Officer Jenni Eby City of Wyoming Department of Public Safety
Welcome to the Traffic Tuesday question. Each week, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety posts a question on Tuesday, and the answer posted Thursday. **Please do not post the answer in the comments, so that others have a chance to answer on their own** Note: the answer can be found on both the WKTV Journal website and in the community social media site Nextdoor.
In preparation for some of our kids going back to school, we’re revisiting school bus laws!
This week’s question: You are behind a school bus, when it stops and activates its flashing red lights. What is the closest you can stop behind the bus?
Back-to-school is definitely on the minds of many as parents and students took the hot Sunday to shop for school clothes and other supplies at Tanger Outlet Mall. Just how school will start is on the minds of school officials and local leaders as many districts have had their plans approved or will present their back-to-school plans to their boards tonight.
At Monday’s Government Matters meeting, hosted by the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, Godfrey-Lee Superintendent Kevin Polston discussed what his district and others are looking at for the fall. For most districts in Kent County, school is set to start Aug. 24.
“There is a lot of energy and a lot of angst in the community from staff and families alike as we prepare for school,” Polston said.
Kevin Polston, Superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools
Polston, who was on the state’s Return to Learn Advisory Council and chaired the Kent ISD Futures Committee which designed a plan for returning to school this fall, said that in Wyoming and Kentwood, three districts, Wyoming Public Schools, Kentwood Public Schools, and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, have opted to start with two weeks of remote learning and then move to in-person instruction on Sept. 8. According to Polston, Godwin Heights plans to go three weeks with online instruction and Kelloggsville Public Schools will start in-person instruction on Aug. 24. All districts will be offering a remote option for learning this year if the student or family does not feel comfortable in returning to the classroom, Polston said.
“What that will allow districts to do is make sure that we are prepared and ready for students being in-person,” he said of the two weeks online instruction. Speaking for his own district, Godfrey-Lee, Polston said staff plans to use those two weeks to make sure that safety protocols are in place before students return to the classrooms.
Many school leaders have had to consider a number of factors when considering how their specific school will open.
Only students in K-5 have the option of wearing masks in the classrooms. Students in 6-12 are required to wear masks in the classroom and all K-12 students and staff must wear masks in common areas. Students are allowed to take masks off when outside and while eating with Polston noting that staff are looking at other creative ways to give students a break from wearing masks.
In dealing with a student or staff member who has tested positive for COVID-19, districts are being directed to follow the Kent County Health Department guidelines.
Polston said the number one question he has been asked is if Governor Gretchen Whitmer will move the state back to Phase 3, which would force all schools into remote learning.
“I have frequent conversations with the governor’s office and at this point that is not something that the governor has been considering because our numbers have plateaued and our numbers are too different across the state to use a blanket approach,” he said.
One thing districts have always wanted is more control and through the COVID-19 plans, that is exactly what has happened with each school board able to make decisions unique to its district’s situation. That also has created a variety of plans from those like Grand Rapids Public Schools that will have only remote learning for the first nine weeks to others like Kelloggsville that will plan to have in-person learning, Polston said.
Polston said his own district has been working with teachers on returning to the classrooms along with marrying requests of those who feel they are at high-risk or live with someone who is high-risk and want to teach remotely with students who have chosen to take remote learning.
Of course each day changes and therefore plans have to be flexible for those changes, Polston said. An example was that many football teams in the county have started practice today but announcements that both the PAC-10 and the Big Ten are planning to cancel the 2020 fall season could impact high school sports, he said.
“We can’t afford anymore learning loss,” said Polston about the importance of getting schools open, “and we must prepare our students for the workforce development we need for our economy and the students need for their own independence.”
Districts are moving forward with remote learning despite the fact that the state needs to approve these measures. Also how districts will be paying for the extra COVID-19 safetu measures and online instruction along with the anticipated budget shortfalls for 2020-2021 are issues schools and the state will need to look at in the future.
Polston did express gratitude to the Kent County Commission which is working on releasing $2 million from its share of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) to all Kent County schools — both public and private — to help with safety measures. Polston said that is about $16 per student in Kent County. For Godfrey-Lee, this is an addition $29,500 dollars that school officials are hoping to use toward expanding its nursing program from two days to three days a week.
The City of Wyoming has declared a Level Three Water Emergency, due to a water transmission main repair. The repair will temporarily reduce the capacity of the water system making it necessary to institute a Sprinkling Ban. This ban, which includes all outdoor irrigation, begins Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 6 a.m. within all communities served by the City of Wyoming Water System. By following the Sprinkling Ban, water customers will help protect the water system during this emergency repair. The communities included in the Sprinkling Ban are:
Zeeland Township
Park Township
Olive Township
Blendon Township
Holland Township
Georgetown Township
Jamestown Township
Byron Township
Gaines Township
City of Hudsonville
City of Grandville
A part of the City of Kentwood
City of Wyoming
“Water remains safe and drinkable so long as the water pressure is maintained,” says Director of Public Works Myron Erickson, “the emergency repair itself doesn’t impact water quality. However, low system pressure may impact water quality due to cross connections. That’s why it is incredibly important to follow this temporary Sprinkling Ban.”
The emergency repair will take one of the two water transmission mains out of service, reducing the capacity of the water system. Currently, the City of Wyoming water facilities are pumping at maximum rates to meet peak summer demand. With only one water transmission line active, the water system cannot maintain the high water demand caused by summer irrigation. One transmission line can meet the demand of indoor water use. If water system users don’t abide by the Sprinkling Ban, low pressure and low volumes of water are a distinct possibility.
Due to this extreme water emergency, the City of Wyoming will be issuing municipal civil infractions to any violators of the Sprinkling Ban within the City of Wyoming. The Sprinkling Ban will be in effect until further notice.
For more information, visit www.wyomingmi.gov/SprinklingBan or contact the Wyoming Water Office at 616-530-7390 or the Wyoming Water Plant at (616) 399-6511. Residents of the customer communities of the Wyoming Water System may also contact their respective communities’ water office.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced last week that, as a response to the continued COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 350,000 Michigan families will continue to have access to additional food assistance benefits during August.
Michigan previously approved the additional food assistance through July and now that is being extended for the month of August with approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, according to the MDHSS statement.
“COVID-19 and its impact on the economy of the nation and state has made it more difficult for many Michigan families to pay for nutritious food,” Lewis Roubal, chief deputy director of opportunity for MDHHS, said in supplied material. “The department wants to provide additional assistance to help them through this health care and economic emergency.”
Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card by Aug. 30, with payments beginning for some households on Thursday, Aug. 20. Additional benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance provided earlier in the month.
Nearly 1.5 million people in Michigan receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the state’s Food Assistance Program, according torte statement. Households eligible for Food Assistance Program benefits will receive additional benefits in August to bring all current SNAP cases to the maximum monthly allowance for that group size.
This change only applies to customers not currently receiving the maximum benefit amount. The 350,000 households that receive increased benefits represent close to 50 percent of the more than 700,000 Michigan households that received food assistance in June. The remaining households already receive the maximum benefit.
Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits. People who receive food assistance can check their benefits balance on their Michigan Bridge Card by going online to www.michigan.gov/MIBridges or talk to a consumer service representative toll-free at 888-678-8914. They can ask questions about the additional benefits by calling or emailing their caseworker.
Customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spanish and Arabic service is available. If you are deaf, deaf/blind or hard of hearing or speech-impaired, call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.
The Kent County Board of Commissioners announced Aug. 6 that it is seeking residents who are interested in serving the community through appointment to various boards, commissions, and committees. Most positions begin January 2021.
For example, the county Veterans Services Committee is seeking veterans who served honorably on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces to work to support the county’s veterans population.
Kent County residents may apply for the various vacancies by completing an online application on the county’s website at accessKent.com/boardappointments. Resumes and cover letters are encouraged and may be attached. The application deadline is Sept. 30.
After the deadline, applications for the vacancies will be reviewed by the Legislative & Human Resources Committee, which will then recommend candidates to the full Board of Commissioners for final approval.
