Local search for Grand Rapids places

8+ min ago (135+ words) Grand Rapids drivers may need to plan for a longer commute Friday morning, Dec. 12. Road and bridge work will require two lanes of westbound I-196 to be closed for about six hours Friday between Eastern Avenue and U.S. 131. The closure is expected to be in place in the left two lanes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Drivers also won't be able to access the westbound I-196 ramp to southbound U.S. 131, which remains closed due to a rollover crash that caused significant damage earlier this month. A proposed alternate route involves exiting I-196 at Lane Avenue, turning onto First Street and re-entering the eastbound highway before taking the ramp to southbound U.S. 131....

33+ min ago (848+ words) GRAND RAPIDS, MI " Michigan's girls high school basketball season started this week, and Tuesday provided a golden opportunity for one West Michigan squad to test its poise under pressure. Trailing Coopersville 41-29 with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter, Hamilton turned a double-digit deficit into a stunning comeback by closing the game on a 13-0 run and escaping with a 42-41 win. Emma Slotman sparked the rally by scoring 11 of Hamilton's 13 points in the final 89 seconds, with the junior guard burying a pair of 3-pointers, an old-fashioned 3-point play and two free throws. Junior guard Leah Brink provided the winning points by sinking a pair of free throws with 6.7 seconds left. Slotman finished with 15 points, while Brink and junior Brooke Petroelje each added 13 points. Olivia Berghorst led Coopersville with 10 points, and Hadleigh Byrd added eight. Hamilton's thrilling comeback wasn't the only notable result on…...

5+ hour, 57+ min ago (1086+ words) The Michigan Wolverines put together another solid recruiting class in the 2026 cycle, and now all attention shifts to the 2027 class. There are already four players committed to Michigan's 2027 class: four-star quarterback Peter Bourque, four-star edge rusher Recarder Kitchen, and three-star offensive linemen Tristan Dare and Louis Esposito. The class is far from done, and there is plenty of work for Sherrone Moore and company have to do. Here are some of Michigan's early top targets for the 2027 cycle. Quick disclaimer " I am only going to limit each position to a couple recruits. I could be here all day writing about top targets, so I'll only include the biggest, most tippy top targets for you. Michigan will only take one quarterback (Bourque) in this class after taking two in 2026. Nothing to see here! Despite the same last name, these two guys…...

6+ hour, 57+ min ago (275+ words) GRAND RAPIDS " The Grand Rapids Arts Council held its annual fundraiser, the Harvest Moon Benefit for the Arts, Nov. 2 at the Cadet Room of Nazareth Hall. GRAND RAPIDS " The Grand Rapids Arts Council held its annual fundraiser, the Harvest Moon Benefit for the Arts, Nov. 2 at the Cadet Room of Nazareth Hall. Two glass and iron sculptures were made for the event by artist Ian Dawson, one donated for the Volunteer of the Year award, which went to David Fowler. This year's Volunteer of the Year embodies what community means " giving selflessly, inspiring others, and making a difference everywhere he goes. Fowler's passion for this village and everyone in it is unmatched. He started Movie Nights in the Park, creating a place for families to gather under the stars (and later, in Town Hall); co-founded The Heart of Grand Rapids…...

7+ hour, 57+ min ago (639+ words) Michigan's high school wrestling season held its first matches last week, and it didn't take long for some of the state's best to pick up signature wins. Saturday's Grappler Gold Invitational featured several marquee individual matches, headlined by Lowell's Jarrett Smith defeating Dundee's Bryan Sterling in the 120-pound finals. That bracket also included a quarterfinal clash between defending state champs, as Detroit Cass Tech's Cyrus Woodberry defeated Dundee's Mason Haines, 7-6, in the ultimate tiebreak round. Those weren't the only notable results from the opening week, so follow along to see more key matches from the Grappler Gold Invitational and the first set of individual power rankings for the 2025-26 season. 106 pounds: Clarkston's Joey Hahn over Hudson's Jaxton Kimling, 10-5 120: Dundee's Bryan Sterling over Detroit Cass Tech's Cyrus Woodberry, 5-4 126: Hamilton's Chase Morrison over Lowell's Carson Blum, 1-0 126: Lowell's Carson Blum over Davison's Bryce Holt,…...

