the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 by May of 2023.
This will impact Kent County and its residents and the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) is continuing to learn more about the extent of these new measures but this is what is known so far:
How is COVID viewed now?
Even though the Public Health Emergency is being lifted, that does not mean that COVID-19 is no longer a health risk to you or your family. But, COVID-19 is not dramatically impacting the lives of millions each day as were reported in the months of 2020 and 2021. This is due to most of the population having some form of protection from the virus either from vaccinations or prior infections giving immunity.
Home COVID tests may no longer be covered under insurance. (WKTV/Maggie Carey)
Preventative measures such as at-home COVID-19 tests may no longer be covered by insurance. Under the Public Health Emergency, insurance companies were required to reimburse up to eight at-home tests per month for residents. Once the Public Health Emergency ends, insurers will be able to choose if they will reimburse those costs or not. For those on Medicaid, at-home tests and PCR tests ordered by a physician, will remain free until September 2024.
It is not recommended that individuals stock up on multiple tests due to the short shelf life of at-home tests. Rather the recommendation is to pick up one or two tests before the month of May.
What happens if you test positive for COVID?
As of March 9, 2023, if you have a confirmed positive test for COVID-19 is it recommended that you isolate yourself and stay home to rest, stay away from others, and recover. According to the CDC, Isolation should last for at least five days and then another test is recommended and if it comes back negative you may end isolation and if positive continue to isolate until a negative test is produced.
It is recommended that if you test positive for COVID, you should quranrinte for five days. (Pxhere.com)
Access to vaccines and treatments like Paxlovid will still be available but may no longer be free. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters will still be available at no out-of-pocket cost for those with private insurance as long as they receive those entities from an in-network provider. Medicare and Medicaid will continue to provide vaccine coverage.
Paxlovid, an oral treatment by Pfizer for COVID-19, will continue to be available and covered for people who have private health insurance. Paxlovid will be available for those on Medicaid until supplies last and there may be a change in out-of-pocket costs.
Telemedicine care
If an individual utilizes telemedicine (virtual visits with a doctor or healthcare provider) and receives written prescriptions via telemedicine appointments, those services will no longer be available after May 11, 2023. Individuals will be required to make in-person appointments for prescriptions after May 11, 2023.
For those on Medicare, recipients will still have access to extended telehealth services until the end of 2024.
How the pandemic has impacted health systems in Grand Rapids
A report from Grand Valley State University found that close to 40% of individuals delayed care in the United States during the pandemic. Erkmen Aslim, an assistant professor of economics for the Seidman College of Business and co-author of the report states that “delaying care not only increases morbidity and mortality risk associated with treatable and preventable disease, but it can also contribute to excess deaths directly or indirectly related to the pandemic.”
This report also found an unusual increase in outpatient visits to Grand Rapids hospitals while other regions had a decrease in outpatient visits during the pandemic. Daniel Montanera, another co-author of Health Check and assistant professor of economics at Seidman, theorized that Grand Rapids became a magnet for people from the Detroit area who couldn’t or wouldn’t visit hospitals that were grappling with spikes in COVID-19.
The Public Health Emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has created change for our American healthcare systems and even though it is coming to an end, new information and updates related to COVID-19 will be available for residents through the Kent County Health Department for the foreseeable future.
Additional information and updates related to COVID-19 will also be readily available through the CDC’s COVID information website.
By Emily Armstrong Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan
Oral health is an integral component of overall wellness. Yet access to dental services can be a serious barrier for older adults to maintain their oral health. Each year the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan (AAAWM) partners with Grand Rapids Community College to host Senior Dental Day; an event that helps older adults in Kent County engage their oral health and find a new dental provider.
Last year, the event served 18 individuals, providing dental cleanings, x-rays, and exams conducted by GRCC dental program students. To qualify, seniors must be over 60 years of age and have not been to the dentist within the last 12 months. Held at Cook Academic Hall at GRCC’s downtown campus, the event will take place this year on Monday, March 20.
“We’re so thrilled to again offer the Senior Dental Day initiative. This is an event we look forward to each year and the partnership with Grand Rapids Community College gives us the chance to connect with high-risk seniors and connect them with services to support their health and independence,” shared Brandon Beck, Contract Administrator with the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan.
Locally, AAAWM supports oral health in a variety of ways. In Kent County, the Kent County Senior Millage (KCSM) network provides low-cost dental services to Kent County residents 60 years or older in partnership with Cherry Health and Exalta Health. AAAWM is also a member of the Kent County Oral Health Coalition, a group focused on advocacy and outreach in the West Michigan.
If you have any questions about this year’s event, you can reach out to Brandon at BrandonB@aaawm.org. If you’re an older adult in Kent County seeking dental services, you can contact the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan at 616-456-5664 to be connected to resources.
On the anniversary of its inception, the Metro Pattern Crimes Task Force (MPACT) announced today that it has arrested 12 individuals believed to be involved with 22 burglaries throughout Kent County including the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood.
Since Jan. 30, MPACT has been investigating numerous business break-ins throughout Kent County. The suspects targeted marijuana dispensaries, liquor stores, and convenience stores that sold vape pens similar to the rash of break-ins that took place on Jan. 27 that included Wyoming’s D. Schuler. Officers did not state if the arrests was related to the Jan. 27 break-ins.
The investigation conducted three residential search warrants and recovered four stolen handguns and 12 stolen cars. It is believed that along with the cities of Wyomig and Kentwood, the cities of Grand Rapids, Walker Lowell and Cedar Springs and the townships of Solon, Cascade, Gaines, Plainfield and Byron has all been affected by these incidents.
“By having a unit like this that is under one roof representing several different areas, officers are able to identify developing behaviors and patterns and working together to solve significant crimes that stretch across Kent County,” said Lt. Andrew Koeller, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety public relations officer.