There are openings for terms effective Jan. 1, 2021 (unless otherwise noted) on the following:
Agricultural Preservation Board (openings for agricultural interest representative and township representative)
Community Corrections Advisory Board (openings for service provider and business representative)
Community Health Advisory Committee (openings for community-based organization representative, health care provider, and faith-based organization representative)
Community Mental Health Authority (Network180) Board (term begins April 1, 2021)
County Building Authority
Department of Health and Human Services Board
Fire Commission (openings for elected official and public representative)
Friend of the Court Citizen’s Advisory Committee (opening for custodial parent)
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRFIA) Authority Board
Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (openings for Kent County county resident and non-county resident (must live in Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, or Ottawa counties)
Kent County Community Action Advisory Governing Board (openings for consumer, private, and public sector)
Kent County Family & Children’s Coordinating Council (openings for advocates and private funding representatives)
Kent District Library Board (Region 3, a resident of Alpine, Plainfield Township, or City of Walker; and Region 7, a resident of Byron Township or City of Grandville). Applicants must live in Region 3 or 7.
Remonumentation Peer Review Group (must be a professional surveyor to apply)
Road Commission Board
Residents with questions about the appointment process should contact Natasha Karambelas in the Board of Commissioners’ Office at 616-632-7580 or natasha.karambelas@kentcountymi.gov.
Gerrid Uzarski, Elections Director for the Kent County Clerk and Register Department, center, assists members of the Kent County Board of Canvassers in the handling of August 2020 primary election results awaiting certification on Aug. 6. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
With the Aug. 4 primary votes in — and the election security verification process of the Kent County Board of Canvassers verifying and certifying the unofficial results in process — the Nov. 3 general election is set and will have a wide spectrum of elected officeholders for Wyoming and Kentwood voters to decide upon, from Kentwood’s District Court judge to President of the United States.
And with the addition of independent candidates (neither Republican nor Democrat) having filed with the Kent County Elections Office, the candidate field is set.
City of Wyoming City Council
City of Wyoming voters will have three seats on the City Council to be voted on in November and two of the three future unopposed incumbents. Marissa K. Postler and Robert Postema are unopposed for the 2nd Ward and the 3rd Ward council seats, respectively. While Rob Arnoys and John Fitzgerald will vie for a Commissioner-at-large seat.
City of Kentwood district court
Kentwood’s 62 B District Court non-partisan judgeship, part of the Kent County Court System, will be contested by Amanda Sterkenburg and Joe Jackson, both of Kentwood.
Kent County Board of Commissioners
After Republican primary election voting for Kent County Board of Commissioner 8th District seat, current City of Wyoming City Councilor Dan Burrill will face off with Democrat Sarah Chatterly of Wyoming in the November general election.
In the 7th District (Grandville/part of Wyoming), Republican incumbent and Grandville resident Stan Ponstein will face off in November with Democrat and Grandville resident Jane Newton.
In the 9th District (Byron Twp./part of Wyoming), incumbent Republican Matt Kallman will be opposed by Keith Courtade (D) of Wyoming, while in the 12th District (Kentwood/part of Wyoming and Grand Rapids) incumbent Democrat Monica Sparks of Kentwood and Grand Rapids Republican Ryan Malinoski will face off in November.
State House of Representatives
Also Tuesday, Lily Cheng-Schulting won the Democratic primary race to challenge incumbent State Rep. Steven Johnson (R) in the 72nd District (which includes Kentwood). The 77th District (which includes Wyoming) will have incumbent Rep. Tommy Brann (R) of Wyoming running against Democrat Bob Smith of Byron Center.
Kent County-wide elections
In a Kent County-wide Democratic primary race for Kent County Treasurer, Beth White of Grand Rapids won the vote and will face off with current State Sen. Peter MacGregor (R) of Rockford in November.
Also in countywide general election news, the Kent County Election Department’s current November ballot lists several independent party candidates that have filed as candidates for Kent County Sheriff, Clerk/Register of Deeds and Drain Commissioner, as well as state and federal races.
Libertarian John Glen Stedman, of Wyoming, has joined the race for Sheriff which includes current Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young (R) add Democrat Marc Burns.
Libertarian Jamie Lewis, of Grand Rapids, will be on the ballot against current county Clerk/Register of Deeds Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R) and Wyoming resident Devin Ortega-Furgeson (D). And Libertarian Alex Avery, of Wyoming, is in the race for Drain Commissioner with incumbent Ken Yonker (R) and Democrat Elaine Isely.
Current Kent County District Attorney Chris Becker (R) is running for reelection unopposed this election cycle.
Wyoming’s and Kentwood’s federal elected positions
In Michigan’s 2nd U.S. Congressional District (which includes Wyoming and Kentwood) incumbent Rep. Bill Huizenga (R) and Rev. Bryan Berghoef (D) are on the November ballot, as well as Libertarian candidate Max Riekse of Fruitport, US Taxpayers candidate Gerald T. Van Sickle of Wellston and Green candidate Jean-Michel Creviere of Holland.
Wyoming and Kentwood voters will in November also select between incumbent U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D), Republican John James, US Taxpayers Party candidate Valerie L. Willis of Gaylord, and Green Party candidate Marcia Squier of Sterling Heights.
And, of course, there is that presidential race to be decided.
President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will represent the Republican Party, and Joseph R. Biden and an as-yet unnamed vice president candidate will represent the Democratic Party. But there will also be other candidates on the Michigan ballots.
The Libertarian Party will have the team of Jo Jorgensen of South Carolina and Jeremy Cohen listed as president and vice president candidates. The US Taxpayers will have Don Blankenship of West Virginia and William Mohr. The Green Party will have Howie Hawkins of New York and Angela Walker.
With final unofficial Kent County Elections Office results in from the Tuesday, Aug. 4, primary election, Wyoming voters will have a familiar face — current City of Wyoming City Councilor Dan Burrill — representing the Republican party on the November ballot for Kent County Board of Commissioner 8th District seat.
Burrill defeated Denise Kolesar of Grandville in the Republican primary, 2,128 to 950, and will face off with Democrat Sarah Chatterly of Wyoming in the November general election.
State House of Representatives 72nd District voters (which includes the City of Kentwood) have selected Democrat Lily Cheng-Schulting to challenge incumbent State Rep. Steven Johnson (R). Cheng-Schulting of Grand Rapids defeated Cade Wilson of Kentwood, 4,723 to 2,708, in the Democratic primary.
Both Burrill and Cheng-Schulting visited the WKTV studio for We the People candidate videos during the primary campaign.
In county-wide primary contests, Beth White of Grand Rapids defeated José L. Reyna of Ada in the Democratic primary race for Kent County Treasurer, and will face off with current State Sen. Peter MacGregor (R) of Rockford in November. White gained 31,206 votes to Reyna’s 29,935.
Also of note from the primary election was the percentage of voter turnout, and the number of day-off, in-person votes cast compared to absentee votes cast.
In the county commission 8th District Republican primary won by Burrill, there was more absentee votes cast (1,604) than election day (1,483). In the state house 72nd Democratic primary won by Cheng-Schulting, there was even more of a majority voting absentee, 5,445 to 2,007.
Overall, Kent County wide, 97,835 absentee ballots were cast compared to 51,267 day of voting. Also county wide, just over 31 percent of the county’s 480,558 registered voter cast a ballot.
To finalize the county election results, the Kent County Board of Canvassers will meet Thursday, Aug. 6, beginning at 9 a.m., at the Kent County Administration Building, and will be meeting every weekday until Aug. 20, or until the canvass of the Primary Election is complete.
The State of Michigan recently announced the launch a digital hub for Michigan workers displaced by the COVID-19 crisis to allow them to connect to online certification and degree programs including free training and work readiness tools.
According to the July 28 announcement. “the Coronavirus crisis has created record unemployment across the country and a complicated employment landscape in Michigan. Now more than ever, Michigan workers who possess advanced skills will be better positioned to get and keep higher-paying and more stable jobs.”
So, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) has developed a digital hub to connect residents with online learning opportunities and other training resources.
“Whether one is looking to return to work, explore in-demand careers, learn new skills, or take the first step toward a degree or certificate, the hub has information to help Michigan workers expand their opportunities in an evolving economy,” according to the statement.
The digital hub, Michigan.gov/SkillstoWork features a range of online learning and career exploration options — including free opportunities — for Michigan residents to consider while “navigating the COVID-19 economy in the coming weeks and months, when in-person learning opportunities may be limited.”
The virtual resource is a collaborative effort between LEO, the Michigan Community College Association (MCCA), Michigan Works! Agencies and others aimed at increasing opportunities for all Michiganders to explore online degree and certificate programs that could lead to expanded employment opportunities.
“With the economic disruption caused by COVID-19, it’s more important than ever that we help Michiganders improve their skills, explore in-demand career opportunities and jumpstart educational opportunities,” LEO Director Jeff Donofrio said in supplied material. “These online resources continue to expand opportunities for residents to connect with and succeed in high-demand, high-wage careers of the future.”
