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Why Alice Jasper is on a mission to lead people of color into the outdoors.

Jason Terry knows how to have an NBA career, complete with an NBA Championship.

Canine training business A Pleasant Dog has found a new home. In an effort to expand its services, A Pleasant Dog relocated from Wealthy Street to 1430 Knapp Street NE.

Write 616, formerly Great Lakes Commonwealth of Letters (GLCL), aims to be a helping hand to all writers in the Grand Rapids area. While its name has recently changed, its initial mission of providing resources, building skills, and creating connected, professional platforms for writers, has not shifted since its inception in 2013.

Carol Moore purchased the historic church and is leading it through a transformation.

On Jan. 1, Grand Rapids gained its newest poet laureate in Ericka “Kyd Kane” Thompson. She is the seventh to take on the title and the first Black woman and openly queer person to hold the role.

Kyd Kane, Grand Rapids’ current poet laureate, said she is a spoken word poet “in limbo,” as so many poets are in these long months of the pandemic that has shut down venues, stopped indoor events and slowed community gatherings.

Whether it’s an elaborate festival, a city-wide race, or an afternoon of jazz in the park, the office of special events is here to help make visiting Grand Rapids a fun and engaging experience.

When Henry entered the Humane Society of West Michigan (HSWM) he was not only malnourished and suffering from severe skin infections and internal wounds, but he’d also lost most of the fur on his body. Because of this, the HSWM staff members could not identify his breed.

In Mary McKSchmidt’s latest book, “Uncharted Waters: Romance, Adventure, and Advocacy on the Great Lakes,” she’s sailing with her husband on Lake Michigan, taking a view of its eastern edge, when she’s overcome by a nearly spiritual wonder. She’s scanning the shoreline for the spot she stood as a girl — recalling a vibrant springtime that left her in love with the water she sailed.

It’s been 20 years since Marge Palmerlee first became the executive director of Dégagé Ministries, a nonprofit dedicated to helping homeless and struggling individuals in Grand Rapids get back on their feet.

Nakajabu Sims’ probation officer told him that he was the poster child to see if 70x7 Life Recovery really works. Turns out, the nonprofit does its job well.

Grand Valley State University is gaining a fresh perspective with new President Philomena V. Mantella.

Holland-born actor and writer Hopwood DePree will make an appearance at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids. 

Michigan Overboard donates 21 percent of its profits to water protection and conservation-focused nonprofits. That isn’t just some random number either, 21 percent of the surface fresh water on planet Earth is right here in the Great Lakes basin.

Sara Visser turned her love of Grand Rapids into a thriving Instagram.

Gilles Renusson, French Agricultural Merit award winner, discovers profession in boarding school.

As the holiday festivities begin, The Hero Foundation wants to remind the community not every family is lucky enough to afford Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas presents let alone pay for everyday necessities. Families coping with cancer are not only concerned with the emotional aspects of the disease, but they must deal with the financial side effects of cancer as well.

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

Anne Marie Carson has an obvious soft spot in her heart for animals in need. “I’m kind of drawn to the pathetic creatures,” she said.