PHOTOS: It’s harvest time in Southwest Michigan and Calhoun County farm and school celebrate

If you don't yet have a pumpkin, these photos might get you in the mood. Photographer John Grap captured some harvest joy at Of the Land, a homestead, farm, and farm school, in Battle Creek.

$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?”

World’s Biggest Rice Table: Village Network of Battle Creek connects cultures through rice

"At the core of the various rice dishes there was one common denominator: rice. We believed that this would help us all see that at the core we are the same.”

Women and wind: KVCC academy training women for sustainable future in wind industry

Women are helping harness wind as a renewable energy source thanks to Kalamazoo Valley Community College's nationally-recognized Wind Turbine Training Academy.

Simpler space, simpler time: Cooper Township one-room schoolhouse charms as small events venue

Thanks to the vision and hard work of the building's neighbors, a charming one-room schoolhouse in Cooper Township now hosts small events that celebrate important milestones — and more.

Fantastic Beats to open Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-25 season

The Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra's opening concert on Oct. 5 will feature "Fantastic Beats," including the “Game of Thrones” orchestra suite, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” and “Symphonic Suite from Lord of the Rings."

From unhoused to homeowner: David Harris says connection makes the difference

"Some days it doesn't feel real." That's the reaction David Harris has when he surveys the house that he now calls his own after years of being unhoused. 

Parents indicated that needed services like speech therapy, occupational therapy, and paraprofessional support were inadequate.
Survey activates education advocacy for Michigan children with disabilities

Special Education Experience (SEE) survey results revealed that needed improvements in special education that the state identified in 2014 have not been made.  

Joe Volpe, program manager at Ferndale's Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center.
Mental health takes heavy toll on Michigan’s LGBTQ youth

Mental health is a major challenge for Michigan youth in general, but the problem is even greater for the state's LGBTQ youth.

Mientras los jóvenes enfrentan problemas de salud mental, el tratamiento de caballos ayuda

La terapia asistida por caballos, en la que un terapeuta de salud mental tiene formación adicional para usar caballos como parte del plan de tratamiento, es una modalidad que parece estar en expansión por todo el país. Esto es particularmente cierto en la era post-Covid, ya que el número de niños diagnosticados con ansiedad, depresión o ambas ha aumentado considerablemente.

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