“The new website connects Michiganders to online programs offered by Michigan’s 28 community colleges,” Michael Hansen, MCCA President, said in supplied material. “As we navigate the challenges presented by the Coronavirus pandemic, Michigan’s business leaders and employers statewide are asking: ‘How do we get people back to work?’ This new information hub is a tremendous start toward solving that challenge.”
In addition, the site provides a new “Return-to-Work Playbook” that assists those preparing to enter the workforce, finding their next job or discovering another one in a national economy that has seen the highest unemployment rates in 100 years To help workers adjust to changing employer needs and work environments, the Playbook outlines available career and job-readiness resources, including step-by-step instructions for developing resumes, preparing for interviews, exploring new career paths and finding free or inexpensive job training opportunities.
It also provides industry or occupational-specific resources for in-demand careers and additional resources to assist specific individuals including veterans, individuals with disabilities, migrant and seasonal farm workers and adult learners.
Other available resources at Michigan.gov/SkillsToWork include career exploration, job search assistance and professional development opportunities.
Kent County’s COVID Relief Subcommittee, drawing on a nearly $115 million federal CARES Act grant sent to the county earlier this year, approved a $2 million allocation to be used by county schools to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) “to assist schools in dealing with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.”
According to a July 30 county statement, the next step will be consideration and expected approval by the Kent County Commission’s Finance Committee, and then the full Board of Commissioners at its next meeting on Aug. 27. Most Kent County school districts are expected to be open by that date.
The funds would be allocated to public, private and charter schools, Board of Commissioners chair Mandy Bolter said to WKTV, and while allotment “details are still being finalized but in our initial discussions we would most likely use the last student count submitted by the schools to the state.”
The county COVID Relief Subcommittee members include commissioners Bolter, Stan Stek, Diane Jones, Emily Brieve, Roger Morgan, Jim Talen, Phil Skaggs, and Robert Womack.
“As schools consider how to reopen this fall, the safety and mental health of our children are the primary concerns of every parent I know,” Commissioner Bolter said in supplied material. “By allocating this funding, we can be part of the solution to keep our kids and teachers as safe as possible and help to bring back some normalcy in this crazy time.”
The Kent County Board of Commissioners has previously allocated CARES funding for other programs to assist specific segments of the county during the coronavirus pandemic, including funds being allocated to assist in small businesses recovery, for use by non-profit organizations services and shelter assistance groups, and a business PPE program.
For more information about the CARES Act and related Kent County efforts, visit accesskent.com.
As part of its continued efforts to ensure the well-being and safety of its family of associates, customers and communities during the coronavirus pandemic, SpartanNash announced select Family Fare, which includes the Family Fare on Burlingame Ave. SW, and D&W Fresh Market pharmacies in West Michigan will offer free COVID-19 testing beginning on Monday, Aug. 3.
The company has partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide the free testing, which will take place by appointment only.
“Our pharmacies continue to adapt to best respond to our customers’ needs during these uncertain times,” SpartanNash EVP and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer Lori Raya said. “We are proud to offer this additional service to our customers and communities – free of charge – because we know how important testing is to our collective efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.”
COVID-19 tests are self-administered by customers using the drive-thru at participating Family Fare and D&W Fresh Market pharmacies, following CDC guidelines for testing criteria. SpartanNash pharmacists guide customers through the self-administered nasal swab, and results are shared within three to five days.
Participating pharmacies are located at:
D&W Fresh Market – 2022 Apple Orchard Ave. in Grand Rapids
Family Fare – 6370 Lake Michigan Drive in Allendale
Family Fare – 2245 84th St. SW in Byron Center
Family Fare – 2900 Burlingame Ave. SW in Wyoming
Family Fare – 993 Butternut Dr. in Holland
Testing is available for both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in accordance with state and local plans for public health monitoring. Both customers and SpartanNash frontline associates are able to schedule COVID-19 testing appointments on either shopfamilyfare.com/covid-19-testing or shopdwfreshmarket.com/covid-19-testing, depending on their nearest pharmacy location. Participants are asked to first complete a short survey, then schedule their appointment date and time.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our company has maintained two top priorities: the well-being and safety of our family of associates, customers and communities; and supporting health officials and government leaders to contain the virus,” SpartanNash EVP and General Manager, Corporate Retail Tom Swanson said. “By offering free COVID-19 testing, we are reinforcing our commitment to keeping our associates’ and customers’ health at the forefront of all our efforts.”
Recent Adopt-A-Highway volunteers were out in July helping to make the state’s highways nicer by picking up trash along the roadway. (Supplied/MDOT)
By Shallom Kimanzi WKTV Intern
This summer, you may have noticed that the state highways had a little more trash along the sides than normal.
Because of COVID-19 and the lockdown that took place this past spring, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) had to cancel its normal Adopt-A-Highway clean up activities in April and May.
However according to MDOT Public Relations Communications Representative John Richards, volunteers were able to head out on the roads in July to pick up trash. All volunteers were required to follow social distancing guidelines including wearing masks when in close contact with individuals who didn’t reside in their household.
The Adapt-A-Highway program was started in 1990. It involves more than 2,750 groups with volunteers collecting more than 60,000 bags of trash on 6,300 miles of highway.
To participate in the Adapt-A-Highway program, you have to be at least 12 years old and in a group of at least three people. Each group is assigned a section of the highway and signs bearing the group’s name are posted along the adopted highway. There are no fees charged to participate and trash bags, safety vests, arrangements to haul the trash are provided by MDOT.
The final trash pick-up for this year’s Adopt-A-Highway program is scheduled for the fall, Sept. 26 to Oct. 4.
If you’re interested in taking part in the program or finding out more, click here.
For Wyoming resident Danielle Burzynski there was no pressing need for her to finish high school and get a diploma.
Danielle Burznski on her graduation day this past December. (Supplied/KDL)
“I left school and got a job and I had been at my job for 22 years,” Burzynski said. “So I do not have the need to finish or go back.”
It was something she thought about, but she became a single mother and between raising a family and working, there never seemed to be the time.
Burzynski is not alone, according to Kent District Library (KDL) Librarian and Outreach Specialist Sara Magnuson. About 35,000 Kent County residents have not completed high school with most of them coming from underserved communities. It part of the reason that last year the KDL rolled out a new offering, the Career Online High School, designed for students to earn an accredited high school diploma as well as a workforce readiness certificate.
“We were looking at ways to help build community financial stability,” Magnuson said. “One of the first steps is you can not achieve career advancement in work without a diploma.”
Wanting to give her daughter inspiration to finish her high school studies, Burzynski decided in 2019 to go back and get her diploma. She quickly discovered there were many options making her feel that is was “OK to go back and finish.” With the knowledge that she still could get that diploma, Burzynski began exploring those options, settling on the Career High Online School.
“It was wonderful,” Burzynski said. “I could do it online at my own pace and in my free time. It was about two weeks per semester and I was doing about a week per semester.”
Danielle Burzynski celebrates with KDL staff, family, and friends. (Supplied/KDL)
Started in 2007, the Career Online High School program, which is part of the nation’s first private, accredited online school district Smart Horizons Career Online Education, is 100 percent online. Students access course materials from anywhere at anytime. Also, as an accredited high school program, students can transfer previously earned high school credits.
The key aspect that KDL liked about the Career Online High School program was the workforce readiness certificate, Magnuson said.
“It gives the students several different options,” she said. “They could enter a home health care study (that would give them the background to successful enter the certified nurse assistant or CNA program0 or go into the office management career field. It gives them the background knowledge and helps potential employers who are considering hiring them that they have the knowledge in the field they are pursing.”
Each student accepted into the program is assigned an academic coach who works with the Career Online High School provider, Magnuson said.
While Burzynski already had a career, the program worked well for her needs of flexibility to complete the remaining 12 credits she needed to graduate, which she did in December 2019.
“I can’t even described the feeling when I finished, how proud I was of myself,” she said. “Now it is one less thing to be done.”
The Career Online High School program is around $99 a month; however, KDL is offering scholarships for up to 25 Kent County residents. To be considered, a candidate must be a resident of Kent County, have a KDL library card and fill out an online assessment on the KDL website. Prospective students will be contacted by their local KDL branch library and given a link to a two-week prerequisite course. Those who pass the prerequisite course with a score of 70 percent or above will then be interviewed in person by their libraries to determine if they will receive a scholarship.