Focus on violent and serial crimes
The task force was created in February of 2022 to address not only violet crime, but also significant pattern crimes such as burglaries, purse snatchings and other incidents that often occur across multiple jurisdictions, within the county.
“The team runs under the radar but has helped with making a number of arrests in violent crimes such as homicides and shootings and serial crimes such as the stolen vehicles,” Koeller said.
Arrests for the business break-ins took place over the last several weeks with the last one on March 14. The adult and juvenile suspects have been arrested on charges ranging from Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Felony Firearms, Breaking and Entering with Intent, to Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. Several cases are still open as MPACT investigates and is exploring charges of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony.
Case still under investigation
The suspects range from 16 to 21 years old spanning rom the cities of Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Walker, Coopersville and Alpine Township. According to a press release, it is believed that the group could be responsible for burglaries outside of Kent County. The task force is coordinating with area law enforcement partners as the case unfolds.
“This investigation unit is the Swiss Army knife of the county for crime,” Koeller said. “These guys are amazing and extremely dedicated, working long hours to solve significant crime that is committed in our county.”
The task force consists of personnel form the Wyomig Department of Public Safety, Kentwood Police department, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to contact Wyoming Police at 16-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 or at https://www.silentobserver.org.
For the first time, Red Storm Robotics earned the Engineering Inspiration Award at the St. Joseph competition. (Courtesy, Red Storm Robotics)Terence, the team’s robot, performed admirably. (Courtesy, Red Storm Robotics)
Red Storm Robotics FRC had a great opening tournament at the St. Joseph district competition on Friday and Saturday, March 9-10.
Red Storm finished the qualifier matches ranked 13 out of 39 teams and ended up the 8th Team Alliance Captain in the finals. Our finals alliance with the Woodhaven and Vicksburg teams did not make it beyond our two playoff matches, but our competition robot, “Terence” performed admirably with repeated successes in the autonomous portion of the competition, and the team is energized to improve Terence’s capabilities for the next competition in Battle Creek Lakeview starting Sunday, March 26.
Robotics competitions are more than robots on the challenge field as demonstrated by our team members who decorated and supplied our pit booth, readied the robot, cheered on all the teams, and prepared and presented to the competition judges for other awards.
Red Storm walked away with an award they have not won before, the Engineering Inspiration award. This is the second-highest team award, just shy of the ultimate judge’s award, the Impact Award. We are so proud to be recognized for our work in building a competition-ready robot and for bringing engineering and STEM to the community.
Our robot performed well, our judged presentations won an award, and our Red Storm marketing team had a great weekend passing out cards and buttons, leading cheers, and documenting our performance. A great start to our competition season and surely a sign of great things to come.
The Red Storm Robotics will be hosting the Kentwood District tournament March 31 and April 1. For more information about the home tournament, visit https://firstinmichigan.us/FRC/miken/.
The 2023 Red Storm Robotics Team (Courtesy, Red Storm Robotics)
The high dose tutoring program is currently a pilot at the district’s Townline Elementary School. (Courtesy, Townline Elementary)
Following the proverb that “It takes a village to raise a child,” the Kentwood Public Schools has reached out to the community seeking volunteers for its new high dosage tutoring program.
Superintendent Kevin Polsten in a communication to families and the community stated the district has designed plans to support a comprehensive student recovery program due to the impacts of COVID and the school shutdowns. Through that, the district has sought out evidenced-based practices from research and best practices from the field.
“Our strategy for academic recovery has been multifaceted and in addition to sound core instruction has included a robust K-12 summer school, after school learning, instructional coaching and high quality professional learning for educators, parent engagement, and tiers of intervention for students,” Polston said in a statement.
As part of that plan, the district recently added high dosage tutoring to its approach in partnership with the Michigan Education Corps. High dosage tutoring is usual a one-to-one or one-to-two mentor-student ratio.
Expanding program
The program is a pilot at Townline Elementary School with district officials hoping to scale the strategy across the district.
“Partnerships are key to our success at Kentwood Public Schools and we have been fortunate to have so many long standing partners across sectors of our community,” Polsten stated, adding that the district is seeking assistance from business, non-profits and individuals interested in volunteering to help expand the tutoring program.
Tutor volunteers are asked to serve at least three hours a week at a consistent time. It could be three hours in one day or broken up across multiple days. Volunteers must attend training on academic strategies and pass a background check.
Volunteers could be college students, retirees, individuals from businesses or non-profits participating in a corporate social responsibility program.
Those who are interested in participating, or simply want to learn more, should contact Jason Lawson, executive director of elementary education at Jason.Lawson@kentwoodps.org.
A combination of medical care and complementary therapies can be used to provide physical comfort in hospice. (Courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)
Sometimes, it’s what the patient shares by simply speaking. But a hospice practitioner can also make inroads by what patients express with a turn of the hand, the way they’re sitting, a look on their face.
“In treating the body, we’re listening in a lot of different ways,” says Joan Blessings, a licensed massage therapist at Emmanuel Hospice based in Grand Rapids. “Sometimes, you can feel patients relax and, in that way, they’re communicating. And ultimately, that helps us help them live their best lives.”
Blessings has been a massage therapist some two decades, nearly half of those years in a hospice setting.
“At first, I really didn’t know if I wanted to do this,” she says, “because our patients pass away. But what I find joy in is giving them comfort. It can be a simple foot or hand massage, but that can create a huge difference for them.
“We believe our patients are more than just their diagnosis. So, we’ll make available all kinds of complementary therapies aimed at treating them in a truly holistic way.”
It’s remarkable, she continues, the way in which the body responds to music, to scents, to time with a pet – and of course, her specialty – massage.
At times, that can mean a light touch to someone experiencing generalized pain. In other cases, it might call for zeroing in on anything from facial muscles to the entire spine. The benefits can manifest themselves in increased mobility, reduced inflammation and more.
It takes time and practice to focus on the physical needs of each patient.
“Every patient is different,” she says. “When I go in for the first time, I am seeking to meet their expectations, and working hard to understand what those are.”
