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.
The first Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist will be selected in 2026. The award is similar to the Gilmore Artist Award, where jurors hunt for the classical pianists whose talent deserves a boost. An anonymous committee will choose the jazz recipient every four years.
Battle Creek officials and businesses are learning how to deal with the virus that keeps changing, as viruses do.
It can be difficult for businesses to obtain the funding they need to grow. A new event space and a state-of-the-art T-shirt design and printing business are among 11 projects that will receive financial assistance through the $2 million Washington Heights Entrepreneurial Fund in Battle Creek.
To better equip students with the knowledge they need to pursue a college degree or certification, a first-of-its-kind College Fair is planned for Feb. 16 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Burma Center in Battle Creek.
While it is up to the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee to define “religious exemption,” for those who want to avoid a vaccination based on their beliefs local religious leaders are the ones who have to bridge the gap of understanding. Here is how two church leaders are dealing with the increase in requests.
The Fresh Food Pharmacy program helps patients who could use a nutritional boost to improve their health. It's a collaboration between Grace Health and the South Michigan Food Bank.
Jaziel Pugh’s exhibit titled “Solo” will run through Feb. 28 at KCC. It includes more than a dozen large digital prints featuring his reoccurring original character Soul and explores his personality in a variety of environments and different lifestyles.
A new book has poems, short stories, and interviews of personal reflections that capture a specific memory of what it looks like to be part of different races, ethnicity, or culture in Battle Creek.
There's other work to do beyond the pandemic responsibilities and it will be tackled in Battle Creek. City Manager Rebecca Fleury says, “From an economic development perspective, we are continuing to focus on small business and woman and minority-owned businesses, not only in the downtown district but also feeder districts and Beckley Road.”
“What does Dr. King’s legacy have to teach us in the next 55 years? His legacy teaches us to engage in deep listening,” says Marc Lamont Hill, the keynote speaker for Battle Creek's 2022 celebration of MLK Day.
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