April 24, 2017
Kent County launches state’s second girls court
Kent County has launched a program to help troubled girls become law-abiding and productive citizens. Judge Patricia Gardner and a team of female probation officers, attorneys, surveillance staff and community mentors have teamed up to create the 17th Circuit Girls Court, a four-month intensive program that accepts up to 12 female offenders at a time […]
Law firms examine pros and cons of e-discovery
Varnum attorney Matt Anderson said the 1998 movie “A Civil Action,” starring John Travolta, illustrates how tedious the “slog” of discovery once was for attorneys, sorting through rooms full of paper to gather the facts of a case. About 15 years ago, most law firms began to embrace the digital age, collecting and reviewing business […]
Construction prices moderate as energy costs slip
Construction input prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in March, increasing by 0.3 percent on a monthly basis and 4.4 percent on a yearly basis, according to analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by Associated Builders and Contractors. Nonresidential construction input prices performed similarly, increasing by 0.4 percent for the month and […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds EARL, Stephen H. et al, USAA Federal Savings Bank, DJ Estates, Lot 1, $246,232 BIEREMA, Jason et al, Fifth Third Mortgage, Country Club Village No. 2, Lot 58, $210,150 OUELLETTE, Charles et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Cascade Twp., 16-6-10, $275,500 BURTON STREET COMPOUND LLC, Niewiek, […]
Street Talk: Asleep at the wheel
A study involving traffic stop tendencies of Grand Rapids officers has revealed black motorists are twice as likely as non-black drivers to be stopped by police within the city limits. The study also revealed Hispanic drivers were stopped more often in certain areas of the community, contrasted with white and female drivers who did not […]
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Change Ups: Wastewater treatment project spurs new investment, jobs
A collaborative project between Continental Dairy Facilities LLC and Fairlife LLC will add additional on-site wastewater treatment capacity at Continental’s 100-acre dairy processing plant in Coopersville. Support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the city of Coopersville helped pave the way for the $3.7-million upgrade to move forward. The upgrade will result in $173 […]
Flyer beware: Drone regs tighten usage
Seems like you can’t turn a page — or open your curtains — without seeing a drone. Realtors hire them to provide aerial footage of high-end homes for sale. Farmers rely on them to check irrigation lines for leaks. Videographers love to incorporate fly-over shots in their work. And, of course, Amazon seems to be […]
International human resources: a piece of pie
It’s as simple as a piece of… For most Americans, the completion of the statement is “cake.” Often stated as a “piece of cake” when referring to a foregone conclusion, these idiom phrases, which are not literal translation of the words, still are clear to most people. Idioms can be confusing to people new to […]
GR builds community with people, not concrete
“We have a narrative going on in this country that, if only we have the right person or the right party in the state house, we’d be OK. And I’d like to flip that around, because we really need to be able to own our own problems to be able to inform state and national […]
Region rates highly in culture and cooperation
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) West Michigan’s cream-of-the-crop companies compare favorably to the other top employers from regions across the country when it comes to culture, cooperation and diversity. According to data from the Michigan Business & Professional Association, compiled in the process of selecting this year’s West Michigan’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies […]
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Inside Track: An environmentalist at heart
Bill Wood started picking up pop cans from the side of the road when he was only 4 or 5 years old in hopes of “becoming rich” from the deposit refund. He might not have become rich, but he did learn early on that much of what people throw away is valuable. “I was always […]
City partners with Founders Brewing on biodigester
The city of Grand Rapids and Founders Brewing Co. announced a new public-private partnership that will result in three new biodigesters that will generate energy for the city. Deputy City Manager Eric DeLong said as Founders and other food processing and agribusinesses continue to grow, it is creating a strain on the city’s wastewater treatment […]
Businesses: Own your problems
Businesses should relish the opportunity to play a role in the societal and cultural shifts in our country, according to Cascade Engineering Chairman Fred Keller. Keller was on hand at a recent Rotary Club of Grand Rapids meeting to discuss business-inspired community change, an ideology rooted in the critical role of businesses to take active […]
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Florist brings green thumb to Creston
Heather Grit has harnessed her creative streak through a new floral and retail shop in Grand Rapids’ Creston neighborhood. The first-time business owner and board member of the Creston Neighborhood Association and the North Quarter Corridor Improvement District launched Glamour and Grit Floral, 1515 Plainfield Ave. NE, with a Valentine’s Day soft opening and a […]
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Developers pivot toward hotels
Developers briefly are pressing pause on downtown apartments and turning to hotels. Multiple hotel projects surfaced the past several months, including Orion Real Estate Solutions’ Warner Tower, CWD Real Estate Investment’s 50 Monroe announcements and the breaking ground of Suburban Inns’ Embassy Suites on North Monroe, a project first announced a decade ago. 616 Development’s […]
