Beyond the Headlines in 2024: Journalists reflect on stories that impacted them

Southwest Michigan Second Wave has covered solutions-oriented stories in Kalamazoo for 15 years. We expanded our coverage six years ago to include Battle Creek and Calhoun County. Last year, we published 303 stories featuring people, organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and events that reached over 1.1 million readers.

We believe and abide by the Solutions Journalism Network’s mission to “transform journalism so that all people have access to news that helps them envision and build a more equitable and sustainable world.”

Conscientious, deep-diving journalism helps foster a sense of goodwill and community. And we’re proud to be a trusted source of local news by local people who love where they live.

Our writers and photographers are curious people who are committed to getting the story ‘right.’ When they take on an assignment, they never quite know what to expect. That insatiable curiosity is part of what feeds the reporter’s spirit. 

Today we republish stories of 2024 that our talented team of writers shared have had a significant impact on them as they review their year’s work. Coincidentally, three of those stories were published on the same day — August 8, 2024.  

Al Jones, On the Ground Kalamazoo Lead Writer

With women’s basketball in the spotlight, a semi-professional team takes the floor in Kalamazoo, July 25, 2024

I’m not a sports writer. And I’m not sure if Second Wave has ever published a straight sports story. But in July we got a taste of the great response that radiates from people who are passionate about their lives in sports.

That came with a story about Kalamazoo’s first-ever semi-professional basketball team for women, the Kalamazoo Blaze. Founder and head coach Felicia Nikia Thomas explained that as the newest team in the New Jersey-based Women’s American Basketball Association, the team provided a major opportunity “for girls who have finished their college careers and don’t have anything to do next.”

We have had sources who were thankful and even emotional about receiving any attention for the services they provide for the work they do. Add to that the gratitude and feedback that came with the story of local women getting a bit of the attention that big-time WNBA players were getting during a banner year for that league.

Mark Wedel, Senior Writer 

Weekend Pedal: A Kalamazoan tours Detroit at ‘the speed of bike’, Aug. 22, 2024

Part Two, Weekend Pedal: Touring Detroit at ‘the speed of bike’, Aug. 29, 2024

It’s difficult to choose what stories that I covered impacted me the most. One, or rather parts of one and two, on my weekend in Detroit pedaling my bike around impacted me because I was learning about a city that people still don’t understand, and seeing how it has developed its unique bike culture. Some people may be fearful of Detroit, fearful of riding bikes around a city, and fearful of riding with a biker gang called the Midnight Marauders, but I found there was little to be afraid of.

From unhoused to homeowner: David Harris says connection makes the difference, Sept. 26, 2024

But in Kalamazoo, stories on the effort to lower housing costs, and the people who still need housing the most, remain the most inspiring and the most troubling. David Harris’ story was moving — he went from being a homeless addict to being a recovery coach who owns his first home, thanks to Kalamazoo nonprofits and his own determination. But it’s troubling that there are a lot of David Harrises out there still living without shelter.

Jane Parikh, On the Ground Battle Creek Project Editor

A font native from Battle Creek has hand in city’s new tagline, Aug. 8, 2024

Perhaps it’s because I’m a journalist and fonts are among the tools of the trade that I’m highlighting this particular story. What began as one story about a new tagline for the City of Battle Creek morphed into another story about the font that had been selected and its creator Jeff Keedy, who spent his growing-up years in Battle Creek.
It just so happened that Jeff was going to be in town in July for his 50th high school class reunion. We met on Sunday morning in the lobby of a hotel where he and fellow classmates were staying and he shared his story with me.

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n the six years that I have been serving as Project Editor for On the Ground Battle Creek, I never get tired of offering our readers insight into Battle Creekers who go on to gain national prominence and credit the place they came from for getting them there.

Casey Grooten, writer

Do it — Try the honey cake from Kalamazoo’s Ukrainian Homemade Foods, Oct. 24, 2024

The first time I met the owners of Ukrainian Homemade Foods was at the winter indoor Kalamazoo Farmers Market. The couple was mysterious to me. I never know when is the right time to ask if someone speaks English, or where someone is from. In the case of these folks, talking about their home country has the added element of it being at war. I got to know the couple little by little every week at the market. My partner and I would go and buy pierogies from them, occasionally they would ask us to try something special since we were repeat customers. 

This was when the surprise from my editor came that she wanted me to write a story on the pair. She had no idea that I had been forming this relationship. It was such an honor to be able to sit down with the owners of Ukrainian Homemade Foods, not only to tell their story, but to have the opportunity to ask them questions about their lives, their future plans, and their homeland. It was also a unique experience in how we were speaking English, Russian, and Ukrainian the entire interview, with Google Translate playing a major part. I learned a lot as a journalist that day, and I thank Second Wave and Ukrainian Homemade Foods for this opportunity.

Zinta Aistars, writer

Kalamazoo’s Healthy House for Women offers women in recovery a loving place to stay, Aug. 8, 20

I came to deeply respect and admire the women involved with this safe oasis for women in recovery, from founder Pam Coffey to resident Willesha Riddle, working hard to be sober and rebuild her life — one of the hardest things to do. And then there is Megan Allen, who works with the residents, offering guidance and support. Addiction is an epidemic problem in this country, and the approach at Healthy House is unique in how they serve these women, an approach that actually works, and not just in the short term. My hope is that this story helps to erode the stigma around addiction. 

Mike Wenninger, writer

What’s behind the big red doors? Sanctuary in the city, March 14, 2024

I hadn’t before mingled with unhoused people and I was struck by their endurance, enterprise, politeness, and humor. Also, I greatly admired First Presbyterian’s staff and members who prepared a very pleasant dinner every Wednesday open to any unhoused person who showed up. And I’ll always remember the church’s outreach director, Meredith Alspach, going out during January’s severely cold period looking for people whose feet were suffering. She bought boots and socks for them and also gave them survival blankets designed to preserve body heat.  “People were literally freezing to death out there,” Alspach said. She added, “We really invested in helping people kind of stay alive through that cold snap.”  More than 100 people were helped through their efforts.

Caroline Bissonette, writer

Confronting racism’s impact on affordable housing access in Kalamazoo, Sept. 12, 2024

Writing about people disenfranchised by our government systems always feels urgent and important, and working on this story was no exception. Housing access is a complex and often seemingly discouraging issue, but it was inspiring to meet members of our community, like Meg Forrest from United for the Unsheltered and Patrese Griffin from the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care, who are working every day to implement real on-the-ground solutions for those facing homelessness. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with Taylor Scamahorn, a local artist who created digital artwork for this piece, which captured the emotional depth of an otherwise rather technical story powerfully and originally.   

Unsung Heroes: Two faces behind Kalamazoo’s recycling efforts, Aug. 8, 2024

The story that impacted me the most this year was my article on Kalamazoo’s recycling program. Recycling– and waste management more broadly– are services we often overlook or take for granted. I’ll admit, I was guilty of this myself. But after talking with Dale Mentor, a residential recycling driver for Republic Services, and Chris Broadbent, Kalamazoo’s Solid Waste Coordinator, I gained a greater appreciation for the immense effort and coordination behind these essential services. Their insights gave me a new perspective on the complexity of this imperative work.