December 24, 2018
Stop horsing around with noncompete clauses
Noncompete provisions are part and parcel of many employment agreements. But these provisions must be carefully drafted to be enforceable. There are three surefire ways to have a court invalidate your noncompete clause without much judicial cogitation: Failure to provide a reasonable duration for the clause Failure to restrict the operation of the clause to […]
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Millennials pine for real Christmas trees, growers say
Michigan produces the third-most Christmas trees in the nation and no state grows more varieties, according to tree experts. “Any farm here in Michigan may produce eight to 10 different types of trees,” said Bert Cregg, an associate professor in Michigan State University’s Departments of Horticulture and Forestry. That’s good for Michigan growers as more […]
Research finds drowsy drivers just as bad as drunks
Tired driving is as dangerous as drunken driving. “If a person who wakes up at 8 a.m. is driving at 2 a.m., they’re essentially driving with the same impairments as someone who is legally intoxicated,” said Kimberly Fenn, the director of Michigan State University’s Sleep and Learning Lab. In 2017, drivers who were fatigued or […]
Digital security becomes a never-ending battle
The world of technology can be complicated and dangerous. Over the course of several years, large companies like Facebook and Equifax have been the victims of digital attacks, compromising the personal information of millions of people. While information trickles out to the public about breaches and malicious hacks of large companies, it is a consistent […]
Employers invest in veteran-friendly hiring practices
Local companies say no one doubts the work ethic and caliber of veterans — but organizations sometimes need help matching a military résumé to the skills needed for civilian jobs. When it was founded in 2013, the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency launched the Veteran-Friendly Employers program to help workplaces increase their veteran recruitment, training and […]
Military service becomes pipeline to state prison jobs
More veterans are working as correctional officers in Michigan prisons, thanks to a recent state program designed to recruit them. Of the 13,500 employees in the Department of Corrections, nearly 20 percent are military veterans, including 150 who were hired since the program began last year, said Darrick Alvarez, the veterans liaison for the department. […]
Addressing and making change of leadership in business
In just about any organization, there comes a time when the discussion begins to focus on a change of leadership. It usually begins to surface when someone or a small group perceives that things can and should go differently. Differently is often a nice way to say things need to get better — but not […]
Public Record
BANKRUPTCY 18-04674 – HERNANDEZ, Isela, 257 Straight NW, Larry A. VerMerris (Ch. 7) 18-04678 – CHENDORI, Nandi A., 500 LaGrave SE, William J. Napieralski (Ch. 7) 18-04686 – ABZALILOVA, Svetlana M., 6276 Samrick NE, Belmont, Jeffrey D. Mapes (Ch. 7) 18-04699 – RILEY, Trina M., 4247 Stonebridge SW, Wyoming, Jeffrey D. Mapes (Ch. 7) 18-04711 […]
Five ways to promote emotional well-being in the workplace during the holidays
The hustle and bustle of the holidays are upon us! We find our calendars loaded with parties, potlucks, family events, holiday merriment — suddenly the “most wonderful time of the year” is wonderfully stressful and emotionally draining. Many employers focus on physical well-being during the holidays but, during the gift-giving season, don’t forget to give […]
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Change Ups: Foundation raises $25,000 to support autism charity
The Clays-for-Kids Foundation marked its 20th annual Clays-for-Kids Clay Shoot recently at the Kent County Conservation League. For the fifth year in a row, Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Michigan partnered with CFK and raised $25,000 that was donated to Autism Support of West Shore, a nonprofit organization advocating and supporting participation in all aspects […]
Street Talk: A great start
Grand Rapids Community College will be the first in the state to participate in a national project to better prepare early childhood education professionals. The project, supported by a $1.3-million grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, will be guided by the University of Toledo. UT faculty will […]
Grand Rapids stalls on parking rate changes
The city of Grand Rapids has hit the brakes on staff-initiated changes to on- and off-street parking management and rates. City Manager Mark Washington issued a moratorium on staff-initiated parking management and rate changes Dec. 13. Washington cited a series of parking and mobility solutions the city already implemented over the past few years and […]
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Inside Track: Man’s best friend
Allen Fiorletta proved retirement is not for everyone. After four months of retirement, Fiorletta, a trial attorney, decided to jump back in the legal realm where he has been practicing law for nearly 30 years. However, this time around is different. Instead of using the revenue for his personal benefit, he is donating it to […]
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GR unveils park signage winner
Despite public outcry from members of the professional design community, the city of Grand Rapids went forward with its park signage design competition and has unveiled the winner. The city announced Steve Voelker as the winner of the competition. Voelker was awarded $1,000 to collaborate with a licensed design professional to produce final drawings. “The […]
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WMU creating second business park
Since 2000, 40 research and technology companies have filled up the 256-acre Western Michigan University Business Technology and Research Park, located on its Parkview Campus in Oshtemo Township. Now, WMU is spending about $4.2 million to prepare another 55 acres of land across the street to become its second park, Business Technology and Research Park […]
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Local promoter aims to unite music across state
One Michigander is trying to merge the music culture across the two sides of the state. Kevin Lamb, founder of This is a Good Sound, has been traveling the state to help promote and book shows for bands to perform at different venues. “We have all these amazing bands in West Michigan and all these […]
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Slush-soaked gloves spur business idea
Tired of her boys coming home from school each day with gloves still wet from recess, Karen Smoots took action. She asked her husband, Ryan, who is an engineer, to pick up some PVC pipes and other parts from the hardware store, then they set about making a glove dryer in their garage. The pair […]
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Homeless families reach ‘tipping point’
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) The affordable housing issue in Grand Rapids is worse than some realized. That proved true when the depletion of state emergency overflow housing funds in October displaced dozens of Grand Rapids families, many with young children. The families were being temporarily housed in motels with support from the state […]