Magnuson said scholarships are not guaranteed as the program has to be the right fit for the student. If it is not, Magnuson said KDL does try to work with the student to find the best option for them. KDL works with several organizations that offer GED and high school completion programs such as the Kent ISD which among its offerings has Project NorthStar. Project NorthStar works with both in-school and out-of-school students looking to become self-sufficient by getting a diploma or GED and gaining job skills. Some of the other organizations that KDL works with are Sparta Adult Education, Rockford Adult Education, Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, Jubilee Jobs and the Literacy Center of West Michigan.
“It has gone extremely well,” Magnuson said of the Career Online High School program, adding that there are about 17 students who have received scholarships and three that have graduated with several others almost done. Because of its success, she said KDL will be offering the program again this year and has 25 scholarships available.
For more about the Career Online High School program, visit the KDL.org website, click on Services and then Adult Services or click here.
East Kentwood High School’s football team (shown at practice from the 2019-20 season) and other local football programs will have restrictions on how they practice in August due to the COVOD-19 situation. (WKTV)
The Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Representative Council announced July 29 a continuation of its “phased-in practice and competition” schedule for traditional fall high school sports “in hopes of continuing to deter the spread of COVID-19.”
The Council affirmed that lower-risk sports — including Wyoming and Kentwood area high school girls golf, boys tennis, cross country, and girls swimming & diving — may begin practice on Aug. 12 and begin competition on their traditional start dates of Aug. 19 and 21.
However, moderate and high-risk sports — football, girls volleyball and boys soccer – may begin practice, with limitations, but not competitions until additional decisions by the MHSAA, expected to be made by Aug. 20.
In addition, recommendations on spectator attendance will follow before the start of competition, according to the MHSAA statement, and it is possible “spectators will be limited in accordance with Governor (Gretchen) Whitmer’s executive orders on large gatherings.”
According to the July 29 statement, practice for boys soccer and girls volleyball may begin on Aug. 12, but football will delay the start of practice with full player pads and equipment until Monday, Aug. 17. The week of Aug. 10 “may include football practice sessions consisting of conditioning, physical training and skill work with no other player equipment except helmets. This week of acclimatization is similar to allowed summer football activities that have been ongoing for schools since June.”
David Kool, the new South Christian athletic director, on the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection. (WKTV)
David Kool, athletic director at South Christian High School, told WKTV he welcomed the expanded clarity as to what his school’s teams and student athletes can and cannot do — “All in all, this was a very positive step for high school athletics in Michigan.”
“It is great to know that all fall sports will be able to begin practicing on time to a certain extent,” Kool said. “We are thrilled that golf, tennis, cross country and swimming can begin practice and competitions without delay. Soccer and volleyball are also able to begin practice without delay which is great news.
“Football, being in a helmet-only (practice restriction) for an extra week, is a great decision and made sense for our student athletes. The next step is getting encouraging news on August 20 that soccer, volleyball and football may begin competitions and we are hopeful that will happen.”
Limits also placed on scrimmages, tournaments and invitationals
Among the other actions announced by the Representative Council, the MHSAA’s 19-member legislative body, was the cancelations of scrimmages in all fall sports for this school year, and limitations on numbers of teams that may compete together at regular-season tournaments, invitationals and other multi-team events.
“The Council believed eliminating scrimmages emphasized the importance of keeping teams from mixing before the first date of competition, and the regular-season limitations may lessen opportunities for viral spread while still allowing meets to be conducted,” according to the MHSAA statement.
The expected Aug. 20 decision on competition for football, girls volleyball and boys soccer is “dependent on how the spread of the virus is trending statewide”, including “sustained metrics measuring virus spread and/or progression by schools and regions across the state according to Gov. Whitmer’s MI Safe Start Plan,” according to the statement.
“The Council, reflecting on the positive impact on their athletes this summer from taking part in offseason training, feels it’s of utmost importance to continue athletic activity moving forward,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said in supplied material. “If we take a month off, our students will find opportunities to compete through non-school entities that may not be as focused on safety. Our athletic directors and coaches can provide the safest-possible environment to return to sports, and this phased-in approach to competition will help schools continue building on progress already made”
The MHSAA also has posted sport-by-sport guidance documents outlining increased precautions designed to limit the viral spread, plus a four-page overview with precautions that apply generally for all sports.
Specific sport guidelines and the overview are available on the respective sport pages of the MHSAA website, at mhsaa.com/sports.
It was a former boss and mentor who once told Myron Erickson that he could “easily become director” of the City of Wyoming’s Department of Public Works.
“I was in my late 20s, early 30s and I really did not think much about it,” Erickson said during a recent phone interview. “I just really kept my nose to the grindstone, did a lot of different things, and one day realized I was pretty responsible for a lot.”
On May 14, Erickson officially assumed the role of director of Wyoming’s Department of Public Works.
“It was kind of a weird time,” Erickson said. “Bill [Dooley] was retiring on May 14 and we were meeting by Zoom just trying to keep our bare bones department together because we can’t just stop city services due to COVID-19.”
Originally from the east side of the state, Erickson was working on his master’s degree at Michigan State University when he landed a seasonal position at the City of Grand Rapids Wastewater Treatment Plant. When the position ended, his Grand Rapids manager said he thought his counterpart at the City of Wyoming could use Erickson’s talents.
“I did some lab work doing some experiments for the wastewater treatment process,” Erickson said. “That position ended and I needed something for my thesis and Wyoming was ‘this is something that we are interested in doing,’ so I ended up taking two six-month positions back-to-back.”
Erickson’s project was a study on the impact of the then new 1994 federal law that regulated the beneficial reuse of wastewater treatment residuals. The project was a success and resulted in operational changes at the wastewater treatment plant. More importantly to Erickson at the time, it provided him the three credit hours he needed to graduate.
With degree in hand, Erickson began looking for a job in consulting, but his friend, mentor, and the person who hired Erickson for the internship, Tom Kent, convinced Erickson to apply for an opening in the department’s industrial sewer use group.
“Tom was the guy who convinced me of what a golden opportunity working here was,” Erickson said. Not knowing how much this would impact his career, Erickson applied and got the job.
New Wyoming Department of Public Works Director Myron Erickson credits mentors in helping with his career. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
There would be other mentors who would also have an impact on the direction of Erickson’s career. Former Director of Utilities Joe Staph encouraged Erickson to become a registered professional engineer in the State of Michigan, which Erickson would need to become director, and former Public Works Director Bill Dooley, who Erickson said help him prepare for the directorship of both the utilities department and the public works department, provided “the wisdom and guidance” that has become invaluable to him, Erickson said.
So Erickson’s intention to stay for only five years, ended up being 26 as he worked his way through various positions from industrial waste monitor to depty director and finally director along with making West Michigan his home.
“I love two things about my career: the simple provision of public service and good local governance, and the ability to help and mentor others coming along behind me,” Erickson said. “More specifically, I love what Wyoming does with local government. the challenges of stretching a buck, doing more with less, finding and employing the best people who truly care about the community they serve, and solving the many technical and managerial trails we face as economically as possible all inspire me.”
And just like the mentors who encouraged Erickson along the way, he is now giving back to those coming up through the ranks.
“To young engineers and scientists coming behind me, I would advise: find a mentor, seek licensure and accreditation, give your best to your employer, treat every employee at every level with respect and recognize their contributions and never stop learning.”
Welcome to the Traffic Tuesday question. Each week, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety posts a question on Tuesday, and the answer posted Thursday. **Please do not post the answer in the comments, so that others have a chance to answer on their own** Note: the answer can be found on both the WKTV Journal website and in the community social media site Nextdoor.
For the next few weeks, we’re going to discuss law violations in parking lots. This week’s question: If you are doing burn outs in a parking lot, can you receive a citation?
No, no citation
Yes, citation for speeding
Yes, citation for careless driving or reckless driving
Answer: Yes, citation for careless driving or reckless driving. The specific citation depends on the circumstances (are there people/other vehicles around, could anyone have been hurt or did anyone get hurt?)
WKTV is committed to providing factual information about COVID-19. We have partnered with Metro Health – University of Michigan Health to present questions about COVID-19 and to help dispel the misinformation being spread through social media.
Dr. Conor Mullin, a physician at Metro Health Southwest, answers this week’s question.
Question: What long term health impacts are people experiencing who have had COVID-19?
Mullin: The long term health consequences of this virus are unknown and we will have to wait to see with time. We can infer from other similar viruses that in 6-12 months, there is likely to be a surge in autoimmune disorders such as diabetes, thyroid disease, lupus and multiple sclerosis.
