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Dear tech entrepreneur: Welcome to Southwest Michigan

What would it take to make Southwest Michigan a place that young tech entrepreneurs would want to locate? Some local officials and friends tell Second Wave's Kathy Jennings they are working on creating the right environment to lure the entrepreneurs home.

Latest in General
Why using a regional airport can make a difference

If people fly out of a regional airport it keeps their money close to home. But it has to make sense financially for airline passengers to choose local over flying out of Detroit or Chicago. Dan Weirsma of the Regional Air Alliance talks with Second Wave's Kathy Jennings about what that group is doing to make the choice easier.

Painted ladies and gentlemen a seasonal boost for local body artists

As Halloween approaches, Art and Body Studios is about to enter its busiest time of year. Anna Wilinski and Santiago Massano talk to Jane Parikh about the face and body painting business they are growing in Kalamazoo.

Business grows as customers become educated about solar

Solar power is something Mike Linsea has believed in for 30 years. He decided to make it his business three years ago. Kathy Jennings catches up with the owner of Solar Winds Power Systems at one of the largest the solar arrays his company has installed in Kalamazoo.

A redevelopment possibility for East Campus emerges

WMU officials are not ready to call it a plan, but movement is afoot for the redevelopment of East Campus. It's a big, expensive idea and to see it happen will continue to tap the university's creativity. WMU's Robert Miller talks about how it got this far and what are the possibilities.

Visiting musicians find a place to rest in Stuart neighborhood

It's not uncommon for traveling musicians to grab a place to sleep on somebody's floor. Tony Roth and his wife Joyce Walker have created a welcoming space in the Stuart neighborhood where a group of musicians can rest, relax and even stretch out on a bed with real sheets and pillows. Jane C. Parikh talks to the couple about why they open their home to people they've never met.

Rare birds in the city inspire nature photographer to document their life

Everyone has seen squirrels, the occasional urban raccoon and more recently the neighborhood deer. A privileged few have seen the fox, coyote and weasel. Matthew Clysdale makes it his business to find the animals others miss and capture them on film.

Mentorship program builds building trades managers

A firm belief that catching the interest of young people early drives the ACE mentorship program for architecture, construction and engineering, led locally by Skanska. Second Wave editor Kathy Jennings explores an example of how local companies are cooperating in an educational program to keep their industry's workforce growing.

Education reformer challenges community to save its children

Geoffrey Canada has a theory: If you want poor kids to be able to compete with their middle-class peers, you need to change their schools, neighborhoods, even the child-rearing practices of their parents. Second Wave editor Kathy Jennings shares the evidence suggesting nothing short of the nation's future may depend on it.

Learning and growing go together in urban garden

It doesn't take long for a youngster to find the joy in growing something he or she can eat. At the Fair Food Matters Garden on Westnedge programs are tailored to teach them what they need to know.

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