People + Places

The City of Grand Rapids has begun its seasonal curbside yard waste collection service.

“My wife was driving to work and passed a homeless man who was sleeping with his head on the cement. She put a pillow under his head and she sees the man walking around with that pillow. Something so small can have such a big impact and it didn’t change her quality of life. It took her 60 seconds and it meant a lot to him.”

Four Grand Rapids organizations have partnered to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations to residents on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 17, to increase the vaccination rate among African Americans in the community and build further awareness about the positive impact of the vaccine.

The Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department provided an annual update to the city commission on 37 recently completed, current and upcoming park improvement projects.

Dr. Abha Gupta Varma, a physician at Cherry Health, has been practicing for just over two decades. Familiar with the nuances of medicine since she was a kid — both of her parents were doctors — Varma strives to provide the best care she can by talking to patients early and often.

A perhaps hugely underrated piece of the city’s entertainment landscape is the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium.

Terry Rostic and Jamaal Ewing launched Black Calder Brewing late last year.

The Internal Revenue Service and the region’s U.S. attorney are warning residents not to share any personal account information so they don’t fall prey to scammers who may want to steal their stimulus checks.

Bradford White, a Middleville manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is providing critical support for the fight against hunger this holiday season with a $10,000 contribution to Mel Trotter Ministries.

Women will be gathering next week to support some of the most vulnerable in Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids dads share how their families enjoy the city.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Grand Rapids resident Colleen McFawn found herself inspired by her own life experiences to create a safe space for members of the LGBTQ community.

A visual history of Grand Rapids is now available at the Grand Rapids Public Library in postcard form.

Interesting tidbits we thought you should know.

More than 900 cyclists will ride to help grant wishes for Michigan kids during Make-A-Wish Michigan’s 33rd annual Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour (WAM) this summer.

The Grand Rapids Public Library named Ericka “Kyd Kane” Thompson as poet laureate of the greater Grand Rapids area for a three-year term.

Background check and screening solution company iprospectcheck.com conducted a survey of 3,000 employees and found almost half (42%) of Michigan employees think it should be a mandatory requirement to disclose one’s vaccine status to an employer. This compares to a national average of 57%.

Real Seafood Company, 141 Lyon St. NW, opened in late May serving up “contemporary” seafood from across the globe.

Residents of Grand Rapids will be able to witness an eclipse on April 8, 2024.

A Holland-based architecture firm donated a gift of $5,000 each to four Michigan organizations.