There is a specific debilitating disorder affecting younger adults called ADEM which causes permanent and irreversible stroke-like symptoms caused by brain tissue inflammation. In the pediatric world, we have seen in increase in a syndrome that is comparable to Kawasaki disease, where there is potential for damage to the coronary arteries around the heart, that may cause heart attacks or even death.
Personally, I have seen some patients, especially younger folks, who have continued to have lung and breathing issues two months after the initial infection. This is most likely caused by scarring damage to the lungs. Whether these patients recover is yet to be seen. These patients were young and healthy and did not have pre-exiting conditions.
One of my colleagues also had a younger patient die of a heart attack a few weeks after recovering from COVID-19. He also had no prior known cardiovascular disease.
The short answer is that there are some isolated cases of very severe outcomes and time will tell how widespread and severe the long term outcomes will be.
If you have a COVID-19-related question, please email it to WKTV Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma at joanne@wktv.org.
Wrapping up the 2020 Sounds of Summer concerts will be bluegrass performers Lare Williams & New Direction (LWND).
The band will be playing for free at 7 p.m. in Cutler Park, 6701 Cutler Park SW, just west of 68th Street and Division Avenue this Thursday, July 30.
Lare Williams, a member of the band, grew up in a musical family band and decided to branch out and round up some of the best local pickers available to form LWND. The group then hit the road and played their music regionally before adding a few small national tours and making a name for themselves in the Bluegrass world.
Between his day job and touring, Lare has still found time to write songs and record four CDs, two DVDs, and release four singles to the world-wide markets. One of the band’s biggest achievements is when one of Lare’s original songs, “Old Guitar, co-written by Sara-Lee Rehkopf, reached a No. 1 spot which stayed on various bluegrass charts for six weeks.
The band has worked with some of the most well-known names in the bluegrass music world and this has helped shape LWND’s sound.
“Having the guidance and support of the pros is such a blessing and so very helpful in this business,” Williams said during an interview with WKTV.
Lare said he has called in some of his former bandmates and recording partners to join him for this evening of toe tapping Bluegrass tracks.
Sponsored by The Byron Township, the family-friendly event hosts its final concert in the series for this summer. The organizers will be observing public health guidelines such as requiring everyone to wear a mask and observing social distancing.
Catch previous Sounds of Summer concerts on WKTV Channel 25 at 8 p.m. Tuesdays and 9 p.m. Saturdays.
Late last month, Kent County allocated $9.5 million in federal CARES Act dollars to create the Kent County Non-Profit Organization COVID-19 Grant Fund. The group chosen to administer the grant applications and awards is, appropriately, the Heart of West Michigan United Way.
Heart of West Michigan United Way’s Shannon Blackmon-Gardner, vice president of community impact. (HWMUW/Adam Bird)
On the latest WKTV Journal In Focus, we talk with a Heart of West Michigan United Way’s Shannon Blackmon-Gardner, vice president of community impact, about the fund, how they were selected to administer the grant process, some of the qualifications and application process — and most importantly, why the grant fund is important to non-profits and to the community.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Welcome to the Traffic Tuesday question. Each week, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety posts a question on Tuesday, and the answer posted Thursday. **Please do not post the answer in the comments, so that others have a chance to answer on their own** Note: the answer can be found on both the WKTV Journal website and in the community social media site Nextdoor.
For the next few weeks, we’re going to discuss law violations in parking lots. If you are doing burn outs in a parking lot, can you receive a citation?
No, no citation
Yes, citation for speeding
Yes, citation for careless driving or reckless driving
The four children were last seen July 26, 2020 near the area of Prairie Park, 2250 Prairie Parkway SW.
By WKTV Staff joanne@wktv.org
UPDATE: The children have been found and have been safely returned to their guardian.
The Wyoming Dept. of Public Safety is requesting assistance in locating four children who are missing and considered endangered.
On July 26, 2020, a non-custodial parent of the children, Shannette Merriweather, a 25-year-old female, walked away with the children from their legal guardian during a supervised visit. Shannette and the children were last seen in the area of Prairie Park (2250 Prairie Parkway SW) around 3 p.m. on July 26, 2020. The investigation into the whereabouts of the children indicates that Shannette is not capable of adequately providing for them.
Descriptions of missing children:
Alana Burger – black female, 7-years-old, last seen wearing a gray t-shirt and blue jean shorts
Amina Burger – black female, 6-years-old, last seen wearing an unknown colored t-shirt and blue jean shorts
Aaliyah Burger – black female, 5-years-old, last seen wearing an unknown colored t-shirt and blue jean shorts
Skyler Merriweather – black male, 2-years-old, last seen wearing a multi-colored button-down shirt and beige pants.
Shannette Merriweather
Shannette is described as a black female, 5 feet, 4 inches tall, 115 pounds and was last seen wearing a black and pink floral shirt with black pants. Shannette does not have a vehicle and her current address is unknown.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the four children and/or Shannette Merriweather is asked to immediately contact 9-1-1 or the Wyoming Dept. of Public Safety.
Wyoming Public Schools held a WHS Senior 11 Night Celebration Parade Monday, June 15, and WKTV was there. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
As part of its effort to recognize the Wyoming High School Senior Class of 2020 despite the COVID-19 school shutdown in the spring, Wyoming high will hold a special graduation ceremony on Tuesday, July 28.
While the ceremony at Wyoming High School will be accessible in-person for only 2020 seniors, and limited family and friends, it will be available on radio and on a Facebook livestream feed with video provided by WKTV Community media.
“We are excited to recognize and celebrate the Wyoming High School graduating class of 2020,” Josh Baumbach, Wyoming High School principal, said to WKTV. “Our seniors missed out on some pretty significant events this year as a result of the pandemic and it’s important to us to do what we can to provide a ceremony for our seniors and their families to attend.
“Although this ceremony will be different due to restrictions on gatherings and other social distancing protocols that will be in place, it will be an opportunity for the seniors to cross the stage and celebrate with their family and we hope this will provide some closure as the graduating class of 2020 moves forward to the next stage in their lives.”
WKTV was also on-hand when Wyoming Public Schools held its Wyoming High School Senior 11 Night Celebration Parade June 15. See a story and video here.
The planned July 28 ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. with welcome and opening remarks and speeches.
“Participants can listen to the speeches with their families in their vehicles on the radio or via live stream,” Baumbach said. “After the speeches, each senior will be able to walk into the stadium with their immediate family to cross the stage and pick up their diploma cover. Parents and family can capture the moment with a video or a picture.”
The ceremony can be viewed using this live stream link. The audio of the ceremony will also be available on 94.1 FM station.
The ceremony will include individual students walking across a stage in cap and gown to get a diploma cover. Once all student names have been called, and all students are in their cars, students will step back out of their car and the entire Wyoming High School graduating class of 2020 will be recognized and will be asked to flip their tassel.
Baumbach also said the event is also a great example of cooperation and collaboration within the Wyoming Public Schools system and with other school districts.
“We appreciate the collaboration with Grandville High School and Godwin Heights High School as we planned our event,” Baumbach said. “Additionally, special thanks goes out to our (WPS) Superintendent Craig Hoekstra and the many wonderful staff members that are part of our high school and district staff that helped step up to support this planning.”
Officers look over the damaged police cars from the May 30 riots. Five Wyoming Police vehicles and two Grand Rapids police vehicles were burned. (Supplied/Wyoming Department of Public Safety)
The City of Wyoming received some good news in that the cost to replace five police cars that were burned during the May 30 riots in Grand Rapids will be mostly covered by insurance, according to Wyoming Police Chief Kim Koster.
The news came as a surprise since, as reported by City Manager Curtis Holt at a June meeting, most insurance coverage does not provide for riot or civil disservice.
Chief Kim Koster
A recent report from Koster showed the insurance would pay about 60 percent of the costs to replace the vehicles with no expected change in the departments insurance premiums. Total replacement costs for the five vehicles is $372, 585.99. Insurance will cover $219,940.99 with the city’s out of pocket costs around $152,645. The department does have a depreciation reserve for replacement of vehicles, with each of the departments 27 vehicles having its own replacement fund. There was about $140,000 available in replacement funds specifically for the five cars that were lost on May 30. This left the city with an unbudgeted net cost of $12,645.
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s fleet services was able to get one new vehicle on the road fairly quickly with fleet services continuing to work on the remains cars.
“It does take time to get the cars ready as they do not come fully equipped,” Koster said.
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety has one of the few K-9 units, which assists other departments in the county. (WKTV)
A Cooperative Between Departments
The lost of the cars did create a hardship for the department, Koster said, adding that despite that, if faced with the same situation again, she would not hesitate to send the Wyoming officers out to help assist Grand Rapids or any other police department in Kent County.