While she focuses on massage, she’s also paying attention to how else that patient might benefit from others on the care team. During the massage, they might talk about craving a spiritual connection. Perhaps they want to visit the beach or a flower garden. Another might want to sing or listen to hymns.
Blessings makes detailed notes of those desires into a digital logbook that everyone else attending to that patient can discover and then act on. A variety of complementary programs can be used alongside pharmaceutical approaches to provide physical comfort and support other health needs.
“We are so team-oriented,” Blessings says. “And everything we do is integrated on behalf of the patient, so they get everything they need from everyone with whom I work. It’s a very important part of their care program, and when a situation changes, we’re all aware of it.”
The rewards are many: “I served a woman the other day who said to me, ‘I’m 94-years-old, and I have never had a massage.’ I was able to smile and tell her, ‘Well, after I walk out that door, you won’t be able to say that anymore.’”
A poem by Patricia Clark, professor emerita of writing and former poet laureate of Grand Rapids, is slated to be launched to the moon as part of the “Lunar Codex” project.
The poem, “Astronomy ‘In Perfect Silence,'” will be part of a time capsule headed to the moon in 2024. Lunar Codex project leaders say they are using surplus payload space for multiple moon missions to archive the works of more than 30,000 artists from around the world on the moon.
Clark’s piece, which will be stored on archival technology, is part of the “Polaris” collection, which is scheduled to launch in November 2024. The poem is also in an anthology named “The Polaris Trilogy: Poems for the Moon.”
An invitation for her piece to “go to the moon”
She was invited by an editor soliciting poems for the project to contribute a piece, an invitation that Clark eagerly accepted. She learned that her poem was chosen with an email that opened with, “You’re going to the Moon! Well, to be more precise, your poem is.”
For Clark, who was poet laureate for Grand Rapids from 2005-2007 and also served as Grand Valley’s poet-in-residence, it is a thrill for her poem to be included in the payload carrying artistic material that is set to stay at the moon in perpetuity.
“My husband says he’s going to look up there and think about my poem,” Clark said.
Poets were asked to tell the judges if they were writing about the moon, stars or sun. Clark said she chose a form called abecedarian, which is a 26-line poem where each line starts with a letter, A-Z, in order of the alphabet (and with a little poetic license where necessary, as Clark did with the line starting with “X.”).
A celebration of astronomy and teaching
The poem is a celebration of astronomy and the wonder of space.
Her inspiration was an astronomy professor from her undergraduate time at the University of Washington whose enthusiasm for the subject stayed with her even though she never pursued the discipline professionally.
“When I saw the call for work, I was immediately excited because I thought, ‘This will give me a chance to write about this experience I had.’ I thought I’d start writing about the experience of the class and see what I get to,” Clark said.
A key reason she knows that class stuck with her is because she still has the book, one of the few from college that she saved after multiple decades and many moves. She valued the star charts, too.
Though the poem notes that Clark had forgotten the professor’s name, she contacted her alma mater to see if they could figure out who the professor was. She soon learned that the professor was George Wallerstein, who had sadly died in recent years.
But the poem is a testament to his inspiration as a teacher and the importance of a well-rounded education, she said. While she didn’t dig deeply into the field, she has a deep appreciation of it because of this teacher.
“It might not be something you spent your life on, but it mattered to you. That’s what liberal education is all about,” Clark said. “The magic of space and the wonder of it all is still there because of this class and this professor who was so jazzed about it all.”
The Grand Rapids Ballet presents ‘Jumpstart” March 24-26. (Courtesy, Grand Rapids Ballet)
Grand Rapids Ballet (GRB), Michigan’s first professional ballet company, is gearing up for its annual one-weekend performance, “Jumpstart 2023,” taking place March 24-26 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre. “Jumpstart” is an annual production at GRB, each year bringing new artistic elements to the forefront, and this year features ten world-premiere performances.
In preparation for “Jumpstart 2023,” GRB’s dancers are challenged to refocus their creative energies, moving into the role of choreographer and building works for other company dancers, apprentices, and trainees. “Jumpstart 2023” also will feature an excerpt of “Three Offerings” by sought-after choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie.
“Not knowing what to expect when you sit down at a Jumpstart performance is exactly what is so great about it. You can only prepare to be surprised and inspired! Our dancers are so talented, and they get to show a different side of themselves when they step into the role of choreographer,” said James Sofranko, artistic director at GRB.
GRB’s company dancers, consisting of 30 professional dancers, Apprentices, and Trainees, are eager to share these works with the community. The choreographers include Isaac Aoki, James Cunningham, Anna Hughlett, Adrien Malof, Yuka Oba-Muschiana, Emily Reed, Nigel Tau, Alexandra Meister Upleger, Adriana Wagenveld, and Nathan Young.
“I am amazed every year when I see the amount of creativity and energy poured into these brand-new works. Jumpstart reinvigorates my thoughts about my own choreography and challenges me to think differently,” Sofranko added.
“Jumpstart 2023” takes place March 24-26 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre, with tickets starting at $26 online, via phone at 616-454-4771, ext. 110, or in-person at GRB’s Box Office. “Jumpstart 2023” is sponsored by The Rosemary and David Good Family Foundation and Dave Schmidt and Robert Oracz.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
FlixBus will be operating a new route from Grand Rapids to Detroit and back. (Courtesy, FlixBus)
Starting this week, bus service that goes beyond the Kent County area will now be available in Grand Rapids.
FlixBus announced this week that it is bringing long distance busing back to the Grand Rapids area by starting a route that will travel to and from the Detroit area with a stop in East Lansing.
Having been present in the North American market since 2018, Munich-based Flix SE acquired Greyhound Lines In. in 2021. Recently Flix North America Inc., the Dallas-based entity overseeing operations for both Greyhound and FlixBus across North America, announced a co-integration of both brand’s booking platforms. This will allow passengers to purchase both Greyhound and FlixBus tickets on each brands’ websites to more than 2,300 destinations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Currently only FlixBus will be serving the Grand Rapids area, said FlixBus Public Relations Manager Sean Hanft.
