WKTV Host Joey Sutherlin walks you through the playoffs and finals of a recent FIRST Robotics Michigan District event at East Kentwood High School (PART 2).
Our WKTV crew got highlights of the following local teams: East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics and Red Storm Rookies, Wyoming Demons, Grandville RoboDawgs, Kelloggsville Astrobots, Godwin Heights Robosnacks, Grand River Prep Titans and the West Catholic Enigma Robotics.
We also interviewed many student leaders and coaches!
Also take a look at Part 1 of our WKTV Friday Night Highlights Robotics Edition. Let us know what you think of our coverage mimicking Friday Night Highlights football and basketball.
The City of Kentwood invites community members to connect with senior-focused resources at the 26th annual Spotlight on Seniors Expo on Tuesday, April 15.
The free indoor event will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. It will feature more than 60 vendors from a variety of community businesses, free health screenings, snacks and lunch, door prizes and more.
“Kentwood is full of community resources to support aging individuals,” said Ann Przybysz, recreation program coordinator. “We encourage older adults and other community members to join us at the Spotlight on Seniors Expo, where they can explore services that encourage a healthy lifestyle and promote independence.”
Kentwood Spotlight on Seniors Expo 2024. Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley (center) at the Kentwood Police Department booth. (Photo Courtesy, City of Kentwood)
The expo vendors will represent a wide variety of industries, with professionals knowledgeable in everything from physical therapy and hearing services to recreational opportunities and retirement planning.
The event’s gold sponsors are StoryPoint Group, Tim Hortons and We Care 4 U. Silver sponsors are Cranberry Park Grand Rapids, HealthMarkets Insurance, Home Pro of West Michigan, Ken Ables Insurance Agency, Miracle-Ear and Valley Pines Senior Living.
Historic storms brought ice accumulation in northern Michigan and nine confirmed tornadoes to southern Michigan, impacting more than 390,000 Consumers Energy customers (Courtesy, Consumers Energy)
Consumers Energy officials are thanking customers for their patience and understanding as crews from Michigan and neighboring states finish restoring power to the last remaining customers impacted earlier this week.
The historic storms brought ice accumulation in northern Michigan and nine confirmed tornadoes to southern Michigan, impacting more than 390,000 customers.
Consumers Energy crews worked around the clock in difficult conditions to safely and efficiently restore power. While they are nearing the end of our restoration efforts, crews can still be seen throughout the community.
Some crews are being redeployed to assist in other areas still recovering from the storm while others will remain in the region to clean up debris. In the following weeks, crews will work to remove the downed poles, wires and other materials used during restoration.
Consumers Energy asks residents to be aware during the clean-up process; never approach any downed wires or damaged equipment, and allow crews the space they need to work safely.
A show of support
“We are incredibly proud of our crews and support teams who responded swiftly and tirelessly during this critical time,” said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for restoration. “We know how important reliable power is to our customers, and we thank them for their patience as we worked to bring everyone back online.”
(Courtesy, pxhere.com)
Throughout the restoration, crews were also deeply moved by the support shown by the communities. In Pellston — the “Ice Box of the Nation” — hearts were anything but cold. When more than 100 crews stopped by the Pellston General Store, they were told: “It’s on us.”
“When we arrived and set up our command center, there was no electricity, no water and no food available,” said Andy Snider, Executive Director of Electric Operations. “This establishment really opened its doors to help our crews out. The support they’ve offered helped us expedite restoration.”
Pellston General Store Director Nate Hendricks said he was happy to help. “These crews are away from their families helping us get back in business and getting everyone’s power back. We want to pay it forward.”
Consumers Energy says they are grateful for this incredible example of community spirit — and for every neighbor, business and local partner who supported their crews throughout this storm.
Continued improvement
Customers will also see crews throughout the year as Consumers pushes forward in their efforts to improve as outlined in the Reliability Roadmap.
As weather events grow more frequent and severe, investing in a stronger, more resilient electric grid is essential. They are continuing to upgrade infrastructure, trim trees, replace aging equipment and implement smart technologies to better withstand future storms and reduce outage times.
(Courtesy, Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce)
Important safety tips
Consumers Energy urges the public to keep important safety tips in mind:
Be alert to crews working along the roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can go safely past workers on roadsides.
Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, and to report unguarded downed lines by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement, enclosed patio or near any air intakes. Doing so could cause a generator to produce hazardous levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas. Read more guidance on safe generator use here.
Consumers Energy will trim or remove trees interfering with electric restoration activities. Once safe to do so, clean-up of debris from tree trimming or removal during a storm emergency is the responsibility of individual property owners.
In some cases, the mast that holds the electric service wires to a home or business may have been damaged or torn away. Crews will reconnect the wires to a home, but only a licensed electrician can repair or replace a mast or a cable.
Residents can also utilize the Michigan 211 website for the most up to date information on warming shelters in their area.
Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of Michigan’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
East Kentwood Red Storm Rookies Coach Nick Baribeau’s team recently showed off its talents at an FIM District Competition hosted by East Kentwood. (WKTV/Cris Greer)
When it comes to robotics, few schools in the state can match the size and talent of the robotics program at Kentwood Public Schools.
Like their athletic teams, the East Kentwood robotics program has large numbers of participants, and like the athletic squads, those students start at an early age.
While East Kentwood has large high school and middle school teams, the numbers are strong all the way down to the kindergartens in the district where prospective students get their first exposure to robotics through interaction with LEGOs.
The East Kentwood high school squads displayed just how talented they are at the recent FIRST In Michigan (FIM) district championship on March 29 and 30 at their gymnasium. The varsity team, Red Storm Robotics 3875, finished second overall out of 40 teams at the district tournament. They captained the team and were aligned with the Wyoming Demons Robotics and Gull Lake Twisted Devils.
East Kentwood’s Red Storm Rookies 9566 also performed well at the varsity event qualifying for the finals.
“Things went really well for us,” said East Kentwood Red Storm Rookies Coach Nick Baribeau. “We were able to become alliance captains and won our first game against Alliance 2. I’m really proud of the way my kids performed.”
The Rookies are comprised entirely of freshmen and eighth graders. Many of those students became involved in robotics at an early age in the Kentwood school system and by the time they joined the rookie team they had acquired numerous skills that can be utilized on a robotics team.
They have turned in a solid season placing second at their first tournament and fourth at their second one.
A big part of the success of the East Kentwood robotics teams is the total effort put in by coaches, mentors and the students who log countless hours learning and honing a variety of math, science and technical skills.
I make sure that we have viable programs all the way up,” said Red Storm Robotics Coach and Program Coordinator Trista VanderVoord. “I get volunteers to coach the teams. A lot of our coaches from kindergarten through 12th grade are parent volunteers. Once we get into middle school and high school, we have some more technical mentors because that requires that kind of technical level.”
East Kentwood High School’s Red Storm Robotics 3875 robot that competed in the recent district competition.
Kids in the Kentwood school system can begin gaining technical skills in kindergarten working with LEGO robotics kits. Once they enter elementary school they can join school robotics teams. All 10 elementary schools in the East Kentwood school district have robotics teams.
“Kindergarten through third grade have their own mixed team,” VanderVoord said. “Then fourth and fifth grade is the next level. Then middle school, sixth through eighth grade, is a jump up and at that stage they are dealing with metal robots and their robots are 18 inches by 18 inches cubed, so they are dealing with bigger robots. And then the high school level is mammoth 125-pound robots.”
East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics Coach Trista VanderVoord.
Large program with 331 participants, 91 on a waiting list
The Red Storm program has 331 kids from K-12 with 91 on a waiting list due to needing more coaches. A total of 30 students are on the varsity team and 34 students on the Red Storm Rookies.
The robotics’ year-round calendar
Like the sports teams, robotics has competitions where the students can put their skills to the test. The competition season begins the first week of January when the teams get their challenge and begin building their robot and preparing for the first competition that usually takes place six weeks after starting to construct the robots. The competition season lasts for five weeks after the six-week building season. During the offseason, the students have summertime skill building, and then meet weekly in the fall to work on more skills.
The building of the robot requires advanced skills that prepare the students for real-life work in technical fields.
“The students do prototypes, they do the testing on all of their stuff,” VanderVoord said. “They actually put all their stuff in CAD (Computer Aided Design), so they make a virtual 3-D. They use the CAD to use our CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine to cut pieces out to use on the robot. It’s a huge process and it’s really like industry. That’s how things are built. It follows the same process just on a very short time frame.”
Just like a sport; robotics is a big commitment
The students on the team also put in plenty of time working on their robots and their skills. During the season the varsity team meets four nights a week from 6 to 9 p.m., and then on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., a total of 17 hours per week.
Students also learn to specialize in specific skills in the years leading up to being on the varsity team much like athletic teams. Students learn skills in electrical, programming, mechanical and marketing and once they reach the varsity team they specialize in a particular skill.
Like the varsity team, the eighth grade/freshmen team also takes advantage of specialization to enjoy success.
“We have our team separated into several sub groups,” Baribeau said. “We have groups that focus on pit, fixing up the robot and repairing and replacing parts. We have a group that is devoted to just drive. We have a team devoted to building and manufacturing the parts. We even have a marketing crew.
“Allowing the students to experience all the different parts and then choose to specialize has really allowed the students to specialize.”
15th anniversary of the Kentwood Public Schools Robotics Program
This is the 15-year anniversary for the Kentwood Robotics Program.
“It’s a very cool model,” VanderVoord said of the robotics teams. “It sets them up for careers, and they can explore careers.”
The Super Bowl of high school robotics in West Michigan took place last weekend at East Kentwood High School and the fans in a jam-packed Falcon gymnasium had plenty to cheer about.
Forty 40 high school robotics teams and about 2,000 fans from across Michigan descended on the gym for the FIRST In Michigan (FIM) District Kentwood Event presented by Dematic.
For the third year in a row, the Grand Rapids West Catholic High School Enigma Robotics team won the district championship. West Catholic also earned the Excellence in Engineering Award and recorded the highest match score in the state.
West Catholic aligned with the Hopkins Tech Vikes and Shelby Tiger Bytes to defeat East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics, Wyoming Demons Robotics and Gull Lake Twisted Devils 2-0 (192-121, 199-111) in a best of three championship.
“We had a great weekend here,” said Anthony Uriarte, one of the coaches of the West Catholic team. “We actually had the state high-record with our alliance this weekend in the eliminations. It was a close match, but we were just really happy that our alliances and partners got together and put up some amazing scores and had a lot of fun.”
West Catholic Enigma Robotics took first for the third year in a row. (Photo Courtesy, FIRST Robotics, Phillip Place)
In this two-day event, teams compete in qualifying rounds and then form alliances with other teams to determine the overall champions in the playoff rounds.
Red Storm Robotics had a neighborhood alliance partnering with the Wyoming Demons Robotics. The partnership worked out great for the team as they placed second and qualified for this week’s state finals that are scheduled to take place from April 3-5 at Saginaw Valley State University.
East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics finished in second place in the districts and also won the Impact Award, considered the most prestigious at the FIRST Robotics Competition. (Photo Courtesy, FIRST Robotics, Phillip Place)
“The 3875 Red Storm Robotics did amazingly well,” said East Kentwood Coach Trista VanderVoord. “We had not performed this well at either of our other competitions. They’ve been really working between competitions to get the robot even more robust. This competition is where it all came together. We had amazing alliance partners. We had the Demons from Wyoming, shout out to them, we love them.
“It all fell into place. They all worked so well together. Enigma (West Catholic) is just a great team and it would’ve been really hard to beat them. They are a force to be reckoned with for sure.”
Wyoming Demons
For the Wyoming Demons squad, the chance to be aligned with East Kentwood in the finals was a great experience.
“This was a fantastic competition for us,” said Wyoming Coach Amy Oostdyk. “We had a rough start at the beginning. After the first rounds we were the 40th team. We were the last one in the whole competition, but our students never gave up. They just kept fighting and fighting. And doing what they needed to do. No matter what happened. They fought their way back to where we are today in second place.”
Wyoming Demons Robotics 2025. (Photo Courtesy, FIRST Robotics, Phillip Place)
The alliance of neighbors Kentwood and Wyoming was not something new as the two programs have teamed up at other competitions in prior years.
“We were the winners of the Kentwood event together in 2022,” VanderVoord said. “So this was like a reunion for us. We didn’t win the event, but at least we were on an alliance.”
With 12 students, the Wyoming team was one of the smaller squads at the competition. While the team is small in numbers, it has outstanding team chemistry and unity which allows it to be successful.
“We are a very small team,” said Oostdyk, in her second year as Wyoming coach. “We have 12 kids that we brought today. Our team is really close. We are always working to support each other. Because life is complicated for a high school student whether they join a robotics team or not.”
West Catholic Enigma Robotics
Like Wyoming, the champion West Catholic team also is small in numbers with 12 students on the team. What the squad lacks in numbers, it makes up with versatility as the students learn a variety of skills that they blend together.
“We are actually a pretty small program,” Uriarte said. “We have about 12 students and about five active mentors that come on a pretty regular basis. The nice thing about being a small team is it allows the students to be involved in many different aspects. For instance, our drivers are design students. It allows the students to get involved in a lot of things and have a large impact on our program.”
West Catholic is among the premier teams in robotics in the state as they not only have qualified for the state tournament the past several years, but have also advanced to the world competition. Two years ago, the West Catholic team actually advanced to the final rounds at the world competition.
