September 4, 2018
Five new jobs included in 2019 Kent budget
Five new jobs at a cost of $451,076 were included in the proposed 2019 Kent County budget. These new jobs are in addition to the approved six new officers costing $705,000, as well as the 26 possible new positions costing $2.1 million awaiting approval Sept. 27. The county board of commissioners will vote Nov. 29 […]
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Change Ups: DeMyers joins United Way as human resources director
Heart of West Michigan United Way selected Tiffany DeMyers as director of human resources. DeMyers is a leader in the Grand Rapids community, using her education and strategic perspective to alleviate disparities, create connections and foster growth in the surrounding communities. DeMyers will be responsible for recruitment and retention, professional development, and leading United Way’s […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds HOLTROP, Chad et al, Finance of America Mortgage, Summerbrooke Estates No. 1, Lot 14, $241,300 JOHNSON, Robert D. et al, Cardinal Financial Co., Cascade Twp., 6-6-10, $201,465 ROERSMA & WURN BUILDERS INC., Lake Michigan Credit Union, Heritage Park of Rockford No. 4, Lot 161, $226,443 […]
Street Talk: Startup tackles used cars
Five Grand Rapids entrepreneurs launched a website to help take the guesswork out of buying a new vehicle. Carmony, a new website launched by Grand Rapids natives Ben Gezon, Ben Kohl, Karlo Zadro, Lance Beaudry and Matt Conflitti, helps car buyers who aren’t sure where to begin. Potential matches are based on a series of […]
Are job descriptions still valuable to organizations?
We often write about how human resources has changed over the years. Not a surprise. Organizations evolve to meet the needs of the clients they serve and the people who bring the products and services to them change, as well. The trends are always on the move as technology, regulations, social interests and norms have […]
Dropping test scores warrant more discussion on early childhood development
The coming week marks the return of all Michigan students to schools, following the Labor Day weekend. The momentous occasion is marked by the announcement of yet another year of declines in student learning attainment. The state released the scores from the spring 2018 round of the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, showing scores […]
Immigrants and refugees are invaluable part of economy
Over the last 10 years, immigration and refugee resettlement have had no shortage of political maneuvering and executive branch controversy. You might expect an executive of the largest refugee resettlement organization in Michigan with a faith-based mission to appeal to your heart or moral compass. I’d like to make a different argument — that pro-immigrant […]
Letter: Pay more attention to early learners
Editor: As an educator with more than 25 years in public school teaching and administration, your recent editorial (“Thinking outside the box is essential to solving worker shortage,” Aug. 20) gave me pause. As principal of San Juan Diego Academy, I can assure you we are successfully preparing our students for a world of technology, […]
GR joins national program
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Grand Rapids will be one of 12 U.S. cities to join the National League of Cities in a pilot study to improve residents’ health and equity. The NLC’s Cities of Opportunity is a pilot program intended to address multiple factors contributing to the health and longevity of residents beyond […]
Small IT business boosts large utility company
Element Four, a small managed IT services company in Kentwood, secured a large government contract over the summer. The 12-person technology firm recently wrapped up a large project for the Birmingham Water Works Board in Birmingham, Alabama, by implementing a new backup solution for the municipal water entity. “We love to work on projects for […]
City View residents scorn parking relocation
Since being relocated to another parking level within the Monroe Center deck, residents of City View Condos have expressed disdain at being relocated to what they believe is less than premium parking. The Business Journal previously reported residents of City View Condos had until Aug. 1 to relocate their vehicles from the ground floor Louis […]
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Inside Track: Making theater more accessible
In a time when the emphasis on art programs largely has been ignored in public schools across the country, Allyson Paris is determined to make theater relevant and easily accessible to people of all ages. Since Paris became the associate director of the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre School of Theatre Arts in 2015, its student […]
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MAC predicts bountiful apple harvest
Michigan is expected to exceed its apple harvest this season. According to the Michigan Apple Committee, apple growers are estimated to harvest 28 million bushels of apples this season, which started in the middle of August and runs through June. That is about 3 million more than the state’s average. The state averages 25.2 million […]
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EDC grants $94K for Transformando program
A minority business program that launched earlier this year is fully funded for the next three years. West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce received a three-year, $94,628 grant from the city of Grand Rapids’ Economic Development Corporation to support the first phase of its program, Transformando West Michigan, “Feeding Minds, Mouths and Pockets.” The EDC […]
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Mercy Health Saint Mary’s celebrates 125 years
In a way, the story of the hospital that has become Mercy Health Saint Mary’s starts in 1827 Ireland with a woman named Catherine McAuley. She used her inheritance to establish the House of Mercy to shelter and educate poor women and girls. McAuley established the Sisters of Mercy society of nuns beginning in 1831 […]
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Grand Rapids Whitewater aims for 2019 summer start date
This time next year, Grand Rapids Whitewater hopes to begin its Grand River restoration project. Until then, Whitewater President and CEO Richard Bishop said the organization has a couple of hurdles to overcome. “We are getting permits and raising money; those are the two big buckets we are working on right now,” Bishop said. The […]
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More than $60M pours into downtown Holland
Walking westward along W. Eighth Street from the core of downtown Holland, visitors will move through a bustling business corridor and onto a city block lined with shells of large buildings. They’ll see dozens of workers dressed in neon colors and hear the disorderly sounds of construction. Those half-constructed buildings belong to the West Eighth […]