“If passengers make the trip to Detroit for example, they can transfer to Greyhound buses throughout the U.S., transfer to FlixBus’ domestic network in Canada and more,” Hanft said. “So it s a great expansion in local service for Grand Rapids’ travelers, as well as giving them access to connections in metropolitan areas like Detroit to more destinations across North America.”
The new route, which officially starts on Thursday, March 16, will have four stops. Two are in Grand Rapids: Grand Rapids (East) is the Cascade Meijer, 5531 28th St. Ct. SE, and Grand Rapids (Downtown) is at the downtown Burger King, 410 Pearl St. NW, near the downtown YMCA. The East Lansing stop is at 3121 E. Saginaw St, near the Frandor Shopping Center. The Detroit stop is at Grand Circus Park, 501 Park Ave.
The line will run five days a week, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It departs daily at 10:15 a.m. from Detroit, arriving at 1 p.m. in Grand Rapids. It leaves from Grand Rapids at 3:20 p.m. and arrives in Detroit at 6:30 p.m.
“Whenever FlixBus enters a new market, college students are typically among our biggest fans who need affordable, convenient transportation for holidays, weekend trips and more, that is a major factor that we take into account with every expansion,” Hanft said, adding that FlixBus is a compelling option for college students throughout the region looking for sustainable, budget-friendly travel options.
Tickets for Detroit to Grand Rapids trips start at $37.99 and Grand Rapids to East Lansing start at $25.99.
Just like other transportation options such as airlines and trains, FlixBus passengers have the option to pick a seat or select to not have a neighboring passenger for an additional fee. Passengers are allowed one carry-on and one stowaway luggage item with additional luggage being added for a small fee.
As FlixBus builds its Michigan network, it hopes to add new connections to other destinations such as Chicago, Hanft said.
There is an old saying about life insurance: “you buy life insurance because you either owe someone or you love someone.”
The life insurance industry has changed, with the introduction of the internet, access to information has increase as well as the options to acquire it and manage it. For many people life insurance is just a commodity and frankly it is until….. until the insured dies. Then it becomes a lifeline to security, income and family continuation.
Working with a licensed and authorized insurance agent can help you decipher the insurance road. Still many people want to look behind the hood for themselves. If you are one of those people, here are some tips.
Shop around and compare quotes from multiple insurers. Different insurers may have different rates for the same coverage, so it’s important to compare quotes from multiple companies to find the best deal.
Consider term life insurance. Term life insurance is generally less expensive than permanent life insurance, such as whole life or universal life. With term life insurance, you pay a premium for a specific period of time (the “term”), such as 10 or 20 years. If you pass away during the term, your beneficiaries will receive a death benefit. If you outlive the term, the policy will expire, and you will no longer be covered.
But, term insurance is like renting, you only can keep it for a specific period of time. Permanent (whole life) insurance will protect you for your entire life.
Consider your coverage needs. The amount of coverage you need will affect the cost of your policy. Determine how much coverage you need based on your financial goals and the needs of your beneficiaries, and choose a policy that provides the right amount of coverage at a price you can afford.
Consider your health. Insurers will consider your health when determining the premium for your policy. If you have good health, you may be able to qualify for lower premiums.
Consider your lifestyle. Insurers may consider factors such as your occupation, hobbies, and whether you smoke when determining the premium for your policy. If you have a high-risk occupation or engage in risky hobbies, you may pay more for life insurance. If you smoke, you may also pay more for life insurance.
Considering working with an independent insurance agent. An independent insurance agent can help you compare quotes from multiple insurers and find a policy that fits your needs and budget.
Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463 or click this link: Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.comDave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety is investigating two unrelated crashes involving pedestrians being struck by vehicles.
On March 14 at approximately 6:40 a.m., police and fire personnel from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to the area of 32nd Street and South Division Avenue on a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.
When officers arrived, they located an unresponsive male lying in the roadway. This male was pronounced deceased at the scene. The initial investigation indicates the pedestrian was crossing South Division Avenue, outside of the crosswalk, when he was struck by a southbound vehicle. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene to speak with police.
The deceased is a 67-year-old Wyoming man, and his name is not being released at this time.
On March 14 at approximately 6:55 a.m., police and fire personnel from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to the area of 44th Street SW and Byron Center Ave SW on the report of a juvenile pedestrian struck by a vehicle. When officers arrived, they located a juvenile male with serious injuries. The juvenile was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The juvenile is a 13- year-old male and remains in critical condition.
Initial investigation indicates that the male was in the roadway on Byron Center when he was struck by a northbound vehicle. The driver of the vehicle remained onscene to speak with police.
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety the Accident Investigation and Forensic Services Units are continuing to investigate both incidents. The southbound lanes of Division Avenue south of 32nd Street remain closed while officers investigate the fatal crash. The north and southbound lanes of Byron Center Avenue north of 44th Street remain closed while officers investigate the serious injury crash.
In light of these accidents, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety does encourage both motorists and pedestrians to follow Michigan’s traffic laws, which are put in place to assist both those on foot and in a vehicle in arriving to their destination safely.
“Michigan law does require if there is a crosswalk, the pedestrian should use it,” said Lt. andrew Koeller, Wyoming police’s public relations officer. “If pedestrians choose to walk before daylight hours I would strongly encourage them to wear a reflective vest. If there are pedestrian signals in place, they should be followed for the safety of all those on the sidewalk and roadway.”
Nicole Timmer was a substitute teacher for Grand Haven Public Schools until the pandemic hit.
To help fill the substitute shortage needs, some districts have turned to staffing services and college students to help fill substitute teaching gaps. (pxhere.com)
“It wasn’t worth it,” she said.