“We have been to the world competition the last five or six years,” said West Catholic co-Coach Matt Dressel. “This year we hope for the same thing, to get to the world competition and compete. We will do the best we can do and see what comes.”
A high school robotics team needs a variety of skills from designing and building the robot to driving the robot and developing marketing skills to acquire backing for the team.
The robotics season typically begins in early January where the students come up with the concept for the robot and then design and build the robot to be ready for competition that begins in March. While the competition season takes place for a few months, robotics teams meet and work on different robotics skills all throughout the school year to prepare for the season.
After competing in different competitions, the teams begin tournament play like the district tournament at East Kentwood.
East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics Coach Trista VanderVoord. (WKTV)
The EK tournament drew a packed and enthusiastic crowd of several thousand to the gymnasium creating a true big-game atmosphere.
“They work for at least eight weeks building something to showcase it for just a short five weeks,” VanderVoord said. “Every event is like our own Super Bowl. We’ve worked so hard to get here and now we get to actually do the thing we built this robot to do. The hype is real. It’s electrifying. It’s loud in here. States will be four-times louder because it’s four fields in the same arena. The energy level is amazing.”
Consumers Energy has approximately 900 crews engaged in the final restoration efforts for customers impacted by recent severe weather (Courtesy, Consumers Energy)
Consumers Energy has approximately 900 crews engaged in the final restoration efforts for customers impacted by severe ice and thunderstorms that pummeled massive swaths of the northern and southern portions of the state in the past week.
In addition to the hundreds of thousands who lost power over the weekend due to the first series of storms — which brought historic ice accumulation in the north and nine confirmed tornadoes in the south — 47,000 additional customers lost power on Wednesday afternoon and evening due to high winds from another storm system crossing the state.
Of the around 350,000 customers impacted by the storm events, nearly 90% have already been restored.
“This has been one of the most significant storm events in our company’s history, yet just as significant has been the response from our lineworkers,” said Chris Fultz, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge of restoration.
“Throughout this restoration effort we have continually added more crews to our system, and have an historic, dedicated team committed to working around the clock until every last customer has the lights back on.”
To thank customers for their understanding, Consumers Energy is working with local first responders and law enforcement in Crawford, Otsego, Oscoda and Alcona counties to provide free water throughout the day today to those impacted by the storms.
(Courtesy, Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce)
Important safety tips
Consumers Energy urges the public to keep important safety tips in mind:
Be alert to crews working along the roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can go safely past workers on roadsides.
Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, and to report unguarded downed lines by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement, enclosed patio or near any air intakes. Doing so could cause a generator to produce hazardous levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas. Read more guidance on safe generator use here.
Consumers Energy will trim or remove trees interfering with electric restoration activities. Once safe to do so, clean-up of debris from tree trimming or removal during a storm emergency is the responsibility of individual property owners.
In some cases, the mast that holds the electric service wires to a home or business may have been damaged or torn away. Crews will reconnect the wires to a home, but only a licensed electrician can repair or replace a mast or a cable.
Residents can also utilize the Michigan 211 website for the most up to date information on warming shelters in their area.
Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
TREASURE, a lovable Golden Retriever, joined the Casula family as Nolan’s SDA companion last year. The service dog quickly became Nolan’s new best friend, helping him navigate the world and offering comfort and support.
In recognition of Autism Awareness Week (March 24-28) and Autism Awareness Day (April 2), PAWS shined a spotlight on the impact of SDAs like TREASURE and the ongoing efforts to meet the rapidly increasing demand for these dogs.
PAWS provides custom-trained assistance dogs that empower individuals living with disabilities to lead fuller, more independent lives (Courtesy, PAWS)
The impact of SDAs
PAWS provides custom-trained assistance dogs that empower individuals living with disabilities to lead fuller, more independent lives. One category of assistance dogs is SDAs.
These dogs play a crucial role for children on the spectrum by enhancing social interactions, expanding verbal and nonverbal communication, teaching life skills, increasing interest in activities, and reducing stress within the family – something the Casula family can attest to.
Nolan’s parents, Vanessa and Derek Casula, shared, “The impact that TREASURE has had on our family has been nothing but positive. What once were challenges are no longer the case.
“We no longer have to dread bedtime, we no longer have to dread simplistic things such as showering or brushing teeth. I don’t have to try to convince him to read a story because now he willingly does so to his best friend TREASURE.”
An increasing demand
(Courtesy, pxhere.com)
However, the demand for these life-changing dogs continues to grow. PAWS currently receives four applications for every one spot available for SDAs. In 2025, PAWS did not offer applications for this category of assistance dog due to the already extensive waiting list.
For PAWS, meeting this increasing demand requires strategic growth and additional support from the community.
Renovating PAWS’ national headquarters based in Wayland, MI, is one of vital changes being made to expand the mission work and ability to reach more people like the Casula family. The updated facilities will enable PAWS to continue delivering world-class service, increase the number of dogs in training, and therefore, the number applicants the organization can serve.
A need for foster puppy raising volunteers
With a goal to double the placements of assistance dogs by 2030, PAWS also needs to increase the number of volunteers in the Foster Puppy Raising program.
Volunteer Foster Puppy Raisers provide a loving home and basic obedience training for future assistance dogs before they are ready to begin formal training. Before TREASURE met her forever person, Nolan, she lived with Bonnie Sposato, a volunteer Foster Puppy Raiser for PAWS.
There are currently over 150 volunteers that are a part of the Foster Puppy Raising program at PAWS, but this number will need to grow (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“It honestly gives me goosebumps in the best way to think about the changes and the impact that miss TREASURE is going to have on a child’s life,” said Sposato. “Her new person loves her, and she loves him so much. It is the best feeling ever.”
There are currently over 150 volunteers that are a part of the Foster Puppy Raising program at PAWS, but this number will need to grow over the next year to help serve more people with disabilities. To reach more people like Nolan and his family, PAWS is asking the community to consider becoming a raiser, co-raiser, or a starter/finisher home.
“Providing assistance dogs for the people who need them begins with our volunteers,” said Michele Suchovsky, CEO of PAWS. “By providing the dog with a loving home in the early stages of life, our volunteers are helping us make an incredible impact for people like the Casula family.
“TREASURE helps Nolan feel safe, understood, and supported. She is providing peace of mind to Vanessa and Derek, helping them navigate the challenges of autism with greater ease.”
An encouraging word
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Nolan provided his thoughts on the importance of helping more children like him receive their SDA, encouraging people to donate to PAWS and volunteer: “Because of donations from people like you, I have my best friend TREASURE. Your donation will also allow for other kids like me to have a best friend too!”
More information about PAWS, ways to donate, and how to join the volunteer program can be found at: pawswithacause.org.
A disease more associated with the 20th century is showing up across America this past winter and early spring, and while cases are rare in Michigan, the public needs to be aware that measles is making a comeback.
The measles disease was officially considered eliminated in the United State in the year 2000 due to the MMR vaccine and high vaccination rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease, which is particularly rough on children, began showing up in February and early March in the Southwest United States and specifically New Mexico and West Texas.
As of March 28, 483 measles cases confirmed in U.S., one in Kent County
Since then, measles has been showing up across the nation, and according to the CDC, the latest numbers have shown an increase of cases with nearly half the states in the U.S. reporting cases. As of March 27, 2025, a total of 483 cases are confirmed across the nation. A total of 20 states have reported cases of measles, including Michigan. (CDC)
The first measles case in Michigan was confirmed in Oakland County (suburban Detroit) by the Michigan Health and Human Services Department (MHHSD). The CDC also has reported five outbreaks (defined as three or more related cases), across the country. A total of 14% of the cases have required hospitalization. The CDC also reports one confirmed death due to the measles and one other death under investigation. At the beginning of the month the CDC reported 164 confirmed cases.
As of April 2, there is one reported case in Kent County. Local health department officials are vigilant and monitoring the situation.
“We are monitoring measles activity statewide and nationally, and working with schools, healthcare providers and community partners to keep them informed about symptoms, testing protocols and reporting requirements,” said Christina Anthony, Communications Manager for Kent County overseeing the Health Department. “We also continue to raise awareness through our monthly newsletter and social media pages.”
According to the Michigan Health and Human Services Department, measles is a disease caused by a virus. It is one of the world’s most contagious diseases. The MHHSD website also states that 90% of persons without immunity to measles will become ill after exposure to the virus. It also states that measles can live for up to two hours in an airspace after an infected person leaves an area.
The MHHSD website also states the while some people think of measles as a rash and fever that clears up in a few days, the measles can actually cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than five years old.
While measles was considered eliminated in 2000, declining vaccination rates have opened the door for the disease to make a comeback, according to the CDC website. Health organizations across the country strongly recommend getting vaccinated to combat the disease.
Kent County residents can do their part to help prevent the spread of measles by taking some basic steps.
Residents are encouraged to ensure that their vaccinations are up to date with the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. Residents should check their immunization record through the Michigan Immunization Portal to ensure they are up to date or contact their healthcare provider.
Residents also are encouraged to avoid contact with infected individuals as the measles are highly contagious. Staying away from people who are known to have measles is important. Good hygiene practices also help prevent the spread of measles. Frequent hand washing with soap and water and covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing is stressed.
The CDC also has guidelines for when people should receive the MMR vaccine. For children, the CDC recommends they receive the first dose of MMR vaccine at 12 through 15 months of age and the second dose at four through six-years of age.
For adults, the CDC recommends that those who do not have evidence of immunity, namely those born in 1957 or later, get at least one dose of MMR vaccine. Adults at higher risk, such as healthcare workers or individuals traveling internationally, may need an additional dose. A healthcare provide can offer specific recommendations based on an individual’s risk factors.
The MMR vaccine also is recommended for people six months and older who are planning on international travel. There is no recommendation for MMR vaccination for domestic travel. The MMR vaccine is safe and effective, with two doses being about 97% effective at preventing measles. (CDC Website)
Puertas Abiertas (Open Doors), a local nonprofit organization, is celebrating six years of helping Latina women live healthier lives free of violence.
Andrea Inostroza, founder and executive director, has served over 2,500 individuals since the inception of Puertas Abiertas in January 2019. While Inostroza focuses on providing services for female victims of abuse, trafficking and discrimination in the Latina community, no one is turned away.
Regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, Inostroza opens her doors to all in need.
“What we provide here is a support group for women, men, children, adolescents, and LGBTQ+ too,” says Inostroza. “This organization was born with the idea of: Serve the Latino community and break the cycle of domestic violence (DV) through education.”
“We speak their language”
Inostroza leads the organization with cultural sensitivity and awareness. As the only bilingual organization in Michigan offering resources for those escaping domestic violence situations, Puertas Abiertas provides a vital service for the Latina community.
The nonprofit offers services such as therapy; support groups; food, clothing and housing assistance; employment and resume building assistance; and a 24/7 Spanish domestic violence hotline.
Puertas Abiertas works with more than 60 partners and community organizations to offer as many resources as possible under one roof – which was Inostroza’s goal.
(Courtesy, Puertas Abiertas)
“My idea was to have an organization where everybody comes here, and we don’t send anyone anywhere,” Inostroza says, adding that partnerships are vital to the success of this process. “You can’t do this work by yourself. You have to do it in a collaboration.”
Inostroza’s staff includes five Michigan licensed therapists and two full-licensed therapists. Inostroza’s background also contains an extensive knowledge of trauma-informed therapy. Puertas Abiertas’ therapy program currently serves over 140 men, women and children.
Puertas Abiertas staff also includes five advocates that accompany clients to various places (ex: court) and assist with transportation and translation.
“We are always with them. Always,” says Inostroza. “That’s what makes a difference. To have somebody beside you, and to know that you belong to the organization…it’s a sense of belonging.”
“We don’t label”
Inostroza says there is no judgment at Puertas Abiertas.
“We don’t differentiate here, we don’t label. If someone comes here and needs services, we help them. Our mission is to provide, to teach these women to have a healthy life free of violence,” Inostroza says.
“We work with the Latino community, and we’re trying to protect the clients, protect the organization, and to have the best outcome based on everything that is going on around us.”
Teaching safety and equality
Andrea Inostroza-Castro, Puertas Abiertas Founder and Executive Director (Courtesy, Puertas Abiertas)
Inostroza was raised in Concepción, Chile and moved to Kansas with her family in 2002 without knowing the English language or culture. The move was precipitated by a desire to place her children in a safe environment and teach them about equality.
“Chile is very divided by social status, socioeconomics and finances, so we wanted to teach our kids that everybody is the same,” says Inostroza. “We don’t look at anyone differently.”
Initially, Inostroza struggled with the English language and change in culture.
“I came from the second biggest city in Chile, beside the ocean – to Kansas, in the middle of nowhere,” said Inostroza, adding that she later moved to Michigan because of the lakes and her desire to be near water.
Inostroza learned English while pursuing a postgraduate degree. Her certifications include: a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education, a Master of Science in Psychology, a Master in Art Therapy and Counseling. She is also registered as a professional artist at Fine Art America.
Recognizing a need
Inostroza was inspired to start Puertas Abiertas while employed at a Grand Rapids school where 86% of students came from the Latino community.
“I saw a lot of problems with children,” says Inostroza. “[The school] wanted to discharge them from the school system because of their behavior.”
Inostroza realized the negative behavior stemmed from domestic violence at home, or because the students were survivors of domestic violence.
(Courtesy, Puertas Abiertas)
She began talking with her students’ mothers, gaining their trust. Inostroza soon realized the women were also DV victims and survivors, or were sexually abused as children.