“The cooperative we have [between police departments in Kent County] is unusual,” Koster said. “We hear it from other officers across the country and even from other parts of the state talk about how unusual it is.”
Some departments have specialized in certain areas. For example, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety is one of a handful of departments that has a K-9 unit as well as a forensics unit. There is also the Metropolitan Fraud and Identity Theft Team comprised of detectives from the Grand Rapids Police, Kent County Sheriff, Wyoming Police, and Kentwood Police departments.
“I think it is important for Wyoming residents to know that we have relied on other departments as much as they have relied on us,” Koster said, adding perhaps one of the best examples of this cooperative has been the Metro Cruise.
“Many people just love coming down for Metro Cruise,” she said. “It is a a good family event and people have a good time. For us to assure the safety of residents, we have had to rely on other agencies.”
Just a year ago, a Grand Rapids protest came into the City of Wyoming, ending at the Secretary of State’s office. The Grand Rapids Police stayed with the protest as it moved to the City of Wyoming, working with Wyoming officers. Koster added “that there is some comfort in knowing that public safety doesn’t stop at a border.”
The services come at no cost to the city with only the understanding that when asked, Wyoming will return the favor. Such was the case on May 30.
One of the five Wyoming Police cars on fire the night of May 30. (Photo by Andris B Visockis)
The events of May 30
The first that any of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety officers learned that their cars were on fire during the May 30 riots was when it came over dispatch.
“Dispatch asked if there were any police cruisers on Pearl because they had just gotten a report of a police car on fire,” Lt. Eric Wiler said. “That was my car.”
The Wyoming officers, along with those from Walker, Kentwood, Kent County, and Ottawa County, came to Grand Rapids that night to help the Grand Rapids Police Department. About 10 officers, who were part of joint tactical bicycle brigade, had gone down earlier in the day with Grand Rapids Police Department requesting additional help around 9/9:30 p.m., Wiler said, adding about 20 Wyoming officers responded.
The Wyoming officers were first along Market Street but a call came that GRPD needed more officers at its station as people were attempting to break into the building, Wiler said. The officers relocated, parking the five Wyoming police cars on Pearl Street.
“When we parked, there was nothing happening on the street,” Wiler said. From reports, rioters moved away from the Fulton/Division area down to Pearl Street.
“I watched as they set fire to the prosecutor’s building,” Wiler said. “By that time, there was more of them than us and all we could do is try to keep people safe.”
Koster said as she heard how the events were unfolding in downtown Grand Rapids, her concern became more of the safety of the officers and the public.
“I was relieved, happy, thankful that our officers were able to safely return to our offices,” Koster said. “I felt for the business owners who suffered the damage. I don’t think violence is ever the answer.”
The Wyoming Police cars from May 30. (Photo by Andris B. Visockis)
Understanding the anger
“First and foremost, I have to say that we are all in agreement in that what happened to George Floyd was disgusting and distributing,” Koster said, adding she understands the anger as she too was appalled by the arrest video of Floyd. “I believe those officers deserved to be criminally charged. They were a betrayal to the badge that we all wear.”
To the best of her knowledge, Koster said she is unaware of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety having an incident similar to that of George Floyd. She credits this in part to the accreditation the department received from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Considered the gold standard in public safety, CALEA requires departments to meet certain standards in such areas as accountability and transparency. This includes internal affairs and that these cases are handled in a proper manner.
In fact, in the Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s annual report, there is a section that reports the number of internal investigations that have taken place in the department. In the 2019 report, the department had 23 cases of which six allegations were deemed sustained.
Koster noted that the department continues to review and update its policies and practices.
The silver lining
Besides the officers returning safely, there was another silver lining from the May 30 incident. The department was looking to replace its current in-car camera system, which is outdate and not supported, Koster said. The five new vehicles will have the new in-car camera systems which the insurance company will cover fully as part of its payment. The cost for the new in-car camera system for the five cars is just below $50,000.
WKTV Sports has debuted a new sports show focused on local high school sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection. On its inaugural episode, WKTV volunteer sports announcer Cory Dalton is joined by fellow announcers Greg Yoder and Mike Moll, and together they catch us up on the past, present and future of Grand Rapids South Christian athletics.
ON the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, WKTV’s Greg Yoder talks with Curt Copeland, left, currently a teacher and coach at South Christian but, prior to that, he was the school’s athletic director for seven years. (WKTV)
First up, Yoder talks with Curt Copeland, currently a teacher and coach at South Christian but, prior to that, as the school’s athletic director for seven years, he guided the Sailors athletic program to on-field success as well the challenges of change — including moving into a new high school building and athletic facilities.
David Kool, the new South Christian athletic director, on the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection. (WKTV)
Then Moll, WKTV’s volunteer sports director, talks with David Kool, the new South Christian athletic director, about his history at the school — and the 2006 graduate has quite a history, having led the Sailors to two state championships on the basketball court.
On the WKTV set, Kool talked his goals, the challenges of high school sports in time of COVID-19, and when the Sailors football team might be playing on their own home field.
The inaugural episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection is hosted by WKTV volunteer sports announcer Cory Dalton. (WKTV)
“This fall, we’ll be bringing you interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports,” Dalton said about being one of the hosts and interviewers on WKTV Journal Sports Connection. “And remember, you can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting WKTVjournal.com/sports.”
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTV.viebit.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 (For dates and times on Channel 25, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also usually available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters will be in Wyoming this week to visit a local business. This photo is from a visit to another business in Traverse City this year. (Supplied)
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) will visit City of Wyoming business Total Plastics International Friday, July 24, in a non-public event to “highlight work to support businesses adapting to challenges posed by COVID-19”, according to a July 22 statement form the senator’s office.
The senator, currently running for re-election, will also “discuss efforts to strengthen domestic medical supply manufacturing and production in Michigan, (and) reduce dependence on foreign countries,” including China, according to the statement.
Total Plastics International received a loan from the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as part of the federal CARES Act. More recently, Sen. Peters helped pass legislation that gave small businesses with PPP loans — such as Total Plastics International — more “flexibility in using the forgivable loans to maintain operations,” according to the statement.
Total Plastics International is a distributor and manufacturer of plastic sheet, rod, tube, film and tape that has operated in Michigan for over four decades, according to supplied material. Since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, Total Plastics International has altered their business model to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health care professionals and essential workers throughout the country.
Dusty Chaps from Buffalo, New York will take over the Sounds of Summer Concert series this Thursday, July 23.
The concert will be held in Cutler Park, 6701 Cutler Park Dr. SW, just west of the Division Avenue and 68th Street intersection at 7 p.m.
The band consists of four members: Dale Thomas on vocals and lead guitar, Tommy Davis on vocals and drums, Ron Williams on vocals and bass guitar, and Nelson Wood on the pedal steel guitar.
They will fill the evenings atmosphere with classic country tunes, Western swing, comedy, sing-a-longs and oldies tracks.
The bands influencers include Bob Williams, Les Paul, The Ventures, Joe Maphis, Dwayne Eddy and many other artists and bands as listed on the group’s Facebook page.
Don’t miss a chance to be outdoors this summer while enjoying good music in one of the few outdoor activities still happening this summer. This concert series is sponsored by the Byron Township. The last performance in this series will be by LWND on July 30.
At this point, the MHSAA has not ruled out a high school football season, so practice for Wyoming High School’s football team, shown her in action from 2019, is still scheduled to start in August. (Curtis Holt)
Late last week, the Michigan High School Athletic Association advised member schools of its decision that the state will begin the 2020-21 school year playing ‘fall sports as traditionally scheduled, but with contingency concepts for potential interruptions due to the spread of COVID-19.”
Bottomline for high school football fans: football teams can begin on-field practice in early August, as usual, and games will be played starting the week of Aug. 24. But …
“However, if the situation deems it necessary, the start of some or all fall sports practices or competitions could be delayed,” according to the MHSAA July 17 statement.
What does that mean for Wyoming and Kentwood athletic teams? At this point, when school districts are still working on re-opening plans, Wyoming high athletic director Ted Hollern says his teams are preparing for a normal fall but be ready for changes.
“We are moving forward, so far as everything is going to take place, with normal planning,” Hollern said to WKTV.
According to the MHSAA statement, the MHSAA Representative Council, the Association’s 19-member legislative body, met virtually with MHSAA staff July 15 to discuss a series of ideas for playing sports beginning in August. The Council will meet again July 29 for further discussion.
