With an economic development organization that is the envy of many communities, Battle Creek is a city building on its food industry roots and the land that makes it the state’s third largest city. For fun, each year the Cereal City, world headquarters to the Kellogg Co., celebrates the significance of the most important meal of the day with the World’s Longest Breakfast table. Bikers, cyclers and joggers take in the parks, forests and streams linked by a 24-mile linear park. Campers and outdoor lovers visit Fort Custer Recreation area for fishing, hiking, cross country skiing and boating. For animal lovers, African creatures, like giraffes, and Asian animals, like snow leopards, make the Binder Park Zoo a must. The Battle Creek Art Center and Battle Creek Symphony stoke the city’s cultural offerings and the new Firekeepers Casino adds to the city’s fun side. B.C’s Math and Science Center is acclaimed and secondary education needs are accommodated by Kellogg Community College, Robert B. Miller College and a branch of Western Michigan University. And Sojourner Truth, who lived here, watches over downtown from the memorial in her honor.
“I can’t believe I can make something so good," says Karen Pacella, owner of Ciao Bella Chocolat. "Real chocolate is so different. I love the taste and the opportunity to be creative... I smile when I walk through the door."
“We need to make sure our children and families are at the forefront,” says Dr. Tino Smith. “I have always been a follower of Frederick Douglass and agree with his words — It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men and I would extend that to broken people given the times we are in.”
Winner of Best Noodles in Battle Creek's recent Restaurant Week, and taking home 4th prize in the first regional Food Prize, Suipi's East End Eatery, which opened in May, has added a new Burmese-inspired East Asian flavor to Battle Creek's food scene.
“The Tribe is always seeking to look ahead to seven generations into the future as they plan for things,” says Jim Wise, FireKeepers' VP of Marketing. "Equally important, is (the Tribe's) love of Mother Earth which is exhibited by our ability to take vast amounts of energy needed from 100 percent renewable sources.”
En los últimos 18 meses, la Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative -un grupo de 12 medios de comunicación locales y comunitarios- ha intensificado el debate publicando 70 reportajes sobre problemas de salud mental que afectan a residentes y organizaciones locales en el marco de su Proyecto de Bienestar Mental.
Artist and muralist Jamari Taylor, inspired by her own Battle Creek Central High School art teacher, is paying it forward through classes and one-on-one art instruction through the Arts and Culture Collective of Battle Creek.
In 2022, there were 692 Personal Protection Orders applied for in Calhoun County, the most since 2012. The terms of PPOs are wide-ranging and can cause confusion — so a couple of Calhoun County Judges are meeting with police officers around the county to help educate so they are better prepared.
The 88th Annual Battle Creek NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner raises funds for events throughout the year and bestows Image Awards on community members. This year's keynote speaker is the Rev. Dr. Steve Bland, Jr., Senior Pastor of Liberty Temple Baptist Church in Detroit.
“The type of job we do and the stress we have is a culmination of years within the profession," says Battle Creek Police Chief Shannon Bagley. "As leaders, we need to bring in mechanisms so that we can talk about things so that they don’t build up. We want the quality of life for our officers to be exceptional.”
LGBTQIA+ experience obstacles to economic security and housing in ways that may not reach most people's awareness. To dispel stereotypes and increase understanding of the unique challenges that LGBTQIA+ face, the United Way of South Central Michigan is offering a 21-day Equity Challenge.
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