“That’s what motivates me: the needs of the people and the misunderstanding of the behaviors of the children in school – because it was not their fault,” says Inostroza. “They were repeating [what they saw at home].
Inostroza began a ten-week support group (Puertas Abiertas) for women. As the number of participants quickly increased, she began looking for a larger meeting place – and encountered unexpected resistance.
David vs. Goliath: The fight for resources
While trying to obtain support and resources, Inostroza was continually turned away with the words: ‘No, there is no domestic violence in the Latino community.’
“Grand Rapids wasn’t prepared to face it,” says Inostroza.
Another misconception was the belief that domestic violence was part of the Latino community culture.
“It’s not,” said Inostroza. “It is a lack of formal education. Latino and South American countries are known for lack of formal education.”
Despite the negativity surrounding her, Inostroza refused to give up.
“In the beginning, it was very stressful. I knocked on so many doors. I can’t tell you how many doors.”
Money was also a problem, with only $1,300 for liability insurance. Puertas Abiertas now has a million-dollar budget and 21 staff members.
“It has been a lot of work, a lot of grant writing, a lot of talking,” Inostroza says. “People are supporting the organization and seeing the work being done. We have the trust of the people, but that took work.”
Breaking the cycle
Many children belonging to the Latino community are born into a domestic violence cycle.
“These children are the future generations of the United States,” says Inostroza. “And we don’t see it. We don’t believe that these kids are going to grow up, they are going to become adults, they are going to have families, and the cycle is going to continue.”
Education is necessary, Inostroza continues, to help these children grow, become independent, recognize the difference between need and want – and break the DV cycle.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs defines which needs are most important to survive (Courtesy, Puertas Abiertas)
“This organization was not based on what I wanted to give the community, it was based on what they needed. That is why it has been so successful,” says Inostroza.
“If we don’t provide the services or the education we’re providing, this is going to continue and continue.”
Wins and losses
Inostroza says she has learned a lot since Puertas Abiertas opened its doors, and that recognizing both wins and losses over the past six years is important.
“It’s important because we learn from our mistakes,” says Inostroza. “We have made some mistakes, and we have learned from them so we don’t repeat them again.”
Inostroza’s staff share the Puertas Abiertas mission, vision and values – and share the rewards as well.
“To know [clients] are going to have a bed at night, a place to sleep, is a huge reward for us,” said Inostroza. “To know they are going to have food, to know they are safe, to see their smile, is what has motivated me to keep going. Nothing else.”
And Inostroza is willing to put in the work.
“We have to do the work…and do the best we can to protect the clients and protect the organization. I cannot fail.”
To learn more about Puertas Abiertas or how to support/partner with the organization, click here (English) or here (Español).
Watch this special episode of WKTV Soundbites En Español with host Yeli Romero and Julieta Torres, Gerente de Programas de Puertas Abiertas: Soundbites En Español.
The City of Kentwood will again offer its brush and leaf drop-off service for residents starting Saturday, April 5.
Residents may drop off brush, sticks, tree limbs, logs, loose leaves and grass clippings at the Public Works Department, 5068 Breton Ave. SE, during new adjusted hours. The new hours are from 11 am. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
“We look forward to opening our brush and leaf drop-off site for the season and offering shifted hours based on community feedback,” Public Works Deputy Director Jim Wolford said. “We’re happy to provide an easy and convenient way for residents to dispose of brush and leaves during times that work with their schedules.”
The brush and leaf drop-off service will be offered through Friday, May 23, for Kentwood residents only, and proof of residency is required.
Materials that can’t be dropped off:
Materials that cannot be accepted include trash, paper and plastic bags, dirt, concrete, asphalt, tires, rocks, stones, construction materials, glass and metal.
In addition to making yard cleanup easier, the brush and leaf drop-off service also helps residents stay in compliance with City of Kentwood ordinances. The accumulation of leaves and debris on a property or in the right-of-way as well as the burning of leaves and brush are prohibited in Kentwood.
The Public Works Department gathered input through emails and phone calls from residents. Residents are encouraged to share feedback on the spring brush and leaf drop-off service by contacting the Public Works Department at ePublicWorks@kentwood.us or 616-554-0817.
More information about the City of Kentwood’s brush and leaf drop-off services is available at kentwood.us/BrushLeafDropOff.
Woodland Mall will celebrate the start of spring and the return of bunny photo opportunities with a Bunny & Friends event Saturday, March 29.
The free, entertainment-filled event will feature a special appearance by the bunny, Elsa and Spider-Man, as well as face painting and balloon twisting from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Macy’s court. The event will mark the return of bunny photo opportunities, available through April 19.
“Our Bunny & Friends event promises to be a fun-filled morning as we welcome our favorite bunny along with other popular characters to Woodland Mall,” Senior Marketing Director Lisa Wolstromer said. “Everyone is invited to join for activities kids will love while capturing photo memories with friends and loved ones.”
Photos with the bunny will be offered in a spring-themed photo set March 28 through April 19 from noon to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For the last weekend, extended hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. will be offered on Friday, April 18 and Saturday, April 19.
(Photo Courtesy, Woodland Mall)
Beginning March 31, pets can join in for photos every Monday noon to 8 p.m. through April 14. Feathered and whiskered pets of all kinds are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash or in a carrier at all times. Owners must also sign a release prior to visiting.
Digital photo packages are available with add-ons such as prints and frames. Online reservations are encouraged at VIPholidayphotos.com/event/WOODLANDE25. Walk-up visits are permitted when space is available.
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) will host the 41st Region 12 Michigan Science Olympiad tournament on March 29. The university is welcoming West Michigan middle school and high school students to compete in STEM-related events for a chance to advance to the state tournament.
Science, education and community
Students will test their abilities in a wide range of science-related activities (Supplied)
Nearly 60 teams from schools in Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties will participate in the annual celebration of education and science on the university’s Allendale Campus, where students will test their abilities in a wide range of science-related activities.
Teams from 10 high schools and eight middle schools will continue on to the April 26 state tournament.
Grand Valley’s Regional Math and Science Center is hosting the competition, which will also feature an exhibition from 2-4:30 p.m. in the Fieldhouse Arena showcasing STEM opportunities and career paths with participating community and business partners.
The tournament’s events start at 8 a.m., ending around 3 p.m., at venues across GVSU’s Allendale Campus. The awards ceremony begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Fieldhouse Arena.
Competition events
Students will compete in events involving biology, geology, physics, chemistry and engineering.
Examples of the types of events include:
Build events: Students design and construct physical devices such as robot vehicles, towers or rubber-powered helicopters using specified materials and guidelines. These devices are tested during the competition to see how well they perform based on specific criteria.
Lab events: Students test their technical skills by focusing on identification, procedure, measurement and more.
Test events: Students will put pencil to paper and race against time to test their proficiency of science topics.
Cultivating a love for science
The competition’s leaders said they are excited to start the fifth decade of hosting the Region 12 tournament, which tops the state for participation numbers.
(Courtesy, GVSU)
“Michigan and GVSU have been involved with the National Science Olympiad organization since its beginning in 1984, allowing us to cultivate students’ love for science by supporting high-impact STEM activities for hundreds of students each year,” said Deborah Herrington, Director of the Center for Experiential Learning in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
“We appreciate the numerous faculty and staff as well as the 200 Grand Valley students who volunteer their time and talents for each tournament, demonstrating GVSU’s commitment to education and the community.”
Wedgwood Christian Services is already seeing positive results from their revived Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), a six-week program that provides support for adolescents and adults with moderate to significant substance use.
Wedgwood’s IOP was relaunched in November 2024 after a brief pause due to staff transitions and low participation. WCS decided to revamp and revive IOP when a need for the program became evident.
(Courtesy photo)
“We started seeing a need for it and had some really good team members for that,” said Nick Bayer, Clinical Supervisor at WCS, adding that significant time was spent constructing a plan for the program. “It also gave us a real opportunity to sit down and say, How do we want to do it?”
Topics for each session are pre-planned to guide and retain focus of the group. One change was making IOP a closed group.
“We run it in six-week closed groups where you don’t have kids dropping and dropping out, it’s the same kids coming in,” said Bayer. “It really helped build that connection between people so they don’t have to retell their stories, or a new person doesn’t know what’s going on, as well as establishing a very specific curriculum.”
Why is IOP needed?
Research shows that one in seven teens will need treatment for substance use disorders. However, only 5% of adolescents in Michigan receive the needed treatment. Wedgwood’s IOP is one of the few federally funded treatment programs exclusively geared toward adolescents and young adults.
Engaging clients in therapy two or three days each week, IOP sessions are three hours in length and held at Wedgwood’s Ekhart Counseling Center in Grand Rapids. The program provides guidance, support and a plan for adolescents, young adults, and their families to rebuild lives and provide hope for the future.
(Courtesy photo)
Motivational interviewing is a major component in earlier stages of treatment while later stages focus on creating a new lifestyle, coping with triggers and urges, and maintaining a strong commitment to recovery.
WCS offers outpatient, intensive outpatient and residential care for substance use treatment. Bayer describes Wedgwood’s IOP as an in-between stage of care. Though intensive in terms of the amount of work and energy being put in, it does not completely disrupt the participant’s life.
Some youth slotted for residential care often try IOP first since residential availability is often low. IOP offers a higher level of support and therapeutic interventions without the intensity of a residential experience.
Vital connections
Wedgwood’s IOP recently completed the first six-week cohort – and is already seeing positive results.
Bayer said the IOP builds a feeling of support and unity among youth that is desperately needed. With several IOP youth on probation, being surrounded by other youth who understand the emotions of that situation is important.
“It’s one thing for me as an adult to talk with them about what it’s like to navigate the feelings of being a teenager on probation. It’s another thing for a peer also going through it to say, I know what it feels like.”
Access and exposure
Bayer said lack of available resources and the current culture contribute to rising adolescent substance use, with few adolescents receiving needed treatment.
(Courtesy photo)
“The nature of being an adolescent is to blame for substance use, different pressures and not knowing about different options,” Bayer said. “They’ve got a lot going on.”
Access and exposure to substances are also significantly higher than in the past. It is not hard to obtain cannabis or marijuana, Bayer said, and cannabis is currently the drug of choice.
“The supply is significant,” said Bayer. “My two-stoplight town has five dispensaries in it, and you see advertisements for it all over. As an adolescent, you’re bombarded with these messages constantly.”
So how do we help our youth?
Wedgwood’s IOP focuses on teaching abstinence and reduction from substances, while also teaching skills and interventions to replace the symptoms of THC and substance use.
“A lot of them are self-medicating,” said Bayer. “They’re having the stress, anxiety and agitation of going through adolescence. They find that maybe cannabis helps them calm down. But now they’re reliant upon it.”
(Courtesy, photo)
Motivational interviewing – a therapeutic approach using questions and rapport to help clients identify their needs and create their own therapeutic goals – is helpful because it creates ownership in the client.
“It’s really effective when it comes to substance use counseling because the big thing for change is motivation,” said Bayer. “If they don’t want to stop using, they’re not going to. It’s so much more meaningful when the goal comes from the person; they are much more likely to strive to meet that.
“It’s where the therapist is the ally of the individual. They are striving toward their goals, and you are supporting them in getting there.”
Much of that support is helping clients build skills in self-control and in safety when using. Because, Bayer said, there is a high rate of relapse in substance use.
“There’s a phrase we use in addiction treatment: relapse is part of recovery,” said Bayer. “Those that suffer with addictions enter treatment on average six or seven times before they have a sustained remission. It’s just hard, and relapse is part of recovery.”
WCS strives to give positive therapeutic support so clients in a relapse situation are not anxious about returning for care.
A full spectrum of care
Wedgwood’s IOP is accepted by most insurance plans, is licensed by the State of Michigan, and provided in several counties. Learn more about Wedgwood’s IOP and other substance use care here.
To learn more about Wedgwood Christian Services and the care they offer, click here.
A sleepover at a friend’s house opened up an entire new world for East Kentwood sophomore Cadence Geemes.
Her friend asked if she’d like to come with her to robotics and she said, “Sure … and it just sparked my curiosity. I’ve always loved tinkering and robotics is just the place for it.”
Geemes is a project lead of the mechanical group on the East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics Team 3875. As Project Lead of the robot, she’s responsible for teaching and directing other students as the primary builders of robot mechanisms.
Red Storm Robotics Coach Trista VanderVoord said though Cadence is at the beginning of her journey in robotics, she’s “pretty good at teaching one-on-one with students and is very interested in learning.
“Her placement into a leadership role as a 10th grader is impressive.”
Geemes will compete with her team at East Kentwood’s ninth FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition on Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30 at the high school (6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Kentwood).
“We expect 40 teams from across Michigan to compete and 2,000 people to come to this fun, free, open to the public event,” said Wendy Ljungren, event coordinator of FIRST Robotics Competition and founder of Red Storm Robotics in 2010. “In the 2025 game REEFSCAPE, two alliances of three robots each compete to score coral (tubes) on their reef, harvest algae (balls) from the reef, and attach to the barge before time runs out.”
Opening ceremonies for Day 1 begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 29 and on Day 2 at 9 a.m. Sunday, March 30 at East Kentwood High School. The complete agenda and more details on the competition can be found HERE. For a one-page game overview click HERE.
Always on her mind
Geemes talked about her love for robotics and how it never leaves her brain.
