Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
Another year is coming to a close. But before the calendar flips to 2019, we thought it would be fun to go down memory lane and take a look at some of the most popular WKTV stories of 2018.
In compiling this list, I took a look at both page views on a story, which indicates the number of people who clicked on the article, and also social media statistics. The result is a mix of both most read and shared articles from the WKTV website.
Leading the pack on both was the Widening project on 56th Street set to start around July 9. It certainly had an impact on the community, since it is a direct route to the RiverTown Crossings mall. The project, which included widening 56th Street to three lanes and adding a traffic signal to the intersection of 56th Street and Ivanrest Avenue, was completed on time and opened before the holiday season even started.
The City of Wyoming snagged quite a few of the top stories as the next was On Tap: Wyoming’s new TwoGuys Brewing plans to be community catalyst. If you love beer, then you will be thrilled to know that there are more breweries scheduled to open in the area. In Kentwood, Brewery Vivant is looking to expand its operations to the city and and a brewery co-op is also set to open soon. Also, in Byron Center, they are working quickly on the Railbird Brewery.
Other top Wyoming stories:
Balancing public use, open-space, Wyoming City Council approves new Gezon Park master plan
Wyoming’s spring carnival set to open this Friday
Walkability, healthier lifestyles focus of new development at Metro Health Village
The City of Kentwood also had a few top stories such as City of Kentwood to open brush drop-off site as part of community clean-up and of course, everybody is always looking forward to the city’s Fourth of July activities along with the summer concert series. Speaking of activities, people must love their ugly Christmas sweaters, because a couple of other top Kentwood stories were all about the Ugly Sweater 5K, Kentwood holiday season to start with disc golf tournament, Ugly Sweater 5k, and Kentwood’s holiday season (only) started with its Ugly Sweater 5K.
Other top Kentwood stories for 2018 were:
Kentwood to improve community access, tries new city hall hours starting Nov. 12
Kentwood’s annual Fall Festival’s Trunk or Treat brought the family fun to community
Crane Wives return home for gig at Kentwood Summer Concert Series
Big Dudee Too brings ‘raw energy’ to Kentwood summer concerts series July 12
Other local stories
It is apparent that our readers love shopping local since LocalFirst offers online business directory focused on businesses right in the neighborhood was in the top ten. For Kent County, residents were focused on mental health with Responding to funding shortfall, Kent County’s mental health provider begins cuts, service reviews being one of our top stories.
From our contributors
We enjoy working with many individuals and groups who bring us stories on a variety of topics. Alan Headbloom is one of those contributors who tapes his show “Feel Like You Belong.” The show focuses on the “real stories about the real people we call migrants.” These stories cover a gamut of people who have been seasonal workers picking produce to those who have made the United States their home. One story is from Nkechy Ezeh, an award-winning educator who developed the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative, and another is from refugee survivor and mentor Metta Anongdeth.
Filmmaker Daniel Deal has been working with WKTV to produce a documentary about former astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, whose parents lived in the City of Wyoming. The project lead to a statute dedicated to the astronaut earlier this year. Community contributor Dave Thompson wrote the story, Statute of former astronaut Chaffee to be unveiled this Saturday.
A little known secret is that Ferris State University houses one of the largest collection of racist memorabilia in the world at the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. In 2018, the museum received an artwork donation valued at more than $2 million with Ferris State University sharing the story with us in Jim Crow Museum of Racists memorabilia receives artwork donation valued at $2 million.
We also partnered with the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of Michigan to help bring awareness to this rare neurological disease.
That’s Entertainment
Entertainment stories are always popular throughout the year. This year, the Grand Rapids Chorus of the Sweet Adelines made the headlines with its regional win last May with people clamoring to see the group at its holiday concert. We’ll be checking back with the Sweet Adleines throughout 2019 as they prepare to head to the international competition in September. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport’s annual holiday music festival was a big hit especially since it featured several local high school groups and residents followed the success of a local group in the story GR’s own Super Future ready for big day at local Breakaway EDM festival.
Readers also enjoyed the ghost stories of the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters, who are planning to be back in 2019 with a few more tales to tell.
Everyone loves a good holiday story and the return of the fully-restored Herpolsheimer’s Santa Rocket Express train to the Grand Rapids Public Museum resonated with many people along with the heartwarming story from another community contributor, Santa visits NICU babies.
News from our schools
Elections were hard fought battles this year across the country. Locally, everyone waited to learn the results of the Wyoming Public Schools election which were finally released at the end of November: Wyoming Public Schools election results are in: Jirous, Lewis named new board members. Also Godfrey-Lee Public Schools continued community work, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools continues its community Executive Council meetings, also made our list.
Ready for some sports?
Out sports coverage kicked off bigger this year with live coverage of games and stories on local teams. Starting it all off was the New Godwin Heights football coach talks football, mentoring. All the area teams worked hard toward playoff goals:
Tri-unity rides arm, legs of senior QB to opening-round playoff win
Wyoming Lee football seniors will try to end high school careers on high note
Kelloggsville in playoff mode as Rockets face critical Friday night game
East Kentwood’s Falcons did make it to the playoffs, falling to Saline in the second round.
Cat Tales
Managing Editor Victoria Mullen received a call inquiring if we would be interested in meeting Jack the Therapy cat (Jack, the therapy cat, puts a spark in the spirt). The story of Jack and his visits to Wyoming’s Vista Springs captured the hearts of many leading Jack and his owner Lynn Hopkins to win a $25,000 grant from Petco for Crash’s Landing (Therapy cat’s adoption story beats odds, hits jackpot).
In fact many of the Crash’s Landings’ cat features are popular with our social media groups. So we wanted to end 2018 on a happy note with the announcement that two of the top cats featured on the WKTV Journal, Smudgee and Otter, found their “fur”-ever homes.
