candidates

Michigan GOP hopefuls, surrogates weigh in on petition to rewrite voting laws

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The upcoming election year may look different if Michigan Republicans are successful in their petition to rewrite voting laws, and in theory, they could do it with only 8% of previous voters’ signatures, according to the Michigan constitution. The Secure MI Vote initiative would prohibit private election funding, strengthen in-person ID rules, create a new $3 million “voter access fund,” require ID info for absentee ballot applications and bar unsolicited absentee ballot applications to voters. An infographic simplifying information about the law. 

Republican reactions

Opponents of the bill claim this will make voting that much more difficult, even dismaying voters. 

Republicans, however, feel differently about their petition. Many wish to not make this petition a partisan effort and would rather come together from both sides, said Mark Uminn, a GOP candidate for precinct delegate of Oshtemo Charter Township. 

Said Uminn, “We think that there’s been a lot of division over the past couple of years, and that we need to come together -Not on ‘we want Republicans’ or ‘we want Democrats’- but rather we want fair elections. And we want our voters, our constituents, to be confident about the results of those elections.”

“I’m very hopeful about the result of this petition,” said Uminn, “and I think that we see that with every single signature that gets added to this petition, and we are very hyped up about this and we’re ready to go.

Article

Ukraine turmoil impacts Michigan economy

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While the Russia-Ukraine war is taking place across the Atlantic Ocean, the economical effects of it are being felt in the United States. 

Russia is one of the world’s largest exporters of oil and natural gas, particularly to

Europe, and the Russian invasion on Ukraine puts a major hold on many supply chains and imports. 

One of the courses that Pozo teaches is called “Hotspots in global affairs”, which was recently assigned  from a World Affairs Council lecture by Fiona Hill, a former intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia. Tommy Jelsomeno, a student at Western Michigan University studying global and international relations, said, “Especially with a lot of gas coming from both Russia and Ukraine, I think we’ll definitely see some domestic changes.”

Chart showing national average gas prices from one year ago and today. Information collected from GasBuddy Credit: Sarah Marilyn

“That possibility has pushed up the national average price of gasoline considerably in the last week, and the situation could worsen at any time, keeping gas prices elevated for the foreseeable future,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “In addition to the unstable situation with the Russian invasion, we’re also entering the time of year that seasonality pushes gasoline prices up by anywhere from 25 to 75 cents by Memorial Day. It’s simply looking like a perfect storm for motorists at the pump, with little to no relief anytime soon.”

According to GasBuddy the best days to fuel up are Friday and Monday.

art

GR World of Winter provides free events, boosts downtown economy 

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World of Winter is a free celebration of DJs, ice sculptures, concerts, food, a series and more that takes place in downtown Grand Rapids each year from January through March. 

Exhibitions include Massimals Polar Bears by Scroggin Studio, a line of large abstract polar bear sculptures, and Wave by Squidsoup, an immersive walk through experience of 500 tall orbs suspended. 

Trumpet Flowers Exhibition Located in Ah-Nab-Awen Park Photo Credit: Downtown GR Inc. 

Other attractions include the Valent-ICE ice sculpture exhibition and events such as a Silent Disco, a drag show, walking tours and live performances. 

Local businesses like House of Wine see upticks in customers. “We especially enjoyed being able to pour to-go Downtown Refreshment cocktails like Mulled Wine for guests who were out viewing different World of Winter attractions,” said Emily Lynch, co-owner of House of Wine. “We hope to see it return again next year,” 

Many downtown Grand Rapids restaurants and bars set up outdoor spaces for the festival. “Outdoor heated domes provide a great way to enjoy the cozy wintery charm while enjoying some of the best food around, ” said Sara Moore, a local resident. 

When you’re done exploring art, head to a Refreshment Area where you can purchase marked containers and enjoy a cocktail or a brew as you walk around parts of the city. Refreshment Map of Areas to bring Alcoholic Beverages Photo Credit: Downtown GR Inc. 

“The World of Winter festival is designed to encourage folks to get outside during the winter season.

News

Kids’ Food Basket expands beyond providing meals to kids

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The waiting lists for meals are long and growing, said Bridget Clark Whitney, the founding CEO of the Kids’ Food Basket, a grassroots program in Grand Rapids that she said needs to expand. According to Kids’ Food Basket there are approximately 1.9 million families in Michigan who are food insecure and approximately 28,790 food insecure children ages 0 to 17 living in Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties, which are the counties Kids’ Food Basket currently serves. “Kids’ Food Basket serves about 1100 healthy meals 7 days a week that is only eleven percent of the need. “We have quite a lot of growth that needs to happen to work to ensure all of our children have the nourishment they need to be their best both in school and in life, said Whitney.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic and temporary shutdown, the Kids’ Food Basket had to pivot from providing healthy food to kids alone to providing healthy food to whole families. 

Sack Lunch Program Credit: Kids Food Basket

Kids’ Food Basket’s core belief is that access to healthy food is a right, not a privilege. However, this is not yet a reality, so we mobilize our volunteers and donors to help us break down the barriers that cause food insecurity,” said Kids Food Basket Communications Director, Kimberly Moore. 

Checking on growth from harvest of foods at Kids’ Food Basket Farms Credit: Kids Food Basket

While the flagship Sack Supper model continues to be the most efficient way to get nourishing food into the hands of our community, the organization adopted a menu of services that the community partners use to increase food access to meet the personalized needs of its neighbors. 

Infographic of community services Kids’ Food Basket provides Credit: Sarah Benner

“The Kids Food Basket is a movement that seeks to meet immediate nutritional needs while planting the seeds of sustainable change for generations, said Moore.”

News

Q&A with John Lehman, fire chief of the City of Grand Rapids

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Fire Chief John Lehman said he hopes to continue the Homeless Outreach Team after the pandemic ends. 

Grand Rapids Fire Chief John Lehman is most proud of the Homeless Outreach Program that was started in an effort to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.  When the homeless became sick they needed implementation of a new program that allowed the sick to isolate while undergoing quarantine.  Safety threats prompted Grand Rapids leaders to make changes that would keep everyone safe, including the homeless community. 

Firefighters and police officers establish relationships with the homeless to connect them with Social Services, Substance Abuse Assistance, Mental Health Assistance and other resources. 

The fire chief also discussed the future of continuing the Homeless Outreach Program even after the pandemic ends. 

Spartan Newsroom Reporter Sarah Benner spoke with John Lehman, the fire chief of the city of Grand Rapids, about future careers in the fire department and how COVID-19 is impacting his job. Here’s an overview of his comments, edited for space and clarity. On how COVID-19 impacted the Fire Chief Department: 

COVID has taken a big operation toll on the operation, when we don’t have the bodies to fill the seats it impacts us in a large way. We were able to get through it by working with the labor and union to relax some work rules. Counting on the fact that all our employees were coming in working overtime shifts and working extra duty to fill in for those vacancies of those that were off sick.