Cadence Geemes, Red Storm Robotics Team 3875 Project Lead. (Photo Courtesy, Trista VanderVoord)
“I’m always thinking about robotics,” she explained. “It’s a fun spot to be in. It’s taught me how to problem solve and think around the problem and go from different angles.
As for teaching people as a Project Lead, “I do enjoy guiding people. At first it was a little difficult because a lot of my friends are around the same age group as me. So, it’s weird them saying, ‘Why is my friend bossing me around?’ But I do enjoy having a leadership role, and I like checking things off and assigning people jobs.”
A bowler and tennis player, Geemes compares robotics to team sports.
“I would say it’s like you’re on a sports team because you’re so included and you do everything as a team together,” Geemes said. “At the same time they’re different because robotics is known as the sport of the mind and other sports are physical.
“I just love robotics so much because I love working with my hands and it makes me think, and I love to solve things and just figure things out.”
A mission to increase females in STEM
VanderVoord and Ljungren are on a constant mission to increase female participation in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.
East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics Founder Wendy Ljungren and Coach Trista VanderVoord. (WKTV/Cris Greer)
Red Storm Robotics consists of 55% female leadership, which is a good number compared to the global average that women comprise only 29% of the STEM workforce, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2023 by the World Economic Forum.
Though the numbers are slowly rising, 40% of girls with a 4.0 GPA don’t think they are smart enough for their dream career and 28% avoid classes with low female enrollment, according to a 2024 survey of 17,502 girls through ROX and Battelle. Rox is the national nonprofit authority on girls that conducts large-scale national research with girls and delivers evidence-based programs in schools nationwide and equips adults to better support and empower girls.
“On our high school team, the 10th through 12th graders, there are 30 kids with nine student leaders they have selected and five out of the nine are female leaders, which is excellent,” VanderVoord said with a smile. “That comes from many years of developing a culture where female participation is encouraged and Wendy is an excellent example for these girls in this program. She has the strong engineering background and is the perfect example of being a woman in this industry with the kinds of things she’s gone through to get where she’s gotten.
“She’s got a very successful business and she teaches them a lot of things beyond how you build a robot. She teaches them how to exist as a female engineer in this world.”
Geemes said sometimes you just see all guys, and, “you’re like, ‘Why am I the only one here?’ So if you see more females around you, you’re like, ‘Oh, I belong here. I can do this,’ like, that’s empowering.”
VanderVoord said she didn’t start her career in anything related to robotics.
“My education was in statistics and psychology, and I worked doing statistical reporting for an insurance company directly out of college until my kids were born and became a stay-at-home mom,” VanderVoord explained. “When I was going through college, I had absolutely no idea about robotics. This didn’t exist at Kentwood when I was in school.
“The goal was always that I was going to stay home with my kids, and then as my son was growing up he was interested in just about everything,” she continued. “And one of his interests, he saw a demo of robotics at his middle school and he said, ‘This sounds really cool,’ and I said, ‘Great, you and your dad can go do that robotics thing,’ and so that first year they did.”
The following year, however, her husband asked for help and VanderVoord jumped in and fell in love.
“I saw the growth in the kids and it wouldn’t have mattered to me if it was basket weaving or robotics.”
East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics Team 3875 robot that will compete in the upcoming competition. (WKTV/Cris Greer)
East Kentwood’s growth of robotics
“That first season was just a few kids and started by GE Aerospace and Wendy Ljungren in 2010,” VanderVoord explained. “The very next semester they started a high school level program.”
25 participants to start
VanderVoord said they had no supplies to start with and had to raise money, and had a teacher that came in to coach and a team of about 25 kids, “which was amazing that they got that much interest.”
And then 75
When VanderVoord took over as program coordinator, there were approximately 75 kids in the middle and high school program. However, COVID had just happened, and many of the kids didn’t rejoin.
“So we were starting very, very low then and one of my first objectives was to get robotics into the elementary schools in this district. We’re opening our 11th elementary school program this year. And I also needed to increase the number of girls in the program.”
A growth surge to 240, and now 330 and counting
“I was thrilled and that includes recruiting coaches for every single team, a lot more parents, some of them are staff … so the entire district at this point knows about this program.”
VanderVoord has now helped grow the program to 330 participants with a waiting list of 91, which exists because of a lack of coaches.
Ljungren on breaking the glass ceiling; “A long way to go”
“When I started it was at a facility with probably 350 engineers, and I was the first female at that time,” explained Ljungren, who’s been in the aviation business for more than 40 years in high profile roles in engineering for GE Aviation and AiRXOS, and recently formed a company called Anzen Unmanned. “It took years before there were many of us, and even now if you look at the number of women that are in engineering it’s pretty pathetic. The number of engineering graduates is getting better, but it still has a long way to go.”
It all began with recruiting more females in STEM
“Around 15 years ago, I was at GE Aviation leading the women in technology group and we were looking at how to get girls to take the math and science classes because they were not taking them to become engineers or scientists or going into those fields,” she explained. “That’s where we got started with FIRST Robotics LEGO League, then we were asked to start the high school team that spring, and now it’s our 15-year anniversary all because of trying to get girls excited about STEM.”
Ljungren talks about her passion for student led teams and giving them all the education and skillsets in technology, communication and teamwork that they can, and stresses how it’s for both females and males, “Because both sexes need all the help and maturing they can get … and opportunities to develop and grow.”
What sparked Ljungren’s career?
“I was always very good at math and relatively logical,” she explained. “I always had that skill, but I was thinking lawyer or architecture, and then my parents were very smart. They basically took me to see architecture and at that time women were just drafters, they didn’t do real serious architecture work … and my parents had me talk to both those professions. I really didn’t know much about engineering, but my favorite math teacher, my mom, highly encouraged me.
“And then I took engineering classes, was good at it, and I’m in the aerospace business and I really love the satisfaction of seeing airplanes that I help develop fly, and I’m very proud that I have not had any accidents with them.”
Senior Eva Mei
Building LEGOs as a child jump-started East Kentwood senior Project Lead Eva Mei into robotics.
“I’ve always been interested in robotics and any engineering related things since elementary school,” said Mei, who leads a team of three people on a certain aspect of the robot. “It started out with my elementary school having a program for Legos, like block coding, and it started from there. In middle school I got to explore in a lot of different fields from the programming to the designing to the actual hands-on manufacturing.
“I really enjoyed building a product … starting from scratch, working especially with other people to all create something that we’re proud of.”
Eva Mei, Red Storm Robotics Team 3875 Project Lead, has received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for the past three years for her impact on the community through Red Storm Robotics’ volunteer activities. (Photo Courtesy, Trista VanderVoord)
VanderVoord said Mei is a very strong, mechanical minded person that wants to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University. Mei has received a merit scholarship for $25,000.
“Eva’s been involved in the program since middle school, and has consistently grown year to year,” VanderVoord said. “She volunteers over a hundred hours a year to share FIRST Robotics with our school district and the community and has received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for the past three years for her impact on the community through Red Storm Robotics’ volunteer activities.”
Mei compares robotics with a sports team
“We’re all kind of rooting for each other and we want obviously to see ourselves win, but we also have to rely on each other as teammates,” Mei said. “I really enjoy passing my experiences along and my knowledge along to my other teammates so that in the future, when they are seniors, they can continue to pass that knowledge.”
Kudos to the teachers
“I have a lot of respect for Wendy, especially as a woman in STEM who started from way back when the balance was not as high as it is now,” she explained. “And even I still in this day and age struggle with some of the disparities that happen, and for them to be able to persevere through that, I have a lot of respect for them when they do that.
“With Miss V, she’s been leading our team for a pretty long time, and with her initiatives was able to break through in 2022 with boosting our stats of the percentage of women to men in robotics and STEM.”
Her plans are not only to major in mechanical engineering in college, but also to help improve the percentages of females in STEM fields.
“Right now, I’m looking into the automotive industry, but I really want to be able to succeed in a career, in a way, also as a woman,” Mei explained. “To be able to continue to extend the reach of STEM towards women, and not just reaching towards women more with STEM, but also creating a better environment and relationship between men and women within the field.
“I think robotics has allowed me to understand exactly what I want to do because it’s allowed me to experiment a lot with different aspects of engineering … but then in some aspect, it’s also allowed me to open my eyes into leadership, how to lead a team, how to manage different projects, and then has allowed me to see more of that balance between women and men in the STEM fields.
“I think that has made me push even more to want the field and the experience for women to be even better.”
At approximately 4:45 a.m. Thursday, the Kentwood Police Department responded to a report of a fight near the 4200 block of Nature Trail Dr. SE. Upon arrival, Officers found one male subject with a stab wound to his chest. The subject was later transported to a local hospital for treatment with serious injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening.
Another male subject was detained at the scene and is being questioned regarding the incident. At this time officers and detectives are currently working to speak with all involved and there is no further threat to the public.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kentwood Police Department Detective Bureau at 616-656-6604. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 or SilentObserver.org.
Over 70 community members, city and county officials, and law enforcement officers attended the iCI Nation “Lunch n Learn” event on March 12 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Over 70 community members, city and county officials, and law enforcement officers attended the iCI Nation “Lunch n Learn” event on March 12.
Held at the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD), iCI Nation Founder and Executive Director Jennifer Franson hosted the Lunch n Learn event as a way for law enforcement and community to meet and build relationships.
Jennifer Franson welcomes community members to the iCI Nation Lunch n Learn at the GRPD (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“The goal of this right now is building relationships and trust,” said Franson. “Our vision is to unify the city as we protect and serve together.”
iCI Nation has been building successful partnerships between community and law enforcement since 2016. The local nonprofit is dedicated to providing a healthy environment that brings citizens, police officers and organizational resources together to create a stronger and healthier city.
Value in connections
Franson urges police and community to build connections over the shared value of protecting and serving together. Lunch n Learn events are a way to facilitate those connections.
“I want to call out the value of all of you,” Franson said to event attendees. “I want you to try to see each other through that; the value you have, the value they have, and how you – together – are working on the same team.”
GRPD Police Chief Eric Winstrom talks about the value of connections (Courtesy, iCI Nation)
GRPD Police Chief Eric Winstrom sought out genuine connections when he first came to West Michigan. However, being seen as human beings – and not just as the uniform police officers wear – is a challenge, Winstrom said.
“To have people like Jenn Franson who give us the opportunities to connect with people on a regular basis like this, to have easy conversations, positive conversations, but also higher conversations – that’s super vital to the success that we’re seeing,” said Winstrom.
Advocating for our youth
Frank Briones (center) with local youth from his program (Courtesy, iCI Nation)
Advocating for Kent County youth was the focus of the Lunch n Learn event.
Event speakers included GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom, Kent County Youth Caseworker Frank Briones, and GRPD Victims Advocate Clorissa Novak.
“Everybody in this room wearing a uniform wants so badly to never put handcuffs on a young person,” said Winstrom. “We want to deal with the root causes. This is not an us against them. We want the best, especially for our kids.”
Briones has worked with Kent County youth for over 20 years. Like Winstrom, Briones realizes the youth coming through his door are not defined by crimes written on an admission form. Often, they come from harmful environments and are struggling.
(Left to right) Peter MacGregor, Jennifer Franson and Lisa Posthumus Lyons (Courtesy, iCI Nation)
“It’s not their fault,” said Briones. “I try to advocate for them, I try to help them as much as I can.
“These kids, they’re our future. We made a commitment to be consistent with our youth, to go above and beyond to help them.”
Franson urges the community to think of the hearts and stories behind the headlines.
“We hear the bad [and] we don’t think of the people, the humans behind [the headlines],” said Franson.
Tragedy turns to triumph when we reserve judgement, said Briones. “We have to show [youth] that this is not the end of the line, that there is hope.”
The social worker-led program focuses on information, support and resources to make sure victims have what they need both physically and emotionally. Education, Novak added, is also a vital component because many victims of crime do not know their rights.
Chief Winstrom (left) stands in the iCI Nation Kids Closet (Courtesy, iCI Nation)
“We are here to make sure people understand what they can expect, help manage expectations, and then support them in a time where our first responders and investigators are doing what they have to do to try to get justice.”
Novak went on to say that the iCI Nation Kids Closet at the GRPD is instrumental in ensuring victims have physical needs such as clothing, toys, backpacks and more.
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“It is just meeting folks where they are and trying to make sure that they’re not falling through the gaps,” said Novak. “That they have what they need to get back to that pre-crisis state of function.”
The key to success, Novak said, is collaboration.
“Spread the word,” said Novak. “Let people know that we’re here, that we’re safe folks to talk to.”
Winstrom emphasized the GRPD’s commitment to protect everyone. “We want you to know that if you’re in danger, if you’re being victimized, you can call us.”
Engagement, Collaboration, Partnership
Topics discussed included restorative vs. punitive justice, self-care and needs of individuals and organizations working with youth. Engagement, collaboration and partnership were emphasized repeatedly throughout the discussions.
Engagement, collaboration and partnership are vital to successfully unifying our cities (Courtesy, iCI Nation)
“Community engagement is huge,” said Novak. “People being willing to collaborate, to help our folks or create pathways for referrals is huge. The more relationships we can build the better.”
Briones said he will work with “anyone, anytime, anyplace” to help youth – even when it is hard.
“Sometimes we don’t want to get up and go,” said Briones. “But we do it anyway. We go, one foot in front of the other. We go because they are dependent on us.
“It takes support, love, caring and compassion to help these young people become better people.”
