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A student and her parents following a dental checkup at the Cincinnati Health Department.

Cincinnati’s school dental clinics bring relief to thousands

Serving 24,000 patients annually, the Cincinnati Health Department dental program brings year-round care to students and community patients through an innovative public-private partnership.

Latest in General
As sponsors pull back, community organizations step up to support Battle Creek’s Pride Festival

Amid a nationwide decline in corporate sponsorships for Pride events, Battle Creek Pride is pressing forward with its 2025 festival thanks to increased support from local businesses and community organizations. Despite political headwinds and funding shortfalls, organizers remain committed to celebrating and elevating local voices.

"Teenagers matter. They’re a part of our communities, our families, our friendships. Their feelings and their struggles matter." Eve Cole
Teens and mental health: The emotions beneath the behaviors

Today’s teens face numerous challenges to their mental health, and nearly one in five teens surveyed reported experiencing a major depressive episode in the past year. In 2023, nearly a third of U.S. teens received mental health treatment, according to the CDC report. In Michigan, some of those teens saw practitioners and joined groups at OnPoint, which provides behavioral health and homelessness services in Allegan County.  

Battle Creek man covets Michigan Works! award as he waits for his green card

Cuban immigrant Ariel Martinez Ochoa of Battle Creek was honored for his work in healthcare after just three years in the U.S., but his dreams are on hold as he awaits a long-delayed Green Card. Despite the recognition, immigration backlogs threaten to stall his next steps.

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma brings a full house to its feet in Miller Auditorium

For 100 years, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra has been making music for the community. Its sold-out June 2 concert featuring renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma was a triumph. 

Helping vets in Kalamazoo who were ‘smoked by life’

In 2024, 32,882 veterans experienced homelessness in the United States, and 68 of those were in Kalamazoo County, though local officials say they are sure that number has since increased. Many unhoused veterans don’t know there are benefits and programs that can help. Here’s how to get connected.

Fists, friends, and fighting spirit: The legacy of Kalamazoo’s Boxing Academy

At the Institute of Public Scholarship’s “Remembering the Block” talk on the Kalamazoo Boxing Academy, stories of bruises, brotherhood, and Black pride reminded listeners that real strength is learned both in and outside the ring. And Carlean Gill revisits the glory days of Idlewild.

Benchmark bets on a Dark Horse: Success is brewing in Marshall

Spirits, fruit-forward, and lower Alcohol by Volume are market trends in the alcohol industry since the peak of craft beer, and Benchmark of Livonia, which recently acquired Dark Horse and Roak Brewing Co., hopes to capitalize on those trends — but the Mug Club lives on.

Former local shelter transforms into lifeline for Southwest Michigan Veterans

“We are the only Veterans organization in Southwest Michigan doing what we’re doing. I like to call us a neutral spot. We don’t care what branch of the service you were in or what your discharge status is. People I’ve talked to have said it’s about time."

New high school dental program quickly fills workforce gaps

Walker Career Center trains teens for dental careers, tackling workforce shortages and helping underserved students access well-paying, high-demand health care jobs.

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