As the need for substitute teachers increased after the pandemic, private placement companies have become more essential to grow school districts’ sub pools.
Timmer, a former stay-at-home mom, was trained by Edustaff, a private staffing service based in Grand Rapids. Its website says the company works with more than 550 K-12 districts nationwide.
However, she and a handful of other Grand Haven subs were “grandfathered” into the substitute teaching system. She used Edustaff’s portal to see her assignments, but there was a special asterisk next to her name meaning she was a district employee.
With the asterisk came the perks of being involved in the school district on an ongoing basis.
Feeling like you are part of a team
She was able to form relationships with other teachers, be involved in her children’s education and choose whom to substitute for.
Before the school year started, she often had a calendar full of dates she was needed in the classrooms.
The full-time teachers “were spending the most time with my children during the day,” Timmer said. “So it was a really cool insider look to see what was going on in the times that I wasn’t around. Being a stay-at-home mom, it was very interesting.”
She said she was lucky to be able to follow her kids as they got older.
Her brother, Joe Nelson, taught at the Grand Haven High School. She once texted him after having a problem with one of his students.
“A kid was being kind of mean to me, and I literally just took a picture of him and sent it to Joe and said, ‘This kid’s being a jerk,’” Timmer said. “Joe emailed him right then and there, (saying) ‘Stop being a jerk.’”
Timmer said she’s still friends with many teachers she subbed for, and having such connections helped solidify her position in the district.
For other outsourced substitutes working for Edustaff, Timmer said it could be difficult to develop and maintain such relationships in an unfamiliar district. But she said these subs should also make an effort to “make a name for themselves.”
Filling the substitute teacher need
Brian Dunn, the Edustaff director for Michigan, said the company has seen a 10% spike in teacher absences this school year.
“We’re also filling in more classrooms, which is exciting because it means more people are working more often,” Dunn said.
He said anyone who meets the 60-semester credit hours and background check requirements can apply to Edustaff.
Stay-at-home parents are the biggest group of Edustaff’s subs, Dunn said. Other large groups include retired educators and college students.
While Edustaff services can fill some gaps left by the teacher shortage, some districts are reaching out to education colleges to ask if their students can fill paid long-term substitute positions.
Reaching into the future educators pool
Marcia Fetters, the director of teaching education at Western Michigan University, said long-term sub positions can be valuable for some students because of the pay.
Most internships for education majors at Western are student teaching positions with a mentor teacher. Fetters said she encourages traditional student teachers to train through Edustaff so they can cover the classroom if the mentor is absent for the day.
Long-term sub positions are different because students don’t have a full-time teacher to coach them in the classroom.
Fetters said Western often works with a district to set up additional mentoring opportunities for students who take on long-term substitute jobs.
“Long-term subbing as an internship has its pros and cons,” Fetters said. “I’ve worked with students who have done it both ways. Some excel at it and some just want a little bit more support.”
Nathan Hannum (standing) with his donor, Kyle Hess. (Courtesy, Trinity Health)
Some years ago, Nathan Hannum received the diagnosis that he had IgA nephropathy, also sometimes called Berger’s disease, that occurs when an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) builds up in the kidney resulting in inflammation that can hamper the kidneys’ ability to filter waste from your blood.
It was a slow decline of kidney function, taking about 18 years for Hannum to drop to about 80% function and then in 2020, the decline started to take a steep dive, with him losing about 20% of functionality.
“So it was a pretty steep deal, but at the end of the year I was in a better position than a lot of other patients in that even though my function had gone down so far, I didn’t have to have dialysis,” he said.
When Hannum and his family moved to Grand Rapids about 15 years ago, he discovered there was only one renal kidney doctor’s office in Grand Rapids at that time, which was associated with the Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center.
“I had been told I would probably want to get it done there just because it’s close to home,” Hannum said. “There are other options. We could have gone to the University of Michigan or Detroit or Chicago, but the ability to have the facility close to home was a big part of the decision.”
Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center marks its 50th anniversary this year. (Courtesy, Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center)
Marking a golden anniversary
The Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center in Grand Rapids marks its 50th anniversary this year. There are six such centers in the state of Michigan with Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center (formerly theMercy Health Saint Mary’s Kidney Transplant Center) being the only adult kidney transplant center on the west side of the state.
Since its opening in 1973, more than 2,800 kidney transplants have occurred, improving the lives not only of the patients but of their loved ones and caregivers.
“Our team takes great pride in reaching this 50-year milestone,” said Jill McNamara, MSN RN, Transplant services liaison for the Kidney Transplant Center. “One of the ways we are celebrating is to reflect on the patient stories that show our team just how many people have been touched by their care.”
Hannum admits he was one of those patients who benefitted from that expert care.
“You know sometimes you go in for procedures and they just start working on it and don’t really tell you what is going on. They might ask you what your name is to make sure they’re working on the right person,” Hannum said. “(The Trinity) nurses were fantastic at explaining ahead of time what was going to happen and why they were poking me for this and why they were asking me about that and the doctors were the same way.”
Hannum’s story
Hannum’s process started a couple of years before his surgery with doctors encouraging him to start compiling a list of potential donors. Having been a pastor for the past 25 years, Hannum, who is currently serving at Jenison Christian Church, has a network of contacts.
Left, Nathan Hannum with his donor, Kyle Hess. (Courtesy, Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center)
In 2022, the Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center became the only adult transplant center in Michigan to partner with the National Kidney Register (NKR), the largest paired donation program in the world. The NKR has the largest living donor pool, making the likelihood of finding a match potentially faster than other paired programs.
“I sent a big ask to my friends and family and said if you are still interested, here’s the number to call and I was fortunate that a lot of them did,” Hannum said. “There were at least two matches and I think there were probably more than that for me.”
Once a donor was found, the next step was a series of tests, blood and others, to assure there were no underlying issues. It was through those tests, Hannum learned he had prostate cancer. While appreciative that it was discovered, especially since Hannum had no cancer symptoms, the diagnosis was a setback for Hannum, but only a couple months.