Positive conversations and connections produce support and unity (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
When asked about the GRPD’s greatest need, Winstrom gestured toward event attendees.
“This,” said Winstrom. “More more things like this where we connect on a positive level and work together.
“When the community supports us, we’re all winning. It’s not us against them…we’re co-producing the safest city we can.”
Value & Authenticity = Change
Franson said bringing value and authentic care and love to youth always makes a difference.
“You guys all have it, you guys are all doing it, and I hope that encourages you,” said Franson. “We’re all in this together. We’re all neighbors, we’re all community. We’re working together for each other.”
Kurt (left) often visits with local youth, making them feel valued (Courtesy, iCI Nation)
Winstrom agreed: “You’re doing the work; stick with it. It may be difficult, but these kids need adults in their lives who care. That’s going to make all the difference.”
“We have to finish the race,” said Briones. “What we start, we finish. When we can do it together, that’s even better.”
To learn more about iCI Nation, click here. For more information on the iCI Nation Kids Closet, contact Clorissa Novak at cnovak@grcity.us or 616-456-3360.
Lunch n Learn Sponsors
Event sponsors included Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker, Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons and Kent County Treasurer Peter MacGregor. Lunch was provided by The Candied Yam.
The City of Kentwood is inviting job seekers to explore seasonal opportunities available in its Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments at a hiring event Wednesday, March 26.
The event takes place in the Community Room at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. There will be two sessions: 9 a.m. to noon and 4 to 7 p.m. Attendees can explore various seasonal job opportunities, complete a job interest form or application and may be invited to participate in an on-the-spot interview. The event is open to all individuals ages 18 and older.
Positions featured at the event include sports, fitness and enrichment instructors, park custodians, day camp counselors and referees for Parks and Recreation and seasonal grounds maintenance assistants for Public Works.
“We hire many people each summer to support all of our various programming,” Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo said. “We’re excited to meet passionate candidates who are looking for flexible work schedules and the chance to earn income, whether part-time or full-time, this summer.”
Bring copies of your resume
Community members planning to attend the event should bring copies of their resume and be prepared for an on-the-spot interview.
“With summer approaching, our Public Works Department is looking for seasonal employees to help during our busy season,” Public Works Director Chad Griffin said. “We’re looking for dedicated community members to help maintain the city’s appearance and infrastructure.”
Individuals interested in learning more about seasonal employment opportunities at the City of Kentwood but unable to attend the event can visit kentwood.us/employment for current openings. For more information about the hiring event, visit the city’s website.
Trailing by seven points midway through the fourth quarter of the Division 2 regional championship against Vicksburg, the South Christian girls basketball team was at a crossroads.
They needed to turn things around in a hurry if they were going to continue their state tournament run. The Sailors did just that, as they mounted a furious rally in the final minutes of the game to overtake Vicksburg and claim a regional crown with a 64-57 win.
The win sends them to next Tuesday’s Division 2 state quarterfinal game at Unity Christian where they face Grand Rapids West Catholic at 7 p.m.
South Christian Coach Erika Brown called a timeout during the fourth quarter to remind the team of what they needed to do to accomplish their goal of a regional title and to continue what has been a memorable tournament run.
“We called that timeout and I just said to the girls, this is what you’ve been preparing for all season and it comes down to the will to win,” Brown explained. “That’s what we had to concentrate on. We weren’t doing the little things all game long that we needed to so we needed to really focus on that.
That (Vicksburg) is a good team; a very, very good team. They are well coached and we needed to do everything spot on to give ourselves a chance.”
The Sailors responded to Brown’s words in a big way, trailing 53-46, South Christian closed out the game by outscoring Vicksburg 18-4. Junior guard Sophia Prins played a key role in the rally, coming up with a big steal and bucket to start the run. With 1:40 remaining in the game, Prins delivered a key assist as her pass to Lizzie Wolthuis led to a bucket that put the Sailors up 56-55.
South Christian’s Lizzie Wolthuis (3), who totaled 14 points, drives the baseline against Vicksburg. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Prins then had another key steal and drove the floor for a layup attempts. She was fouled on the play and then sank a pair of free throws upping the lead to 58-55 with 1:16 left.
“That is Sophia our point guard,” Brown said. “She is so physical on both ends of the floor. She is our general, our floor leader. When she gets going the rest of us just follow.”
Six consecutive points near the end to seal the win
Vicksburg cut the margin to 58-57 before the Sailors closed the game out with six consecutive points in the final minute of the game. Four of those points came from Prins, including a pair of key free throws.
“We got down by a little bit, but we just worked super hard and we didn’t give up,” Prins said. “We knew that the game wasn’t over. It was because we love each other and we stuck together.”
The two teams were no stranger to each other as the Sailors and Bulldogs met in the regional title game last season. Vicksburg came out ahead last year with a 49-34 win, and for the Sailors, winning the title this year against the Bulldogs was extra special.
“Last year we lost in regionals to Vicksburg so this was revenge,” Prins said. “We did everything we could to make it to quarterfinals next week. I knew to win this we would have to get deflections and steals and give them the least amount of offensive possessions as possible, and we did just that.”
The game was a back-and-forth struggle throughout. South Christian led 21-13 at the end of the first quarter and was up 36-30 at the half before Vicksburg battled back to take a 49-46 lead heading into the final quarter.
“We knew we were going to get a game of runs with them,” Brown said. “They (Vicksburg) are good three-point shooters and flashers to the hoop and that’s what they did.”
Prins led South Christian with 24 points, including 3, three-point buckets. In all, the Sailors connected on 12 three-point shots. Junior Lizzie Wolthuis converted four treys as part of her 14 points, while senior Lily Nitz scored all nine of her points on treys. Sophomore Meredith Helmus added seven points, followed by freshman Abby Prins with six.
“This title is so special,’ Brown said. “We talk a lot about being family and being connected and what will get you to that victory line is that. This is a special group of girls. From seniors down to our two freshmen on our team. The way our seniors have led this team with grace. Our freshmen have never skipped a beat.
“It’s been a really good journey. I’m so proud of these girls. The fight, the determination, the competitiveness. The outright love they have not only for the game, but for each other. It’s really special.”
Vicksburg, which finished the season with a 23-3 record, was paced in scoring by seniors Scarlett Hasner (26 points) and Makayla Allen (19). The pair was especially effective from long range as they combined for 9 three-point buckets.
South Christian, which improved to 24-2, advance to Tuesday’s quarterfinal to face OK Gold rival West Catholic (22-3). The two teams finished atop the conference at 11-1 each. West Catholic won the first meeting between the two rivals in January by a 62-49 margin, while South Christian won the rematch in February 58-51.
BLOOM’s month-long festivities allow greater Grand Rapids community members to take part in sustainable practices and seasonal activities (Courtesy, RiverTown Crossings)
This spring, RiverTown Crossings is proud to present BLOOM, an innovative month-long event series dedicated to sustainability and community engagement.
Starting on March 15 and running through April 26, BLOOM will transform RiverTown Crossings into a vibrant hub of eco-friendly activities and events.
“BLOOM showcases RiverTown Crossings’ dedication to community connection, featuring eco-friendly initiatives and engaging family-friendly events,” says Melissa Brink, Marketing Manager at RiverTown Crossings. “We’re delighted to provide a program that brings together sustainability, creativity, and community to celebrate the season.”
BLOOM aims to inspire and educate visitors on sustainable living practices while fostering a stronger sense of community and promoting fresh beginnings.
A wide variety of fun activities are available for all ages, including:
Document Shredding & Recycling Programs – Saturday, March 15
In celebration of World Recycle Day and in partnership with West Michigan Shredding, the community is encouraged to bring sensitive documents for safe disposal at an on-site shredding truck from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Located in the northeast parking lot near Dick’s Sporting Goods, guests may bring paper-based materials for shredding.
Participants who bring their documents to be shredded can text to enter a giveaway for a chance to win a $100 Uccello’s gift card.
Guests are also encouraged to visit several RiverTown Crossings tenants to support their recycling programs. Tenants include:
H&M – The retailer’s Garment Collection Program allows guests to drop off unwanted clothes from any brand, in any condition to recycle boxes in-store. The collected textiles are sorted for reuse, repurposing, or recycling to reduce waste.
American Eagle – Thinking of getting rid of that old pair of jeans? Bring them into an AE and get $10 toward a new pair! Shoppers must be a Real Rewards member to redeem this offer.
Sephora – Drop off your cleaned-out packaging to Sephora’s dedicated collection bins. In partnership with the nonprofit, Pact, the collected packaging will be repurposed into carpets, pallets, asphalt, new packaging and more.
BLOOM Bike Rodeo (Courtesy, RiverTown Crossings)
World Water Day – Saturday, March 22
In celebration of World Water Day, the center will host multiple environmental groups and vendors from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lower level Center Court, to provide eco-friendly education and activities. Guests can also sign up to receive a free ‘RiverTown Crossings’ branded water bottle, with purchase at select stores and while supplies last.
Spring Affair – Friday, April 4 through Saturday, April 19
Capture season memories with Easter Bunny photo sessions taking place in Center Court. Fresh from the Home & Garden Show in Grand Rapids, DeHamer Landscaping will install a vibrant display of live plants and flowers for a beautiful spring backdrop. Guests are encouraged to reserve their spots and review photo packages, as space is limited. To reserve a photo session, visit whereisbunny.com.
Spring Break Activities – Saturday, April 12
Celebrating the end of spring break, families are invited to visit the RiverTown Crossings for a series of activities including crafts, coloring, face painting, balloon animals and an egg hunt.
The event will teach kids essential bike safety skills, including bike repairs, helmet checks and safe riding techniques, and a skills course will be available for those looking to challenge themselves. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own bikes, though a limited number of loaner bikes will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Families can also enjoy exciting giveaways including a wildflower seed in Center Court, and bike raffles throughout the event.
Avelo Airlines announced today it will start service at Grand Rapids’ Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) with nonstop routes to North Carolina’s Research Triangle via Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Central Florida’s Lakeland International Airport (LAL). Avelo is the only airline offering nonstop service between Grand Rapids and these two destinations. Affordable one-way fares start at $59*.
Beginning in May, Avelo will operate these routes twice weekly on Fridays and Mondays, utilizing Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. Travelers can make reservations at AveloAir.com.
Lakeland International Airport (LAL)
Begins June 13, 2025, with twice weekly service on Mondays and Fridays
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
Begins May 23, 2025, with twice weekly service on Mondays and Fridays
Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO Andrew Levy said, “Grand Rapids – say hello to Avelo! We are proud to announce service at GRR and introduce a new era of convenient, affordable and industry-leading reliable travel to the Grand Rapids area. This service makes visiting North Carolina’s Research Triangle and Central Florida’s Lakeland easier than ever. We also look forward to making Grand Rapids’ world-class attractions, outdoor recreation and famous food and craft beverage scenes, easier than ever for RDU and LAL travelers to enjoy.”
GRR Airport Authority Board Chair Dan Koorndyk said, “We are thrilled to welcome Avelo Airlines to the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, marking an exciting milestone for our community. With the addition of nonstop service to Raleigh-Durham and Lakeland, we’re not only expanding our flight options but also opening up new, unserved markets for our passengers. This new partnership reflects our commitment to providing greater connectivity and convenience for the West Michigan region, and we look forward to the opportunities it brings for both leisure and business travelers.”
Raleigh / Durham, N.C. (RDU) – Nonstop Access to The Research Triangle
The Triangle Region offers the widest range of activities and attractions in North Carolina. This region boasts award-winning inns, hotels and spas, culinary delights for every taste, and cultural experiences including university gardens and art and history museums. A trip to this blossoming Southern metropolis leaves visitors enriched and energized the instant they’re welcomed by its smart, savvy locals. RDU is also home to three large research universities: Duke University, NC State University and the University of North Carolina.
Exploring the Best of Central Florida via Lakeland (LAL)
Conveniently situated between Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland is only a short drive to two of Florida’s most popular destinations and just an hour away from the Gulf Coast’s beaches.
Lakeland is one of the fastest growing areas in the country with its strong appeal for vacationers, retirees, and entrepreneurs. It is home to a multitude of family-friendly activities, including the LEGOLAND Florida Resort and Detroit Tigers Spring Training. The community has award-winning parks, vast trail networks, scenic lakes, a vibrant restaurant scene, and craft breweries all within walking distance of its historic downtown.
America’s most reliable and convenient airline
Since taking flight on April 28, 2021, Avelo has flown more than 6.3 million Customers on over 50,000 flights. Today Avelo serves 56 cities spanning 23 states and Puerto Rico, as well as four international destinations: Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Avelo has unlocked a new era of convenience, choice, and competition by flying unserved routes to primarily underserved communities across the country. Most Avelo routes have at least one small, easy to use airport. This makes traveling with Avelo a smoother, easier and more enjoyable experience than contending with the crowds, congestion and long walks at larger airports.
Avelo is distinguished by its industry-leading reliability. In 2024, Avelo ranked #1 in on-time performance and achieved the lowest flight cancellation rate in the U.S. airline industry. These results are provided by Anuvu, a leading aviation data services company also utilized by The Wall Street Journal for the publication’s annual airline ranking. Anuvu’s complete industry results and rankings are available at AveloAir.com.
Avelo also delivers world-class customer satisfaction, exemplified by our Net Promoter Scores (NPS), which consistently rank among the best airlines and most admired brands in the world.
