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Despite Obstacles, young entrepreneurs keep pushing

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In a new booming market, plant-based restaurant owners were forced to overcome obstacles to provide healthy food to their communities. Making their cities a better place is the gas that fills these entrepreneurs’ tanks. Vegan Taste Catering

Pr’Phec Hamilton, CEO of Vegan Taste Catering

Food isn’t the only thing made from scratch and lots of love at Vegan Taste Catering in Detroit. 

Pr’phec Hamilton, 23, has worn many hats to ensure the vision of her business comes into fruition. She was willing to break all barriers to succeed, especially being as a young African American woman from Detroit’s east side.  

Hamilton is not only the chef and CEO of Vegan Taste Catering, but the entrepreneur who was willing to get her hands dirty and become the contractor. It was a family affair. Hamilton and her cousin, Zachary Crawford, completely renovated the building that’s now home to not only Vegan Taste Catering, but Hypewhore Vintage and Current Art Studio, which is owned by Crawford.

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Dansville Historical Society secures home

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The Dansville Michigan Historical Society has secured a location, and the pandemic is part of the reason why. 

We all know the cliche, that it takes a village to raise a child. But Dansville, Michigan, A small village in Ingham County, has remained connected for several generations. What’s the key to a tight-knit city? Kelen Gailey, president of the Dansville Historical Society, put it this way: preserving the history of the community. 

The notion of conserving their town’s history first struck Gailey while he was in middle school. His grandmother was showing him a picture, he asked her, “who are the other people?” When she was unable to answer, that really stuck with him.

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How was an Inmate able to escape Ingham County Jail?

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After an investigation, Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wrigglesworth says new procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic may be the reason Michael McKerchie was able to escape county jail. 

The jail had ended some of its  daily practices temporarily to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, after seeing a surge in cases. One of the procedures suspended was daily cell checks. 

“Unfortunately, this temporary change in practice was taken advantage of by an inmate and he was able to escape.” Said Sheriff Wrigglesworth in his statement to the public. “The escapee utilized commonly accessible resources in his cell, broke out a window and fled.”

McKerchie had been in jail since Sept. 21 for auto theft and other felony charges. 

McKerchie escaped Iin November. He was captured after eight days that included two separate vehicle chases. 

Floyd Willis, a county resident who works next door to the county jail as an IT administrator, said he had been concerned by the escape.

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Potter Park Zoo innovates, profits through pandemic

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After the pandemic, the zoo will have a new look, and new fundraising techniques are part of the reason why. 

With many people looking at the pandemic as a loss, Potter Park Zoo saw an opportunity to become more creative. Instead of cancelling events, the zoo staff innovated. The staff  began to push online as much as possible. In fact, Potter Park Zoo hosted its annual “Paint Your Poison” event on Jan. 23 and raised $1,800 via Zoom. 

“We ended the year in a better position from a cash perspective than we did in 2019,” said Amy Morris Hall, the Zoological Society executive director.  “Which was pretty surprising.