Finally cleared for the transplant surgery, Hannum said the next biggest hurdle was scheduling. The surgery took place in December of 2021.
Utilizing technological innovations
Robotic live donor nephrectomy has created even more opportunities for live kidney donation. (Courtesy, Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center)
For patients like Hannum, Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center offer one of the latest technological innovations, robotic live donor nephrectomy. This process has created even more opportunities for live kidney donation. A live kidney donation is when a kidney is removed from one healthy patient and donated to a patient who has renal/kidney failure. Previously, these nephrectomies were performed laparoscopically, using small incisions, with the surgeon using his hands during the procedure.
“With a robotic procedure, we still make incisions into the abdomen, but instead of using two hands, a surgeon has four robotic arms available at one time to also control the instruments and camera,” said Joel Stracke, DO, surgical director of the Kidney Transplant Center. “The nice thing about this approach is that we are able to make the large incision needed to remove the kidney much lower on the patient’s abdomen – under the pant line.”
The robot not only offers remarkable precision during surgery, but studies have shown that following a robotic donor nephrectomy, patients experience less pain and less need for narcotics.
Feeling like your 15 years younger
Every person responds differently to their transplant, Hannum said, adding that in his case, aftercare was mostly routine.
“The moment I woke up from my surgery, I felt better and my wife even told me even before I said anything. She said ‘Your eyes are brighter, and your skin color is different and it’s just amazing,’” he said. “ I can’t describe what it was like to be out of the ‘kidney fog’ just when you wake up.”
While there have been bumps along the way, a year later, Hannum said he feels 100% better, adding that he has felt 15 years younger this past year, “which is pretty fantastic.”
“Our main priority is to provide our patients with individualized, compassionate and expert care,” McNamara said. “Over the last 50 years, our program has become one of the largest and most successful community hospital-based transplant programs in the country. As we look forward to the next 50 years and beyond, we will continue to focus on our patients and their families, offering advanced surgical techniques and innovative donor options that offer more hope to our patients.”
The Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center currently has six surgeons and five nephrologists. In 2022, it completed 102 transplant surgeries: 37 living donor recipients and 65 deceased donor recipients. There are approximately 300 patients at the center currently on the waiting list, 155 which were added last year.
The classically-trained Detroit resident has been elbow-deep in traditional American music since their first lessons at the age of five with Kentucky native Robert Oppelt. Their concerts take audiences on a journey through the back roads of American old time and folk music, with detours through ragtime and early jazz. Lewis has taken blue ribbons at the Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, WV, and at the Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, VA, the country’s oldest and largest fiddlers convention.
Your musical path has included both classical and traditional American music. Can you describe your musical origins and artistic progress?
It all started when my grandfather brought a full-size viola to the house when I was three years old. According to family lore, I would pull it out from under the piano every day and open the case up and say “I want to play it.” So when I was a little older I started taking violin lessons, and I made it as far as Interlochen Arts Academy for my junior and senior years of high school. After high school, I decided that I was done with the violin, and soon after that I met a musician from Virginia — Aaron Greenhood — who introduced me to bluegrass. I wasn’t especially interested but it turned out to be very fun and challenging, and we became close friends. I ended up moving to Virginia and started a band with him. Aaron introduced me to Ben Belcher, who gave me my first banjo and the inspiration to want to play, and from bluegrass I started exploring its origins and influences, old time, blues and other styles from the early 20th century, early jazz and country.
Aaron Jonah Lewis (Courtesy of the artist)
When I think about the musical decisions I’ve made in my life, they have always been informed by my relationships with people. Some people decide what kind of music they want to play and then look for people to play with and learn from. For me, it’s the other way around — I find people who inspire me and who I like to spend time with, and I end up getting into whatever they’re into. If Aaron Greenhood had been into samba or polka or reggae, I probably would be in a very different place right now!
Aaron Jonah Lewis was classical training. (Courtesy of the artist)
You’re a virtuoso of banjo playing rooted in 19th-century classic fingerstyle. What distinguishes this discipline from other banjo styles?
In this style, the banjo is set up with nylon strings and played with bare fingers picking up, as opposed to bluegrass picking in which steel strings and finger picks are used, or clawhammer, which uses a down-stroke with the right hand. Much of the repertoire exists in written form, as this style was popular before audio recording technology was widely available for commercial use.
I do get a thrill reading a piece of banjo music for the first time that’s never been recorded before, knowing that I’m having the same experience as someone 120 years ago would have had, discovering the music without any audible reference. For more information about classic banjo, I highly recommend this excellent resource — classic-banjo.ning.com — and to answer this specific question in detail, classic-banjo.ning.com/page/f-a-q#whatisclassicbanjo.
You play music from a variety of musical genres and traditions. Does your classical training in violin, for example, inform your traditional playing, or vice versa?
Yes, it certainly goes both ways! My Suzuki training encouraged learning by ear, and that has served me very well in the oral traditions of old time, jazz, bluegrass, country, blues, et al. I’ve found that when I play classical I bring a lot more to the table than I did in my younger years, thanks to my experience with improvisation and diverse traditional musics.
I did have to unlearn some of my classical training in order to be able to relax and get into improvisation; let go of rigid ideas of what it means to be “in tune”; and to develop a strong sense of rhythm, which is often overlooked in classical training. The training I had in my youth gave me a solid technical foundation, which made it easier for me to pick up new musical ideas and run with them, but I also had to let go of ideas of what was “right” or “good” and get past the endless quest for excellence and perfection that can distract from what is useful and meaningful in the moment.
In addition to your solo career, you’re a founding member of The Corn Potato String Band. What distinguishes your solo repertoire from your work with Corn Potato?