Avelo offers an abundance of advanced seating options. One third of its aircraft seats (Avelo Premium and Premium Economy) offer extra leg room — ranging from 32 inches to more than 36 inches of pitch. These seats offer a more comfortable experience for customers who value more space. Customers can also purchase window and aisle seats in advance of their flight. In addition to advance seat assignments, Avelo offers several unbundled travel-enhancing options that give customers the flexibility to pay only for what they value, including priority boarding, checked bags, carry-on overhead bags, and bringing a pet in the cabin.
Additionally, families can travel with ease knowing every child 14 and under will be automatically seated with an accompanying adult at no additional cost.
With seven sophomores and a freshman on the roster, the East Kentwood girls basketball team has a bright future. That future, however, is actually now as the young Falcons collected a major trophy when they defeated Caledonia 44-40 Friday to win the Division 1 district championship at Byron Center High School.
With the win, the Falcons improved to 13-12 for the season. East Kentwood advances to a regional semifinal game against Forest Hills Northern (22-2) at 7 p.m. Monday at Grandville High School.
Grit and hustle proved key for East Kentwood, and those elements were displayed on defense and the boards where the Falcons scored a number of points off offensive rebounds. They also displayed plenty of poise down the stretch as they connected on some key free throws in the final minutes.
“I think it was our grit that got us over the top,” said East Kentwood Coach Eric Large. “Our sophomores, Logan Richardson and Jazanaye Silva, and we have a freshman, Nevaeh Eubanks, they are so scrappy and gritty that I knew that we could dominate the boards.”
East Kentwood’s Jazanaye Silva secures a rebound in between a pair of Caledonia defenders. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood led 20-17 at the half
Eubanks and Silva came up big on the offensive glass late in the opening half as the Falcons scored some key buckets derived from offensive rebounds to take a 20-17 lead into halftime.
The Falcons kept up the strong work on the offensive boards in the opening minutes of the second half as buckets off rebounds by Sophie Cobb, Jaslynn Ward and Silva enabled the Falcons to open up a 26-21 lead.
East Kentwood’s Sophie Cobb looks for an open teammate during Friday’s district game. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Their lead grew to 29-21 later in the quarter before Caledonia trimmed it to 31-26 at the end of the third after a three ball by Myla Gortmaker and a bucket by Emily Stauffer.
East Kentwood extended the lead to 36-29 midway through the final quarter highlighted by a pair of buckets by Ward.
Caledonia, however, continued to battle back. The Fighting Scots cut the Falcon advantage to 36-34 with 2:29 remaining in the game when Olivia Foster drained a three ball.
Kentwood rebuilt the lead on a bucket by Richardson and then an offensive rebound putback by Silva gave the Falcons a 40-34 advantage with 1:04 left.
Caledonia refused to fold as Sauffer and Foster nailed treys in the final minute of the game. The Falcons, however, were able to stave the Fighting Scots off as sophomore guard Aries Branch connected on four of six free-throw attempts in the final 30 seconds of the game to secure the win.
“This is special because I have so many sophomores playing,” Large said. “My seniors have been hurt all year and I just got Ward back two weeks ago.”
Ward, who has been a consistent source of offense for the Falcons this season, finished the game with a team-high 14 points. Silva and Sophie Cobb both added nine points, followed by Branch with six.
“That’s good for them to get a trophy,” Large said. “We are so young with the sophomores and its good for the seniors to be able to advance and get some hardware. It’s good for the younger kids to understand what winning looks like.”
Playing a rugged schedule both in the conference and in non-league play also helped the young Falcons reach a point where they can bring home a district trophy. Along with playing state-ranked teams Rockford, Grand Haven and Hudsonville two times each during the conference schedule, the Falcons played non-league games against state-ranked teams like Belleville (23-1), South Christian (22-2) and Grand Rapids West Catholic (20-3).
“I schedule a rigorous schedule,” Large explained. “I think Rockford had the number one strength of schedule and we were number two. A lot of the losses that we took were against top ten teams. People look at our record and go ahhh, we can beat them, but no, we are coming to play hard basketball.”
Caledonia finished the season with an 18-6 record. Like the Falcons, the Fighting Scots have a young team with six freshmen and three sophomores on the roster. Two of the freshmen, Emily Stauffer and Olivia Foster, led the team in scoring against the Falcons as Stauffer had 14 points and Foster added 11. Gortmaker, also a freshman, added five points.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
The East Kentwood, South Christian and Zion Christian girls basketball teams all won their respective district championship games on Friday and advance to the regional semifinals.
In a Division 1 final at Byron Center, East Kentwood beat Caledonia 44-40 to advance to regional play. The Falcons (13-12 overall) face Forest Hills Northern (22-2 overall and OK White champions) at 7 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Grandville High School.
In Division 2, South Christian defeated Holland Christian 59-50 for its district title. The Sailors (22-2 and top of the OK Gold) will play Paw Paw (20-4) at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, at South Christian.
Meanwhile, Zion Christian won a Division 4 district championship Friday with a 33-28 win over local rival Tri-unity Christian. The Mountaineers (18-6) face St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran (10-14) at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Martin High School.
A scoring drought at the worst possible time proved to be the difference for the South Christian boys basketball team as the Sailors dropped a 47-44 decision to Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the semifinals of a Division 2 regional Tuesday at Grand Rapids Christian.
In a game that was close throughout, the Sailors were unable to buy a bucket in the final two minutes and 30 seconds of the struggle between the perennial Division 2 powerhouses.
“This game won’t define us”
“It was a great game,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “I thought it was two really, really physical tough teams. Give them (Catholic Central) a lot of credit. They made one more shot than we did and it ended up being the difference.
“This game won’t define us. It won’t define the season that we had. We won 20 games, the conference championship, a district championship, we beat some really, really good teams along the way. I’m really proud of my guys the way they kept fighting when the ball wasn’t going in for us.”
The fourth quarter looked promising for South Christian in the early going. The Sailors, who were up 32-31 at the beginning of the quarter, built the lead to 38-33 with five minutes remaining in the contest. South Christian senior standout Carson Vis led the Sailors in the early minutes of the final quarter as he pumped in six points during a 6-2 run.
Cougars post 8-0 run in the fourth
Catholic Central, however, responded in a big way led by junior Izaya Lathridge. The Cougars responded with an 8-0 run as Lathridge scored a bucket and then came back to drain a three-point shot that tied the game at 38-38 with 4:20 remaining in the game. Lathridge then struck again from long range as his three-pointer at the 3:19 mark found the bottom of the net and staked the Cougars to a 41-38 lead.
“The guys did a tremendous job,” said Catholic Central Coach Chris Pearl. “We were locked in as we knew they beat us by double digits January 28. The way our guys have fought, the ways these guys bonded together. Our effort, our fight, our togetherness is second to none.”
That trey ignited a run of threes by both teams. South Christian responded with a three of its own as Caleb Pleune sank a triple tying the game at 41-41 with 3:04 remaining.
Catholic then came back with a three ball from Jordan McCoy with 2:42 remaining that put the Cougars up 44-41. On South’s ensuing possession Davis Kemper rained in a trey to tie the game at 44-44 with 2:29 remaining.
South Christian’s Davis Kemper (35) looks for an open teammate. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
For the Sailors, those points would prove to be the final points they would score in the contest as the basket seemed to have a lid on it for the remainder of the game.
Catholic Central took the lead for good with 1:17 remaining in the game when McCoy drove baseline and scored what proved to be the game-winning points.
South missed a three-pointer on its next possession and with 30 seconds left the Sailors were denied again after turning Catholic Central over on defense and coming up empty on the offensive end.
After McCoy split a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining in the game, South had one final opportunity, but the Sailors missed a pair of free throws and a three-point attempt at the buzzer.
“The ball wasn’t falling for us tonight”
“The ball wasn’t falling for us tonight,” Johnson said. “We obviously didn’t play our best. Man, we missed a lot of layups, a lot of free throws. In a three-point game you can’t do that at this stage.”
Both teams experienced difficulties at the free-throw line in the tense game as South Christian finished the game converting six-of-13 free throws, while Catholic Central converted just two-of-six.
Catholic Central, which improved to 19-7 with the win, led the game 9-8 at the end of the first quarter. South Christian, which ended the season with a 20-5 record, surged ahead in the second quarter and led 24-19 at halftime before the lead was whittled down to 32-31 heading into the final quarter.
South Christian’s Nolan Fackler (13) looks to inbound the ball against Catholic Central. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Lathridge led Catholic Central with 14 points, including four treys. Collin Lott added 11 points, followed by Jordan McCoy and Jack Bowen with nine apiece.
Catholic Central drains 7 threes
For the game, the Cougars connected on seven three-point shots.
“Every day, these guys are in the gym,” Pearl said. “Whether its before school, after school, before practice or after practice. If you looked at our season shooting, it’s not the best. We average about five threes a game on 20ish attempts, but if you trust it, you have confidence, and that’s the biggest thing in shooting. It’s not the way you start, it’s the way you finish it.”
Vis led the way for South Christian with 19 points, followed by Ike Schrotenboer, 12 and Davis Kemper, five.
For the Sailors, the loss meant the end of the high school careers for a memorable eight-man senior class that included Vis, Schrotenboer, Kemper, Pleune, Fackler, Charlie DeHaan, Ty Brinks and Wyatt Sall.
“This class was really special,” Johnson said. “Eight seniors that I felt were all in, all year. They gave us a lot of stuff to be proud of. I’m really, really proud of them. I think some of the guys left their legacy and they will be remembered forever.
“This game can’t define us who we are as people, we just have to continue to be strong in our faith and just think about all the positives in life.”
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Division 1, District 8 at East Kentwood
First Round: Ottawa Hills/East Kentwood 6 p.m. Monday, March 3 District Semifinal: Winner faces Wyoming 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5
Division 2, District 44 at Kelloggsville
First Round: Aviation Academy/Kelloggsville 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 3 Winner faces Catholic Central in Semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5 Godwin Heights/Grand River Prep 7 p.m. Monday, March 3 Winner faces Grand Rapids Christian in Semifinal at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5
Division 4, District 113 at Zion Christian
District Semifinal at Zion Christian: Tri-unity Christian/Sacred Heart 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5 Muskegon Catholic Central/Zion Christian 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5 District Final at Zion Christian: 7 p.m. Friday, March 7
Jerry Berg’s passion for sword fighting didn’t arrive until his college days, but it has now exploded into more than a passion.
“Very simply put, I have my education and degree in public school teaching and I wanted to teach more freely, more interactively, more movement based and for whatever reason this small aspect of my life of sword fighting grew into this massive section of what I live for,” Berg explained.
“It has become one of the most successful, interesting and exciting ways to teach history and create an amazing community together.”
The Swordsmanship Museum and Academy offers everything from high-intensity combat to historical education. (WKTV, Jaylah Lewis)
Video games gave Berg a great curiosity about history
Berg said back in the days when many people thought video games caused violence, his experience with them caused a great curiosity about history that developed into a passion.
“My passion for history started in my youth,” said Berg, who has a bachelor of arts degree with a double major in history and education from GVSU.
The Swordsmanship Museum and Academy locations. (WKTV Jaylah Lewis)
The Swordsmanship Museum and Academy officially launched in September of 2019. Berg is not only the owner, but also is actively involved as an instructor and guide. The main location is in Comstock Park, but there are satellites in Muskegon, Holland and Kalamazoo.
The Museum exists to spread knowledge, action and appreciation of human history through exhibits, events and classes, more specifically, the human history of Swordsmanship, i.e., the Revolutionary War, the Renaissance period, and much more.
Jerry Berg, owner of the Swordsmanship Museum and Academy. (WKTV, Jaylah Lewis)
Museum attracts those who like fantasy, history and athleticism
The Museum attracts those who enjoy fantasy, history and athleticism uniquely, with classes starting at $80 and events that can be attended for free, such as public library events and Renaissance Faire at Mill Creek Days. It’s for anyone ages 11 and up.
Swordsmanship educator Natalie Budnick said the Museum teaches Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA).
“Everything we do comes from an old manuscript,” said Budnick, who has taught at the Museum for three years. “We study swordsmanship from primary sources … from the 1300s.”
Educator Natalie Budnick of the Swordsmanship Museum and Academy. (WKTV, Jaylah Lewis)
Something for everyone
Berg said there’s something for everyone in the community at the Museum; learning how to sword fight, high-intensity combat, casual fan-base building, or even learning, education and research.
“I want everyone to follow their own path and how the Museum can help them achieve their goals.”
Teen Swordsman Club
Swordsmanship client Jessica Carmody takes her son Charles to the Museum for a Teen Swordsman Club for ages 11-16 on Wednesday nights, taught by Budnick.
The Carmody’s learned about the Museum at their local library, where Berg and Budnick often demonstrate and allow audience interaction to intrigue the public.
“We wanted to get him involved in something active, he’s really into Dungeons and Dragons and other fantasy type stuff so this was right up his alley,” Jessica said. “I see him practicing with the other kids and using moves he’s learned in past classes and I’m really impressed.”
The Swordsmanship Museum and Academy offers everything from high-intensity combat to historical education. (WKTV, Jaylah Lewis)
When asked about any negative connotations to participating, Jessica said the expenses can start to add up.
“Purchasing equipment such as padding can get a bit pricey, but they have lots of equipment here for him to use.”
Some may believe that a child learning combat skills to this extent could be dangerous or cause violence, but Jessica said, “This is like any other martial arts class, karate class. These are not violent kids, in fact one of the things they teach is control and holding back your power.”