9+ hour, 41+ min ago (535+ words) GRAND RAPIDS, MI " Work is underway on a project that will demolish a vacant Family Fare grocery store on Breton Road SE and replace it with seven three-story buildings containing 168 mixed-income apartments. Last week, workers began demolishing the grocery store, 4325 Breton Road, in preparation for construction of the apartment buildings, which are being developed by East Grand Rapids-based SW Real Estate Investment. Spencer Wierda, the firm's president and director of development, said the $34.6 million project will help "move the needle" on the city's demand for housing. Demolition of the Family Fare store is expected to be complete by the end of the year, after which work to prep the site for construction is set to begin, Wierda said. The housing is expected to be complete within the first half of 2027. Once open, the buildings will contain a nearly even split…...

12+ hour, 16+ min ago (50+ words) Crews are in the process of tearing down a former Family Fare in Grand Rapids to make way for a housing complex. (Dec. 10, 2025) ... Crews are in the process of tearing down a former Family Fare in Grand Rapids to make way for a housing complex. (Dec. 10, 2025)...

13+ hour, 24+ min ago (277+ words) KALKASKA COUNTY, MI " Two brothers have been identified as the victims who fell through ice and died over the weekend in Northern Michigan. Johnathon Brake, 22, and his younger brother James Brake, 13, died after James fell through ice on Island Lake in Kalkaska County on Saturday, 9&10 News reports. Johnathon, a father of two, jumped in after his brother to save him. Johnathon's body was recovered later that night. Jimmy was found on Sunday morning. RELATED: 2 dead after falling through ice in Northern Michigan A 14-year-old boy also fell through the ice. He was able to escape the frigid water and yell for help. The younger boys had gone outside to play in the snow after dinner, and Johnathon had gone with them, 9&10 reports. The Brake family says Johnathon and Jimmy knew how to check ice safety and not to go out…...

16+ hour, 41+ min ago (851+ words) PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI - A company manufacturing 3-D printed pickleballs will soon open a West Michigan facility where players can test them out. Accel Digital Solutions, a Walker-based tech startup specializing in additive manufacturing, is combining its need for a commercial office space with increased community demand for pickleball, a growing sport nationwide. The company is opening the Great Lakes Pickleball Club, a multipurpose facility with pickleball courts and event spaces that will also headquarter Accel. Co-founder Brandon Teets said he envisions the facility as similar to the pickleball version of a boutique distillery or brewery, with the social opportunity provided by the courts combined with in-house manufacturing of the company's pickleball products. The facility, located in Plainfield Township, will open in the first quarter of 2026. Pickleball, a paddle sport blending tennis, badminton and table tennis, has grown quickly in popularity…...

1+ day, 55+ min ago (186+ words) The Wolverines dismantled Villanova with a 30-point halftime lead, snapping the Wildcats" seven-game winning streak and moving to 9-0. The Michigan vs. Villanova matchup was supposed to test May"s team, but it turned into another showcase of balance, depth, and unselfish play " trademarks of the unbeaten Wolverines team. Guard Elliot Cadeau set the tone early, scoring 15 of his 18 points in the first half while pushing the pace and keeping Villanova on its heels. 10 Wolverines scored at least four points before the break, underlining May"s belief that this team doesn"t rely on one star to dominate. Center Aday Mara added 11 points and eight rebounds, while preseason All-American Yaxel Lendeborg chipped in nine. The win marked Michigan"s sixth straight by at least 25 or more points, including two against ranked opponents " a streak no program has matched since the mid-1990s. "These…...