Not much! My solo work is missing the musical input and voices of my longtime collaborators Lindsay McCaw and Ben Belcher, and I can’t bring the same level of variety and excitement to a solo performance as I can with Ben and Lindsay. On the other hand, I am able to get a little more into the storytelling side of things and sharing historical context when I’m on my own. With Corn Potato, we try to keep the hits coming, and in my solo shows I have a bit more space and intimacy to share the stories behind the music.
What do you like about performing in downtown GR?
The people! Anywhere I perform, it’s the people who make the show. I absolutely can’t do it on my own, and folks in GR continue to demonstrate a real dedication and love for music, both new and old, familiar, and obscure.
This article provided by ArtRat, located at 46 Division Ave. S. For more about ArtRat, visit the gallery’s website at www.artrat.us. To join ArtRat Gallery’s mailing list of events and exhibits, email matthew@artrat.us.
On March 13, 1992, then Wyoming’s Roger High School, now Wyoming High School, had a very special visitor, then Democratic presidential contender Bill Clinton. To a packed school library, Clinton talked about what he would do if president, focusing on the trade deficit with Japan. Clinton secured the Democratic nomination and went on to be elected the nation’s 42nd president.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
Residents listen to the presentations on the May 2 millage proposal for a 1.5 mill increase. (WKTV)
On Thursday, the City of Wyoming hosted the first of three public meetings on its May 2 millage proposal that would be dedicated to fund police and fire.
About 35 residents and community and city leaders were at the meeting which took place at the KDL Wyoming branch. The city is seeking a millage rate increase of 1.5 mills for a period of five years. For a $200,000 residential home, which has a taxable value of $100,000, the additional cost would be about $150 annually.
If approved on May 2, the proposal would generate an additional $4 million in revenue each year. The revenue would help fund 14 police officers and 13 firefighters.
Mayor Kent VanderWood, Chief Kim Koster, and Interim City Manager John McCarter discussed the number of factors, such as the 2008 recession, lost in revenue sharing, and the decline of paid-on call volunteer firefighters that have impacted the funding of police and fire. Koster noted the city currently has 1.3 officers for every 1,000 city residents which is below the national average of 2.4. If the millage passed, the city would be at 1.6 officers per 1,000 residents. Koster said the police department has handled 3,583 cases, which have doubled in the past seven to eight years, and that fire has responded to 7,900 calls, which is about 645 calls per firefighter.
McCarter pointed out that the city has not had a millage rate increase since 2010 when the current dedicated millage for public safety was approved. The city’s current millage rate is 11.89 mills. That millage was renewed in 2014 and made permanent in 2018. The city did seek a request to be able to use some of its library funds for park improvements in 2017 and sought an income tax in 2022 for public safety and park improvements, which failed.
Residents asked a variety of questions about the millage, what it will fund and how the additional funding would impact the city. Some of those questions are summarized below with the responses from city officials.
The state of Michigan has a $9 billion surplus, so does it have more money available to fund more firefighters and police officers for the City of Wyoming?
Interim City Manager John McCarter: The City of Wyoming receives funding from property taxes and state shared funding. Within state shared funding, there are two types: constitutional, which is money that always comes to the city and the state cannot touch it; and statuary, which has been cut over the years. Governor Gretchen Whitmer in her budget has a 7% increase on that statuary just for public safety. The amount is about $55,000 with it costing about $130,000 for a fully funded police officer.
We have reached out to the state to see if there is any other money available that we are not aware of and we have been told there is not. We are grateful for what we are receiving and we appreciate that increase but we really can’t rely on the state to get us to that $4 million-level that we are needing.
What about grants?
Interim City Manager John McCarter: The city utilized the United States Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program to hire six officers about a year and half ago. The trouble with grants is that they sunset. The COPS grant steps down. It is 75% the first year, 50% the second year, and then about 25% the third year, and then with that grant you not only have to cover all those costs but you have to retain all those officers one year after the funding is done. So the grant funding is temporary and it always has strings attached.
So we have sought grant funding and we continue to. We have sought out on the fireside as well. We haven’t been successful, but we are still trying.
To clarify on the (COPS) grant that is expiring: if this millage does not get passed, how many officers would the city be at risk losing?
Chief Kim Koster: It would be 10 officers. We have to maintain that staffing for at least two and half years and then that funding would be gone. The grant covers 50% the second year and about 25% the third year for those six officers and there is an additional four that the city is covering.
Mayor Kent VanderWood talks to residents after the meeting. (WKTV)
Interim John McCarter: In our general fund, we carry a fund balance for emergencies and we have a policy minimum, and we can go about two and half more years and support the staff that we have now, assuming that property values come back to earth and do not continue to climb the way they are. So we can support them that long but we have to seek other sources after that.
Mayor Kent VanderWood: When we decided at the council level to accept that grant to hire those additional officers, we knew it would come time that we would have to fund those within our budget and not the COPS grant. It is kind of like when you buy something on a credit card, you know the bill is going to come. So that is kind of what we are facing right now.
So it is 17 public safety officers that are not being funded by the current public safety millage. These are being paid out of our general fund surplus right now. So what this millage will allow us to do is continue to staff at that level plus add 10 more public safety officers.
Are you counting those ones you may no longer have after the grant funding in the millage proposal?
Chief Kim Koster: Yes, so there are 10 current police officers and we would add four through the proposed funding. (For a total of 14 police officers.) On the fireside, it would be 13, seven are already hired and we would hire six additional.
How many total police officers and firefighters does the City of Wyoming have?
Chief Kim Koster discusses why the city needs to increase its police and fire staffing. (WKTV)
Chief Kim Koster: We have 99 sworn police officers, which includes myself, and with the additional four that would make 103. On the fireside, for those in fire suppression, meaning these are firefighters who go out and fight fires and are not assigned to other duties, we have 33 and it would be 39 if we hire the additional six.
So a total of 10 additional public safety officers (and seven firefighters) who are not funded by the current public safety millage who would be part of the 27 officers who would be funded under the proposed millage.
Can you describe what the dedicated traffic enforcement would look like?