Not all about combat
And it’s not all just about participating in combat, but about the Museum teaching the history of swordsmanship as well.
“Recommend this to anyone who has a kid who would be interested”
“Every now and then he grabs a book off the shelf and reads and learns about something history related,” said Jessica, who is pleased with the staff. “The staff here is great, Natalie is great; I’m very happy with the instruction Charles is receiving here. I would recommend this to anyone who has a kid who would be interested.”
(WKTV Jaylah, Lewis)
Berg wants to see the Museum grow in the future.
“Specifically towards acquiring a plot of land where we would create a living history park or village,” he explained. “Not only would it be a great facility for families and schools to visit, but we could teach a wider variety of classes there.
“I would also like to see a larger Museum facility with permanent exhibits, possibly at a different location from the living history park.”
For more information, or to sign up for classes and events, click here: Swordsmanship Museum and Academy or to keep up with the Swordsmanship community, check out their Facebook.
It took a quarter for the young East Kentwood basketball team to get acclimated to the state tournament, but once the youthful Falcons got up to speed, they flew off with a 60-43 win against Wyoming in the semifinals of the Division 1 district tournament at Wyoming.
The win sets up a district final between East Kentwood and Byron Center at 7 p.m. Friday at Wyoming.
Few varsity teams in the area are as young as East Kentwood, as the Falcons start four sophomores and a junior. They also bring three to four more sophomores off the bench in their typical rotation.
“We started off pretty slow, but that is to be expected as this team is pretty much all sophomores and this was their first district basketball appearance,” said East Kentwood Coach Michael Thomas. “The crowd was large and very loud and I think that surprised our guys a little. It forced us into some turnovers and unusual plays, but by the second quarter the guys became used to it.”
The opening quarter was a tight, defensive struggle with East Kentwood leading 12-9 after eight minutes.
East Kentwood took control of the contest in the second quarter. The Falcons offense began to heat up behind the offensive skills of junior Randy Chapman, who led all scorers with 26 points. The Falcons outscored Wyoming 19-8 during the second quarter and Chapman led the way with 13 of Kentwood’s 19 points during the second stanza.
“RJ just kind of took over,” Thomas said. “He really went to work in the second quarter. He is our one guy that has that state tournament experience as he has played in two district championship games before and it showed.”
The big second quarter by Chapman helped the Falcons take a 31-17 lead into halftime.
Wolves pick up pace in third
Wyoming picked up the pace on the offensive end of the floor during the third quarter. The Wolves scored 16 points during the third led by Warren Williams, who scored seven that quarter, and Avonte’ Wiggins and Taeshon Wilson both added four.
East Kentwood also scored 16 points during the quarter as the Falcons took a 47-33 lead into the final quarter.
Along with the offensive exploits from Chapman, the Falcons received strong play along the front line from 6-foot-9 sophomore Drew Kenyi.
East Kentwood’s Drew Kenyi. (Greg Chrapek, WKTV)
“Andrew played really well,” Thomas said. “He finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds. He was huge for us and scored on a lot of putbacks. He finished well around the basket.”
The Falcons also received a solid game up front from 6-foot-5 sophomore Sammy Makung.
“Sammy scored six points for us and also had 10 rebounds,” Thomas said. “He really helped us out on the boards. Those two big fellas really came up huge for us. They did a really good job of helping limit Wyoming to one shot (per possession).”
East Kentwood tightened the defense during the final quarter as the Falcons outscored Wyoming 13-10 to come away with the 60-43 win.
A big factor in the young East Kentwood team being able to adjust to the big stage of the state tournament was the difficult schedule during the season. The Falcons played just three teams with a non-winning record the entire season. East Kentwood also played six teams ranked in the top 15 in Division 1 of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Power Ratings. That included two games apiece against No. 3 Rockford and No. 7 Hudsonville in conference play.
In non-league play the Falcons played No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice, No. 6 Detroit U-of-D Jesuit, No. 9 Detroit Martin Luther King and No. 15 Port Huron Northern. The Falcons also played Saginaw United, who has a 17-5 record and Center Line at 16-6.
“I think what helped us was our strength of schedule,” Thomas said. “We played the No. 2 strongest schedule in the state. After Orchard Lake St. Mary, we were No. 2 in the entire state in strength of schedule, and we went 11-11 against that schedule. We were also competitive in those games. I’d say there was only one time that we got run out of the gym and the rest were pretty close games. To finish with an 11-11 record against that type of schedule starting four sophomores and a junior is impressive. I’m proud of these guys and how well they competed against some of the best teams in the state.”
With the win, East Kentwood improved to 12-11 for the season. Along with 26 points from Chapman and 14 from Kenyi, the Falcons received eight points from CJ Reynolds, six from Makung, three points from Major Barnes, two from Dau Dau and one point from Jeremiah Cook.
Wyoming’s Avonte’ Wiggins led the Wolves with 14 points. (Greg Chrapek, WKTV)
Wyoming finished the season with a 12-12 overall record. The Wolves were led in scoring by senior Avonte’ Wiggins who finished with 14 points. Senior Taeshon Wilson added 11 points followed by senior Warren Williams with seven points. Jack Hogan added three points while Elijah McGee, Brayden Williams and Brad Lewis added two points apiece with Qua’vari Palmer and Zy’erre Debose adding one point each.
A unique alliance offers local students an opportunity to earn a college degree while gaining nationally recognized trade certifications (Courtesy photo)
Located just 2.6 miles apart, GCU and WMCI offer a seamless blend of programs that empower students to excel academically, professionally and in some cases, spiritually. Sixteen students will begin the program in the fall semester of 2025.
Tuition is billed separately. GCU students pay standard tuition rates for courses at the university. WMCI’s tuition is $2,000 per semester, regardless of program.
Both institutions are committed to helping students maximize financial aid opportunities, including federal grants, community funding and unique partnering scholarships with local construction-related companies.
GCU President Ken Kemper (left) and WMCI President Jen Schottke shake hands to commemorate the new partnership between their organizations (Courtesy, GCU / WMCI)
The best of both worlds
For students, this means the best of both worlds. They can grow in their faith, develop marketable skills and graduate with the tools to make an eternal impact in their communities. This partnership allows employers to hire well-rounded, highly qualified candidates ready to lead in the construction industry.
“In today’s evolving job market, many students are seeking alternatives to traditional four-year degrees,” said Jen Schottke, President of WMCI. “At the same time, employers in industries like construction are searching for candidates with both technical skills and leadership capabilities.
“We believe this partnership will blend the two by allowing students to earn a college degree while gaining nationally recognized trade certifications.”
Dr. Ken Kemper, GCU President, echoed Schottke’s sentiments: “We are creating an innovative educational pathway that bridges Bible-centered higher education and hands-on trade skills.
“We think this partnership is a game-changer for students seeking to combine their passion for skilled trades with the transformative impact of a biblical education.”
Michigan employers are seeking talent to fill jobs in healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, construction and automotive (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
Filling a vital gap
Skilled Trade careers often require less schooling and debt than a four-year degree – and offer a wide range of opportunities for students.
Michigan employers, more than ever before, are seeking talent to fill jobs in fields such as healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, construction and automotive.
“A sizable professional trades shortage exists in Michigan and is expected to continue through 2030,” stated the Pure Michigan Talent Connect website.
“Professional trades will account for more than 520,000 jobs in the Michigan economy, and approximately 45,000 new job openings are expected annually in the state during that time.”
The collaboration between GCU and WMCI offers flexible options tailored to students’ academic and career goals that can help fill that skilled tradesmen gap.
Choose what works for you…
Options offered through the recent partnership between GCU and WMCI include:
Flexible options tailored to students’ academic and career goals will be offered (Courtesy, DU)
Integrated Bachelor’s Program WMCI certifications transfer seamlessly as block credits toward Grace’s on-campus or online bachelor’s programs. Students can complete their degree while growing professionally in their chosen trade.
Dual Enrollment Students can enroll in prescribed courses at Grace while earning certifications in carpentry, drywall, or other construction trades through WMCI. This pathway is ideal for high school graduates eager to start working while pursuing a degree.
Transfer Pathway Students who complete a two-year associate degree at Grace can transfer to WMCI to pursue trade certifications. This approach provides a strong academic foundation, allowing students to specialize in construction.
Top-tier resources
Students in this partnership benefit from top-tier resources at both institutions. From state-of-the-art labs to personalized career support, the programs are designed to equip students with everything they need to succeed.
At GCU, students gain access to a biblically centered education that shapes their worldview and prepares them for leadership. Programs emphasize personal growth, community service and a commitment to Christ’s teachings.
Kemper (left) and Schottke will provide top-tier resources for students at both institutions (Courtesy, GCU / WMCI)
At WMCI, students experience facilities that are among the best in the industry. Four interactive learning labs provide hands-on training in trades like carpentry, plumbing and sprinkler fitting. Nine modern classrooms facilitate in-depth learning and discussions, and a climate-controlled sandpit allows students to practice concrete and plumbing skills during winter months.
All WMCI programs are accredited by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), ensuring students graduate with nationally recognized certifications. These portable credentials allow students to transfer credits to other institutions or relocate without starting over.
Creating unique opportunities
Both organization leaders note that this endeavor will create a unique opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs.
(Courtesy photo)
“Many students enter WMCI programs with the dream of owning their own construction company. Through this collaboration, students gain the technical skills needed to master their trade at WMCI while studying business principles at Grace Christian University,” noted Schottke.
“Grace’s business courses cover essential topics like financial management, marketing and leadership. These skills complement WMCI’s trade training, enabling graduates to launch and grow successful businesses grounded in Christian values,” added Kemper.
The GCU and WMCI partnership plans to expand to include additional enrollment periods, new courses and expanded dual-enrollment pathways for high school students.
Local construction firms could also reap benefits from this partnership.
“The partnership between Grace Christian University and West Michigan Construction Institute is an excellent way to prepare and equip people in our community to follow God’s calling to work in the construction industry,” said Craig Baker, Owner of First Companies.
“We are very thankful for this partnership and how it will improve the workforce in West Michigan.”
Advantage Commercial Real Estate advisors Thomas Vredevelt and Mark Ansara have assisted luxury pet hotel chain K9 Resorts in acquiring the former TGIF’s building adjacent to Woodland Mall (3345 28th Street) where K9 will open the franchise’s first location in Michigan.
Demolition of the former 9,300 square foot TGIF’s building is nearly complete. Construction is expected to begin soon after. The City of Kentwood gave unanimous approval for rezoning and issued a Special Land Use permit.
Making their way to West Michigan
K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel of Grand Rapids owners Megan and Mark Ivaska began pursuing opening a K9 Resorts in the region in late 2023. The couple began working with Advantage in 2024, finally landing on the Woodland Mall property.
“From day one, there was grit that Mark and Thomas at Advantage brought to the process. The location exceeds our expectations on indoor and outdoor play space, and we can’t wait to share that with the community,” said Megan Ivaska.
K9 was looking for a location in a retail area within 10-15 minutes of the airport (Courtesy photo)
“We needed to be in a retail area within 10-15 minutes of the airport,” added co-owner Mark Ivaska. “It does not get better than being at the corner of 28th Street and the Beltline. It’s hard to believe this property was on the market for nearly five years.
“Advantage delivered an opportunity and guided us to reach a fantastic deal well below the listing price and within our budget.”
An award-winning franchise
Founded in 2005, K9 Resorts is widely regarded as providing unparalleled and unmatched service for dog boarding and dog daycare. The brand has already been a five-time Pet Care Excellence award winner from the International Boarding & Pet Services Association, and has earned multiple “Best of” local awards throughout the franchise system.
(Courtesy photo)
“It is easy to say we are in the pet care business. While true, our focus is more closely tied to the hospitality industry,” said Ivaska. “We don’t benchmark against others in the boarding space. We benchmark against organizations like Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and even Disney.
“We want to delight our four-legged guests and wow our clients who entrust members of their families to us.”
K9 Resorts is unique in the pet care industry with its commitment to luxury, health and safety.
The resorts provide a cage-free environment where guests can enjoy all-day group play or private playtime with a staff member. Rooms are segmented and designed with soundproofing materials integrated throughout construction and design to reduce sound and stress for the pets. The facility prioritizes cleanliness and sanitation, maintaining standards that resemble a hospital.
All staff members are trained and certified by national pet associations, emphasizing dogs’ health, safety and behavioral needs, along with ongoing education to ensure they are up-to-date with best practices.
High-end success
“K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel of Grand Rapids has secured one of the most desirable locations in the metro Grand Rapids region,” said Advantage Commercial Real Estate Principal Senior Vice President Mark Ansara.
“This pet boarding and daycare center will turn many heads with its high-end appearance. We are excited to see them succeed.”
The 15th annual LaughFest Festival will offer 45 free and ticketed shows with venues in Grand Rapids, Lowell and Gun Lake Casino and Resort in Wayland (Courtesy, Gilda’s Club GR)
With Gilda’s LaughFest less than a month away, Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids announced the 15th annual event will offer 45 free and ticketed shows with venues in Grand Rapids, Lowell and Gun Lake Casino and Resort in Wayland.
Included in the free events are a new LaughFest kickoff event, several LaughFest favorites, and a variety of family-friendly shows.
There is something funny for everyone at LaughFest (Courtesy, Gilda’s Club GR)
“LaughFest is very much a festival where there really is something funny for everyone,” said Wendy Wigger, President and CEO of Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. “Now in our 15th year, we’re excited to bring some great free shows, as well as events that families can enjoy and join in the laughter together.”
