Month: August 2020

August celebrates many things, and one of the most important among them is Black Business Month. Across the country, black-owned businesses are on the rise. According to data gathered between 2007 and 2012, black-owned businesses grew 34.5 percent making up 9.4 percent of all organizations. However, this remains below the 13.4 percent black population rate. […]

To help our community members make informed choices in the upcoming election, we asked candidates running for important local, state, and national seats to participate in our Forum to help you get to know them better. We will share responses as they are submitted. Stay tuned to become acquainted with your local legislative leaders. Referring […]

Our communities are fortunate to have dedicated teaching professionals who have quickly innovated to support education and the needs of families facing changes in how education is being delivered this coming academic year. Whether your students is planning to take part in virtual, in-person, or a hybrid version of learning, this school year is going […]

Makers and entrepreneurs have set up shop in Downtown Kalamazoo since the county was organized in the 1800s. Products including Gibson guitars, Shakespeare fishing rods and reels, and Checker cabs were not only dreamed-up in the city but brought to reality. Although some of these products are no longer made here, the entrepreneurial spirit never […]

Most people would gasp at the thought of starting a business in February of 2020. Even more so, most would be alarmed by the idea of opening an ice cream shop during the thick of a Michigan winter. Despite the odds being stacked against him with a cherry on top, Matt Searles, owner and chief […]

New federal data shows that Michigan’s beer production in 2019 increased four percent since 2017, equaling 1,428,445 barrels of beer for the year. This increase is notable since overall beer production in the U.S. has been trending down for years with a ten percent drop over the past decade. In Kalamazoo county, we’re brewing up […]

While the November elections typically get the most hype, primaries are just as important in deciding who will be on the ballot come decision time. This year, the state of Michigan set a new record with more than 1.6 million absentee ballots submitted. Due to the increase in absentee voting, results were slightly delayed until […]

August is National Back to School Month! While the return to school is going to feel a little different this year, it doesn’t mean we still can’t celebrate it. Normally, this month is filled with as many emotions as there are colors in a 64-pack of Crayola crayons. This year, as schools, teachers, students, parents, […]

A $50,000 goal to win a matching grant through the MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places initiative is on! Haymarket Alley will soon be rehabilitated and turned into a community space within downtown Kalamazoo through a new crowdfunding campaign, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), City of Kalamazoo, Monroe Brown Foundation, Southwest Michigan First, Catalyst, and […]

In looking back on the past months during the COVID-19 crisis, Jamie Clark, president, founder, and owner of Clark Logic, has counted his blessings. Leading his company of over 100 employees through this time has been like no other in history. The 50-year-old third party logistics company puts its primary focus on service for industrial […]

Seasonally unadjusted jobless rates fell notably in all 17 of Michigan’s major labor market areas during June 2020, according to data released from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB). Michigan’s regional unemployment rates ranged from 10.5 to 17.8 percent in June. June jobless rate cuts were significant, ranging from 3.4 to 8.5 […]