Author

Al Jones

Al Jones

Al Jones is a freelance writer who has worked for many years as a reporter, editor, and columnist. He is the Project Editor for On the Ground Kalamazoo.

Al Jones's Latest Articles

Outreach efforts are working to keep violent crimes down in Kalamazoo

“I think it’s that balance between outreach and enforcement that is what’s working. . .The outreach folks are talking to the enforcement folks and vice-versa. I think that’s what’s really got a handle on our shootings and homicides.”

$50M Kalamazoo Forward Ventures becomes Southwest Michigan’s first Black-owned investment fund

“We understand that traditional businesses are often being funded and started by traditional white males. The new fund answers the question: “So how do we support people outside of that group?”

State-of-the-art, holistic addiction treatment facility schedules opening in Kalamazoo

"We’ve created a program and an atmosphere where individuals can heal their mind, body, and soul — and ultimately, find a path to lasting recovery."  

Family fun will be in focus at Kalamazoo’s 4th Annual Anti-gun Violence Community Carnival

Rev. Lenzy Bell, Vice President of the Northside Ministerial Alliance, speaks on the importance of community involvement to change the tide of the epidemic of gun violence among youth. A day of family fun, he says, lets youth and city leaders see the joy and community spirit.

City and County are strategizing for better housing in Kalamazoo area

The City of Kalamazoo is working with Kalamazoo County to develop strategies to fund projects to help struggling families to find good housing. The intent is to use $1.2 million in federal funding to connect and amplify existing community resources, and to inspire additional investment in them in order to help struggling families to find good housing.  

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

Meet Felicia Nikia Thomas, founder and coach of the Kalamazoo Blaze, the area's new semi-pro women's basketball team. 

Nick Wahl, 26, was able to become a first-time home buyer with the purchase of this home in the Oakwood Neighborhood.
Getting started: How tough is it to find a home to buy in the Kalamazoo area?

“It used to be, we’d list a home on Monday and I’d get a call on Tuesday to show it on Wednesday. Now we list it on Monday and I get a call asking if I can show it in 5 minutes,” says Jim Hess, a Realtor with Jaqua Realtors in Kalamazoo. Prospective buyers -- and sellers -- have to be prepared for a brisk selling market in multiple price ranges, real estate professionals say.

After years of planning, Eastside Square condominiums set to open in Kalamazoo

Long-awaited Eastside Square, a mixed-use housing and commercial development on East Main conceived of by residents in partnership with the Kalamazoo County Land Bank, is complete and ready for occupancy. 

The Ultimate Guide to Being a Dad: Kalamazoo Edition

To honor Father's Day, Al Jones (a father of five himself!) speaks to a cross-section of Kalamazoo men about the rigors and joys of being a dad.

Kalamazoo-sized cities provide big insights into how African American see opportunities

What can be done to help change the often cultural and dated mindsets that stop African Americans from exploring better opportunities? “You have to take them out, quite literally,” of their familiar environments, says Dr. Alford Young. “You have to bring them to other spaces and show them what’s going on.”

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