We have a crime analyst that was part of the COPS grant. She would be able to identify high intersections for traffic crasheswhere we could deploy some of our community service officers there to run red light violations or radar in other areas where we get complaints. A lot of neighbors complain about speeding traffic. So if we receive many of those complaints around an area, we would respond.
Some of the response times and rates that you mentioned, if this passes and in a year, if we want to see how this is doing, are those response times listed anywhere?
Earlier in the meeting, Koster stated that the response times are 5.16 minutes when the first vehicle arrives on the scene. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the standard is four minutes, which the department hopes to achieve with the additional fire staff funded by the proposed millage.
Chief Kim Koster: We do an annual report so you would get to see it in the annual report which usually comes out at the end of February or March. Note: The report is also available at the city’s website, under the “Public Safety – Police” tab.”
The next meetings are March 27 at 7 p.m. at the Gezon Fire Station, 2300 Gezon Pkwy. SW, and April 27 at 7 p.m. at the Wyoming Police Station, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW. Koster said both events will be more meet-n-greets with opportunities for the public to talk with police officers and firefighters.
Brian Long is a local business forecaster. Credit: GVSU
The “back-to-work euphoria” of January has faded and economic indicators edged back into negative territory in West Michigan during February, according to the latest survey from Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business.
The Current Business Trends survey of West Michigan manufacturers released March 8 found key indexes sliding as new orders and production soured after an unexpectedly rosy outlook in January.
“Overall we had expected business conditions to soften in 2023 and this month’s report is a confirmation of that trend,” said Brian Long, director of supply chain management research at the Seidman. “We expect interest rate-sensitive industries to retreat, but are still expecting that the pent-up demand for automotive will keep the West Michigan economy positive.”
Based on responses from the survey, Long said he also expects a positive outlook from aerospace firms, while the prospects for the office furniture business “remain far less certain.”
“However, even if the markets for office furniture remain soft, a major collapse like we’ve seen in other downturns is unlikely,” Long concluded.
Both the short- and long-term business outlook indexes slid back into negative territory after showing a more upbeat outlook in January.
Broader indicators are showing the world economy proving resilient despite the war in Ukraine, Long said.
“The world economy is not as grim as you might imagine,” he said. “The J.P. Morgan international survey of purchasing agents indicates that we are absolutely at break-even now. Some countries are down, but enough countries are up right now that the average is at a break-even point.”
GVSU’s Current Business Trends survey indexes are tracked based on whether survey respondents report “up,” “same,” “down” or “N/A” to questions about business conditions.
Here’s a look at some key indexes:
Sales (new orders): -17 in February vs. +18 in January
Production: -7 in February vs. +21 in January
Employment: +17 in February vs. +18 in January
Lead times also improved in the survey, which Long noted was a strong indicator that supply chains are continuing to loosen up, despite continued shortages and high prices for specific commodities.
The 60th anniversary memorial event that took place on 2022. (Wreath Across America)
Sixty-one years ago on March 16, 1962, Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 (FTLF 739) and its crew, departed on a secret mission sanctioned by the President John F. Kennedy, to fly to Vietnam. This secret Vietnam reconnaissance mission went missing with no trace of the plane or its passengers ever found. Onboard were 93 United States Army soldiers and 11 civilian crewmembers.
On Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 12pm ET, national nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) will be holding a special live ceremony to remember all those lost that day and honor their families.
Very little is known about what happened to FTLF 739, its crew and passengers, and due to the circumstance surrounding this mission, the names of those lost have not yet been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. However, today many families and loved ones of these heroes still fight to have their loved ones recognized for their contributions to our freedom and shared history.
Of the 93 soldiers who were on the flight, two were from Michigan: Specialist James Taylor from Olive Branch and Private Stanley McEntee from Detroit.
Presently, the only monument that bears the names of these American heroes was erected by a private citizen, Wreaths Across America founder Morrill Worcester, on his balsam tip land in Columbia Falls, Maine.
“When I first heard the story about this mission, I was shocked to learn that nothing has been done for these families,” said Morrill Worcester. “I said that day, that we would do something to make sure these people are honored and remembered, and to hopefully give some closure to these families.”
The inscription on the FTLF 739 monument in Maine reads:
“Missing in action; Presumed dead. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 went missing on March 16, 1962, with 93 U.S. Army soldiers on board. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation mysteries out of the Vietnam War era.
“The names of those who gave their lives and who remain missing are inscribed here so the they will be said aloud and their memory will live on.”
The Jeep recovered by Kent County Sheriff’s Department. (Courtesy, Kent County Sheriff’s Department)
Just before 1 a.m. March 8, deputies received information that a Jeep stolen out of Kalamazoo was in the area of Byron Township. Kent County Sheriff units closed in and attempted to stop the vehicle near 84th Street and U.S. 131.
The Jeep fled from deputies, but nearby units were able to use spike strips along U.S. 131 at 100th Street. The vehicle continued to flee until it stopped along U.S. 131 near the Dorr exit. The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Kent County Sherrif deputies in taking two suspects into custody.
More than 100 pieces of stolen mail were found inside the vehicle. This includes multiple credit and debit cards, checks, and other assorted mail. The mail was stolen from the Kalamazoo area, Ottawa County, and Byron Township.
Mail found in the stolen car. (Courtesy, Kent County Sheriff’s Department)
A 40-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, both from Kalamazoo, are lodged at the Kent County Jail on charges related to the stolen vehicle, flee and elude, and possession of burglary tools. Kent County Sheriff detectives are still sorting through the mail to contact victims. Kent County Sheriff has been in contact with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for the possibility of a federal investigation.
Mailboxes are protected by federal law and crimes against mailboxes (and the mail inside) are investigated by Postal Inspectors. Mail theft is a serious crime; although it’s considered a lesser offense than mail fraud. Under federal law, mail theft is penalized by up to 5 years of imprisonment.