Currently, high school football practices are scheduled to begin Aug. 10, with all other fall sports to start practice Aug. 12.
The council considered a concept that would swap traditional fall and spring sports, but determined that was “not a feasible plan.”
The MHSAA is moving forward with a plan that first calls for all fall sports to be started and played as scheduled.The next step in the plan’s progression calls for lower-risk fall sports that can be played to be completed, with higher-risk fall sports postponed until later in the school year.
“If all fall sports must be suspended, they will be rescheduled during a reconfigured calendar that would see winter sports begin in November followed by the conclusion of fall and spring seasons potentially extending into July 2021,” according to the statement.
Football, girls volleyball, girls swimming & diving, and boys soccer during the fall are considered moderate or high-risk sports because they “include athletes in close contact or are played indoors.” Several traditional spring sports — girls soccer ,and girls and boys lacrosse — carry a similar high-risk sport designation.
Plans remain reliant on progression by schools and regions across the state according to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Safe Start Plan. To start this week, two regions are in Phase 5, which allow for limited indoor activity, while the rest are in Phase 4 and unable to host indoor training, practice or competition.
“Our student-athletes just want to play, and we’ve gone far too long without them playing. But doing so safely, of course, remains the priority,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said in supplied material. “Our plan moving forward is fall in the fall, starting on time. We’re excited to continue moving forward to bring back sports safely. It’s important for keeping students in our schools and keeping students in our sports programs.
“We remain grateful to the Governor for the opportunity to build the schedule and policies for returning sports to schools. We will continue to support her directives and those of the state and local health departments as we work to create the safest environment for all involved in our activities.”
The picnic tables at Wyoming’s Pinery Park in front of the city stage were full, not for a concert but for the Wyoming City Council’s first 2020 summer outdoor council meeting.
For the past four years, the Wyoming City Council has taken its meeting on the road, visiting different neighborhoods within the city during the summer.
“I have been wanting to come to a meeting for awhile,” said Wyoming resident Mary Vickers, who added that attending was often difficult as she had to get her son ready for bed at about the same time as the meetings. “When I heard that this one was going to be at Pinery Park, I said good. We’ll go for a walk and find out what it is all about.”
That according to Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll is the reason why the Wyoming City Council has been hosting the outdoor meetings: to connect with the citizens and to encourage more people to get involved.
“We had some new faces and more citizens here for the meeting who had some individual concerns and it was good we were to be able to listen,” Poll said after the meeting.
Before the meeting, residents were able to have a treat and visit with city officials. (WKTV)
Several residents talked to council members and staff before the meeting on topics of concern including helping to slow traffic on some city streets to more universal access for the city parks. During the meeting, a couple of residents came up to talk about the cost of the replacement of the police cars that were lost during the May 31 riots in Grand Rapids and the need for crossing guards at Lee Street and Cleveland Avenue.
“We don’t see this kind of crowd at the city council chambers,” said Mayor Pro Tem Sam Bolt during the meeting. “It is nice to be able to hear their community concerns and to know what is going on in their neighborhood.”
Police Chief Kim Koster presents the 2019 Public Safety Annual Report. (WKTV)
During the meeting Police Chief Kim Koster presented the 2019 Public Safety report, which is available to citizens at the City of Wyoming website under the Public Safety tab. Koster noted the department had almost 7,000 calls for service in 2019, the highest number the department has had in a year. This included 4,677 EMS responses, which was also the highest number in a year.
Other numbers for year were:
158 Fire Events
404 Fire Alarms
330 Service Events
815 Good Intent Responses
409 Hazardous Condition Responses
Koster also noted that the Community Services Unit continues to maintain and build positive relationships having had 11,472 citizen/student contacts. The unit has attended community events, community meetings and provided lectures and presentations, along with follow-investigations, truancy complaints, and arrests.
Along with Koster’s report, the council received a report on an analytical study on how the residents felt the city was doing. The council also approved several budget items that included the approval to have Prein & Newhof design and oversee construction of the Plaster Creek Boulevard and non-motorized trail project from Buchanan Avenue to Division Avenue.
Mayor Jack Poll talks to residents before the meeting. (WKTV)
Poll announced that the next on-the-road meeting will be Aug. 17 at the SpartanNash YMCA, located off of Gezon Parkway at 5722 Metro Way. All city council meetings start at 7 p.m.
The Wyoming City Council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. throughout the year. Regular meetings are at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. For more information about the Wyoming City Council or the various city committees, visit wyomingmi.gov.
All the city council meetings are broadcast lived by WKTV on the WKTV Community Media Facebook page and on the WKTV Government Channel 26. Meetings rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays.
Michigan previously approved the additional food assistance for March through June, according to the July 15 statement, and now that is being extended for the month of July with approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. (Supplied)
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced July 15 that approximately 350,000 Michigan families will continue to have access to additional food assistance benefits continued during the month of July as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michigan previously approved the additional food assistance for March through June, according to the July 15 statement, and now that is being extended for the month of July with approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
“Many Michigan families are still struggling to put food on the table as a result of this global pandemic,” Gov. Whitmer said in supplied material. “These additional payments will help many Michiganders as they continue to deal with an unprecedented public health and economic emergency.”
Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card by July 30, with payments beginning for some households on July 20. Additional benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance that is provided earlier in the month.
Nearly 1.5 million people in Michigan receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the state’s Food Assistance Program, according to the statement.
Households eligible for Food Assistance Program benefits will receive additional benefits in June to bring all current SNAP cases to the maximum monthly allowance for that group size. This change only applies to customers not currently receiving the maximum benefit amount. The 350,000 households that receive increased benefits represent close to 50 percent of the more than 800,000 Michigan households that received food assistance in May. The remaining households already receive the maximum benefit.
Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits. People who receive food assistance can check their benefits balance on their Michigan Bridge Card by going online to www.michigan.gov/MIBridges or talk to a consumer service representative toll-free at 888-678-8914. They can ask questions about the additional benefits by calling or emailing their caseworker.
Customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spanish and Arabic service is available. If you are deaf, deaf/blind or hard of hearing or speech-impaired, call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.
A final piece to the City of Wyoming’s Frog Hollow park was completed this month when a short path connector from the park to the Fred Meijer M-6 trail was installed.
“Actually it was part of the vision when the M-6 trail was under construction that Frog Hollow would serve as a way station to those using the trail,” said the City of Wyoming’s Director of Community Services Rebecca Rynbrandt, whose responsibilities includes overseeing the parks. “People who were biking would be able to use the restrooms or families could take a break along the trail and enjoy the park.”
The trail is located west of the park, between the tree-and-bush barrier and the Metro Health facility’s driveway at 1980 Metro Court Way.
The playground equipment at Frog Hollow. The park is designed to be universally accessible. (WKTV)
The project was delayed in that the city needed to get an easement from the property located behind the park at 1980 Metro Court SW. The building was occupied by ITT Technical Institute which closed in 2016 when the for-profit school discontinued operations. Metro Health eventually moved into the location.
The project cost about $87,201 to complete the .1 mile connector. About $62,601 was funded with Federal TAP funds from the Grand Valley Metro Council with the City of Wyoming contributing $26,160.
“Before the connector, we really did not have a direct way for people to walk or bike to the park,” Rynbrandt said, noting most had to use the roads through the Metro Village to get to the park located at 2050 Metro Court. SW.
The connector also will allow access to the Spartan Branch YMCA, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, Veterans Center, Gezon Parkway and Gezon Park baseball fields through pathways located along Metro Court and Metro Way. Rynbrandt said she is working with Kent County for signage.
Constructed in 2005, Frog Hollow was designed to be universally accessible providing ramps to access higher levels among other features. The park does have a black rail fence all the way around with only one entrance and exit, which is where the restrooms are located. For more about the City of Wyoming Parks, click here.
The Fred Meijer M-6 trail runs 9 miles parallel to the M-6/Paul Henry Freeway. The trail starts at Wing Avenue and 60th Street where the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail starts and ends at the Kent Trails at the M-6 overpass located between Byron Center and Ivanrest avenues.
The Wyoming City Council is hitting the road again this summer with plans to host two meetings within the city’s neighborhoods.
“We’re hosting our City Council meetings in neighborhoods across Wyoming,” said Mayor Jack Poll about the outdoor meetings. “My fellow council members and I are excited to meet you, your neighbors, and the businesses in your area. For us to make good decisions for the community, we need to hear from the people who live, work, and play in Wyoming!”
Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll with Wyoming City Clerk Kelli VandenBerg at previous outdoor council meeting. (WKTV)
The first outdoor meeting is set for July 20 at 7 p.m. at Pinery Park Lodging Area, 2301 DeHoop Ave. SW. The second meeting is set for Aug. 17 with a location to be announced.
This is the fourth year the city council has opted to host meetings with in city neighborhoods. The goal of the meetings is to provide an opportunity for residents to meet with council members in their own neighborhoods. According to city leaders, this gives residents an opportunity to learn about how its council works along with talking about issues or concerns within their own neighborhood directly with council members.
At last year’s outdoor meetings, Poll said the council has found them to be very successful, “as it allows the City Council to meet people where they are and interact with them in different ways. In addition to educating residents about the City Council and how our meetings are conducted. These summer meetings also encourage council members to visit areas of the community that may be unfamiliar to them.”
Before the 7 p.m. meeting, there is a meet-and-greet with council members and city officials available to talk to residents, answer questions about the process, and enjoy a summertime treat. The council meeting will begin promptly at 7 p.m. and will follow the city’s meeting guidelines. Public comment time is provided during the meetings. Click here to see the official agenda for the meeting.
A Wyoming resident talks to the Wyoming City Council about traffic concerns at a previous outdoor summer city council meeting. (WKTV)
As with all the city council meetings, WKTV will be at the outdoor council meetings, broadcasting it live on Facebook and on the WKTV Government Channel 26.
The Wyoming City Council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. throughout the year. Regular meetings are at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. For more information about the Wyoming City Council or the various city committees, visit wyomingmi.gov.
Humanity for Prisoners started in 2001 when Doug Tjapkes formed the organization driven by his relationship with Maurice Carter, who had been behind state prison bars for 29 years for a crime he did not commit. Two decades later, the issue of treatment of prisoners — and prison reform — is no less important.
The mission statement of the Grand haven based non-profit Humanity for Prisoners is stated on their website as: “With compassion for Michigan’s imprisoned, Humanity for Prisoners provides, promotes and ensures — with strategic partnerships — personalized, problem-solving services for incarcerated persons in order to alleviate suffering beyond the just administration of their sentences.”
WKTV Journal In Focus recently interviewed Matt Tjapkes, son of Doug and now president of Humanity for Prisoners, and talked about the group’s history, what it does and does not do in support of prisoners, the current state of Michigan’s prison reform efforts.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
The Oat Bran Boys with live acoustic sounds are next in line to play at the Sounds of Summer concert series.
The boys known in most of West Michigan will be performing this Thursday, July 16, from 7 p.m at Cutler Park, 6701 Cutler Park Dr. SW, just west of the Division Avenue and 68th Street intersection.
The Oat Bran Boys is a trio consisting of two brothers, John King on guitar, Rich King on bass, and long time band member Dan Seabolt on the fiddle. According to the group’s Facebook page, the three join together to make a variety of acoustic sounds that wow their audiences.
Bluegrass, jazz, folk, swing, country, acoustic rock and Americana sounds are what this trio is about. A little bit of everything is exactly what the Oat Bran Boys will bring to the stage during this free family-friendly event with nightly kids activities and a huge playground area located at the park.
Sponsored by the Byron Township, the Sounds of Summer concert series will continue through the end of July. Upcoming performances include Dusty Chaps July 23, and LWND July 30. For more information about the Sounds of Summer, click here.
Previous Sounds of Summer concerts are now airing on WKTV Channel 25 at 8 p.m. Tuesdays and 9 p.m. Saturdays.
The Heart of West Michigan United Way and Kent County this week announced a county grant fund to support local nonprofit organizations providing certain relief services during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Late last month, the Kent County Board of Commissioners allocated $9.5 million in federal CARES Act dollars to create the Kent County Non-Profit Organization COVID-19 Grant Fund.
Applicants must be a local 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) nonprofit health and human service organization located within Kent County and “serving individuals and communities within Kent County that have been directly affected by COVID-19 and continuing to provide services throughout the pandemic,” according to a July 14 statement.
According to the statement, grant requests ranging from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $150,000 are being solicited from nonprofits seeking funding for provision of COVID-related services. Nonprofits can apply for amounts within this range deemed “appropriate to CARES Act expenses.”
Eligible expenditures include, but are not limited to, the following COVID-19-related expenses, according to the statement:
Expenses for food security, food access, and/or food delivery
Expenses for personal basic needs such as personal hygiene products, diapers, etc.
Expenses to cover transportation needs
Expenses for services specifically targeting at-risk youth
Expenses for academic and/or mentoring services to facilitate distance learning
among school-aged children/youth, including technological improvements
Expenses to cover physical health care access and services.
Applications will be accepted until the funds available are allocated or until Oct. 1, whichever occurs first.
“I have known [Pastor] JR [Pittman] for probably 15 years and I was really dumbfounded by the fact that I never really knew what he was going through,” said Wayne Ondersma, pastor of Pier Church.
Host Donna Kidner-Smith
Ondersma was one of about a dozen people who attended a June backyard gathering hosted by WKTV Journal Community Awareness host Donna Kidner-Smith. The purpose of the meeting, according to Kidner-Smith, was to create an open dialog about racism in the community and how individuals and organizations can help to eliminate it.
Kidner-Smith said she has discovered that for many who are white, it is an eye opening experience to hear what the interactions for those in the black community have been on a day-to-day basis and how those actions were impacting their lives.
JR Pittman, a pastor of Ignite Fellowship Church and host of Ignite Radio, moved to Grand Rapids from Canada in 1973. Pittman’s father would be given the task of planting a church in the area.
Pastor JR Pittman
“When my dad planted a church here in 1973 in Grand Rapids, God was already designing us [Pittman and his siblings] for such a time as this right now,” Pittman told the group in attendance. “I am telling you it was just amazing because now I can backtrack and see my life and say that this is why I went through here and here and here and here.
“It opened us up to different races, different denominations. All of a sudden we are going to these different churches with white people and black people, you just name it and we were a denominational mutt that we could experience all these different experiences. But something was happening also at an early age. I began to experience West Michigan racism.”
While visiting those different churches, Pittman said he could remember being treated differently and sometimes even being denied entrance due to the color of his family’s skin. Racism would continue to impact Pittman throughout his life, even as he pursued becoming a pastor and was told he needed to fit his story to what was an acceptable narrative by the majority.
“Racism is taught. It is a learned behavior,” Pittman said. “It is modeled and that is how you pick it up or you have an experience in life that brings you to it. And because of what racism has done to the black community, it has conditioned us in a mind set and other areas in our lifestyle and how we go about life and how we see things and do things and that is pretty powerful.”
Pastor Wayne Ondersma, The Pier Church
As Ondersma listened to Pittman’s story, he said he felt this stems to a bigger problem that has caused fractures in the community and especially in the church.
“I am seeing it in the church,” Ondersma said. “The same division and the same separation and I stated at our table meeting that they have said that by 2025 that if the churches continue the way they do, there will be 55,000 denominations in America. This whole separation, this whole individualism, this whole thing is a full race issue.”
Quoting Fred Rogers from the movie “A Beautiful Neighbor,” Ondesma said “You know what my philosophy is?…Every person I talk to matters. They are the most important person I am talking to at the time.
“I think we as a human race have to get the attitude that everyone we are talking to is of utmost importance and we should learn to love them and understand them and know them.”
Kidner-Smith said she hopes the backyard programs she is hosting will inspire others to do the same, hosting open conversations about racism and was pleased to learned that some in the attendance of the June event, such as Kent County Commissioner Betsy Melton, also were planning and have hosted similar programs at their homes.
“We ask you to elevate what you can do in your life, in you circle of influence, in your neighbor to eradicate racism,” Kidner-Smith said. “Let’s get the discussion moving forward, but more that simply just discussion, let’s take positive action.”
Given this time of COVID-19, and with seniors particularly at high risk, the work of the Area Agency on Aging of West Michigan has become all the more important.
WKTV Journal In Focus last week had a Zoom interview with Carly Whetstone, outreach specialist for the local agency, to talk about the group, its history, and the ways it is working for senior and senior caregivers.
The group is headquartered in Grand Rapids but serves a nine-county region that includes coverage in Wyoming and Kentwood. It is part of nationwide network of nonprofit agencies created in 1974 by the federal government to be one-stop shops with information about programs, services and housing options to seniors.
For more information on the Area Agency on Aging of West Michigan call 616-456-5664, visit their website at aaawm.org and for specific caregiver support visit caregiverresource.net.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