What is LaughFest?
Laughter is celebrated at LaughFest (Courtesy, Gilda’s Club GR)
Launched in March 2011, Gilda’s LaughFest is the nation’s first-ever community-wide festival of laughter. The festival has quickly earned a reputation for being one of the nation’s marquee events for both participants and artists.
Based in Grand Rapids and including events throughout West Michigan, LaughFest celebrates and honors laughter as an essential part of emotional health and wellbeing.
Featuring stand-up, improv, showcases and more, LaughFest brings together a diverse audience of children and adults every March.
NEWLaughFest kickoff event:
Kicking off LaughFest is a new free event, Celebrity Clue Scavenger, on Feb. 26. The scavenger hunt will feature six teams comprised of 4-6 clever sleuths, embarking on a quest to decipher cryptic clues.
Handed out by local media celebrities, comedians Matt Lauria and Allen Trieu, and local celebrity chef Tommy FitzGerald, the clues will lead teams to six unique locations within a one-mile radius throughout downtown Grand Rapids.
Family Improv brings lots of laughs (Courtesy, Gilda’s Club GR)
Free LaughFest shows:
March 5 @ Midtown – The Cancer Survivor Showcase: Local comedians who have all experienced cancer share their stories – with a twist.
March 6 @ Midtown – We Are SO Lucky: Allen Trieu’s hybrid stand-up and stage show features his personal journey of heartbreak, love, healing and self-discovery during an unexpected divorce.
A VR Showcase participant engages on stage while audience members watch the simulcast (Courtesy, Gilda’s Club GR)
March 8 @ The B.O.B. – The Virtual Reality Showcase: See comedians live on stage through VR simulcasted to TV screens in Dr. Grins. VR headsets are not required to view the live performance and will not be provided.
March 9 @ Spectrum Entertainment Complex – Sunday Night Funnies: Features up-and-coming talent and a 50/50 raffle with all proceeds going to Gilda’s Club of GR.
Free family-friendly LaughFest shows:
Youth enjoy sharing their jokes on stage (Courtesy, Gilda’s Club GR)
NEW! March 6 @ Resurrection Fellowship Church – Gospel Fest: Hosted by the Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids Sister-to-Sister Breast Cancer Support Group for Women of Color, the event consists of laughter, praise, and shared song with clean comedian Lena Green.
March 8 @ Gilda’s Club GR – Kids Joke Time: Young comedians from West Michigan have submitted their favorite jokes and will take the mic. Comedian Allen Trieu will host.
March 8 @ Gilda’s Club GR – Family Improv: Families get silly playing improvised games while finding new ways to use their imaginations on a rainy day. Led by local improv instructors at The Comedy Project. No improv experience required.
March 5 @ LowellArts! and March 8 @ Gilda’s Club GR – Drums for All with Josh Dunigan: This event is the product of conversations and collaborations Dunigan had with those living with various disabilities. Dunigan provides the drums, participants bring hands and smiles.
All ages enjoy Josh Dunigan’s Drums for All program (Courtesy, Gilda’s Club GR)
Event info / Ticket purchases
The full lineup of free events, as well as ticket information, can be found at laughfestgr.org.
Dinner and show tickets for the Red Door Gala featuring Preacher Lawson are available at gildasclubgr.org/red-door-gala.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.
Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.
A fast start proved to be the difference for the South Christian boys basketball team in its showdown with Northview as a big first quarter propelled the Sailors to a 73-68 win in a clash of the top two teams in the OK Gold.
Northview entered the game with a perfect conference record and needed a win to wrap up the conference title. The Wildcats were in position to win the Gold outright after defeating South Christian earlier thanks to a last-second buzzer beater. Not only are the two teams the front runners in the conference, but both squads entered the game ranked in the state with Northview coming in at 17th in Division 1 in the latest MHSAA power rankings, while South Christian entered the game ranked eighth in Division 2.
Playing on its home floor, South Christian wasted little time in getting its home fans fired up as it jumped out to an 18-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
“We had a great start which was huge for us,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “We hit some shots early and got a lot of momentum going and we were able to get the crowd into it.”
Vis sinks 11 points in first quarter, including 3 treys
Senior standout Carson Vis was a big part of South Christian’s fast start. Vis totaled 11 points in the opening quarter, including draining three treys.
“Carson had a huge first quarter for us,” Johnson said. “He hit some big shots for us. Ike Schrotenboer also had a big first quarter as he made some big layups for us.”
Northview clawed back into the game during the second quarter as the Wildcats trimmed the South Christian lead to 37-33 by halftime.
Foul trouble played a role in Northview cutting into the Sailor lead. While the Sailors had some players in foul trouble, several players came into the game and provided some quality minutes. One of those players was sophomore Austin Burgess.
“Austin came off the bench and hit some big shots for us,” Johnson said. “Ike Schrotenboer also continued to play really well for us inside. He finished the game with 13 points and all of those points came in the first half.”
South Christian center Ike Schrotenboer totaled 13 points and seven rebounds against Northview.
(WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
South opened up some breathing room during the second half as the Sailors built a 56-47 lead to end the third quarter.
Northview made a final push during the final quarter as foul trouble continued to hamper the Sailors. South, however, was able to hold off the Wildcats and claim the victory.
“We had some turnovers and we continued to battle foul trouble in the fourth quarter,” Johnson said. “I’m proud of the way the kids battled and hung in there. We had some big rebounds and played some good defense in the fourth quarter.
“We also hit some key free throws at the end. We had a great crowd and it was a great high school basketball game. I’m really proud of our guys.”
Vis led the Sailors with 28 points, while Schrotenboer turned in 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Burgess added 13 points and Davis Kemper totaled 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Davis Kemper tallied 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
South Christian going for share of OK Gold Friday
The Sailors improved to 10-1 in the conference, while Northview finished conference play at 11-1. South Christian has a chance to clinch a share of the league title when it hosts Wayland on Senior Night Friday.
“Wayland is going to be ready to play,” Johnson said. “We have to be focused and come out ready to play. It will definitely be special to win the conference. For us, it’s always a goal to win the conference, but we are going to have to come out with a lot of clarity and be ready to play.”
Overall, South Christian improved to 17-4 for the season. After starting with a 1-3 record, the Sailors have won 16 of their last 17 games.
“We’ve played a tough schedule,” Johnson said. “I’ve seen a lot of growth in this team during the season and the guys play with a lot of grit. They have continued to get better and better throughout the season.”
After wrapping up the regular season Friday, the Sailors and the rest of the teams in the state begin the state tournament next week.
South Christian is hosting a Division 2 regional next week. The Sailors have a bye in the first round and open district action by playing the winner of the Kelloggsville/West Michigan Aviation Academy game in a semifinal next Wednesday.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.
Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.
On the heels of last month’s cold snap, Consumers Energy is pledging $5 million in contributions to Michigan nonprofits to help at-risk customers pay their heating bills starting in February.
“Consumers Energy is proud to lend a hand to households who need help this winter,” said Brandon Hofmeister, Consumers Energy’s senior vice president for strategy, sustainability and external affairs. “We want our customers who are concerned with making ends meet to know dollars will be available that can make a difference.”
Consumers Energy is making contributions to five nonprofit agencies this month to help families that are facing hardship. The dollars are available to income-qualified customers through the following organizations:
*TrueNorth Community Services *United Way of South Central Michigan *The Salvation Army *St. Vincent de Paul Society *Michigan Veterans Trust Fund
People who need help should call 2-1-1, a free service that connects Michiganders with nonprofits to find help with basic needs, from energy bills to food and shelter. Consumers Energy customers also should call 800-477-5050 if they are facing challenges with their bill.
“Consumers Energy’s generous gift couldn’t come at a better time,” said Chris Sargent, president and executive officer for United Way of South Central Michigan. “Barely halfway through a tough winter, families who struggle financially are finding it hard to keep up with essentials like heating costs. This support gives them hope and a warm home. United Way’s Program Assistance Center is grateful for Consumers Energy’s compassionate partnership.”
Last year, Consumers Energy helped over 137,000 Michiganders to obtain nearly $69 million from a variety of sources to pay energy costs. The company is dedicated to the people who count on us for energy and heat, and provides assistance that allows people to stay safe and warm in their homes.
“When it’s cold outside, our customers can count on us for reliable energy and a helping hand when they need it,” Hofmeister said. “We’re confident our $5 million contribution will provide meaningful assistance to thousands of households today and over the months ahead.”
Consumers Energy also is encouraging customers to apply for Michigan’s Home Heating Credit. If your income is at or below 110% of the federal poverty level, you may apply for the credit for the 2024 tax year to help pay your energy bill.
Woodland Mall will once again recognize Black History Month by hosting community events in partnership with the City of Kentwood and New Hope Baptist Church on Saturday, Feb. 22.
The day will kick off with the fourth annual Unity Walk with the City of Kentwood at 11 a.m. Community members are invited to gather for a walk inside Woodland Mall, 3195 28th St. SE, that will begin and end in front of Von Maur. A ceremony will immediately follow at 11:20 a.m. featuring welcoming remarks from Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley, live music from local jazz fusion pianist Brandon Fitzpatrick and light refreshments.
(Photo Courtesy, Woodland Mall)
“The City of Kentwood is honored to once again partner with Woodland Mall to bring the community together to celebrate Black History Month,” Kepley said. “We invite community members of all ages to join us for a day that promotes connection and supports our shared journey toward understanding.”
Following the Unity Walk, New Hope Baptist Church will present its 11th African American Live Museum, “Celebrating Legacy and Light,” throughout the mall. Starting at 1 p.m., community members can see a cast of 45 people ages 9-70 put on more than 20 live performances featuring remarkable African American figures throughout history and in current culture from politics, sports, science, arts, entertainment and more.
“Celebrating Legacy and Light” will provide an engaging experience for community members as performers bring their persona to life, adopting mannerisms of the legendary figures they are portraying while sharing facts and stories from their lives. Visitors can watch and listen to the performances to learn about each historic and current figure.
(Photo Courtesy, Woodland Mall)
The Six Triple Eight Battalion, Nikki Giovanni, Marvin Gaye, Leontyne Price, A. Phillip Randolph, Magic Johnson and De La Soul will be among the personalities appearing until 5 p.m.
“We are excited to present the Live African American Museum, Celebrating Legacy and Light, with the community this year and appreciate Woodland Mall hosting us again,” New Hope Baptist Church Drama Ministry Co-Leader Letitia Levi said. “This program allows a unique and captivating way of learning about the impact of accomplishments by Black Americans.”
Lisa Wolstromer, senior marketing director for Woodland Mall, says the mall values the continued partnership with each organization for these events.
(Photo Courtesy, Woodland Mall)
“Woodland Mall looks forward to being a part of this collaborative effort to recognize Black History Month every year,” Wolstromer said. “Both events are interactive and engaging ways for mall visitors to learn about Black history, equality and justice.”
Michigan farmers produce an abundance of crops that feed not only fellow Michiganders, but people across America. Those farmers, however, also have a culprit that takes a toll on their production. That culprit is the large deer population across the state.
Every year, deer cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in crop damage across the state of Michigan.
Initiatives have taken place to combat this problem and one of the organizations that is addressing the problem is the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), an organization dedicated to the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of America’s hunting heritage.
Across the country, NWTF staff and volunteers seek out innovative ways to welcome new and diverse audiences into America’s hunting traditions, and momentum-building efforts in Michigan are no different. Jen Davis, NWTF hunting and shooting Region 3 coordinator for Michigan, recently promoted the launch of the new Farm Tour retention initiative. Davis presented this new program during the Michigan Soybean Committee’s 2024 Soybean On-Farm Research Summary Tour.
Hunt Michigan Collaborative partnered with National Deer Association
This program, developed by Hunt Michigan Collaborative in partnership with the National Deer Association, aims to address crop damage on Michigan farms while also creating new opportunities for hunters to hone their skills and contribute to conservation. As a key partner in the initiative, the NWTF plays a vital role in connecting hunters with the Farm Tour program.
The Hunt Michigan Collaborative aims to assimilate and streamline efforts to grow hunter numbers in Michigan, while simultaneously providing landowners, urban areas and farmers with much needed wildlife management.
Every year, deer cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in crop damage across the state of Michigan, including corn, soybeans, buckwheat, alfalfa and apple crops. (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
The Farm Tour initiative connects farmers experiencing crop damage with conservation organizations seeking land access for new and continuing hunters. This mutually beneficial partnership helps farmers address significant crop losses, estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, while providing hunters with valuable opportunities to fill their freezers and develop their skills. Excess deer harvested during these hunts are donated to local communities through the Hunters Feeding Michigan program.
“Here in Michigan, as with the broader Midwest region, we are dominated by private land, much of it in agriculture,” Davis said. “We also have abundant wildlife populations filling the remaining adjacent woodlands and wetlands. This can lead to tensions for farmers, for new hunters and for wildlife. The Farm Tour aims to broker relationships that offer solutions for all parties involved.”
Participating hunters must possess a Michigan hunting license, a valid deer hunting license and must follow all Michigan deer hunting regulations and Farm Tour-specific rules during the hunt.
Farmers interested in joining the program are encouraged to complete the form on the Hunt Michigan Collaborative website https://huntmicollaborative.com and hunters are encouraged to contact Jen Davis at jdavis@nwtf.net or by phone at 734-680-6049.
National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 23 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $9 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide healthy habitats and healthy harvests for future generations.
