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Truck hits pole, knocks out power to hundreds

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) -- All power is restored after a truck ran into a utility pole Tuesday night.

Witnesses say a dump truck working on a northeast Grand Rapids property knocked down a utility pole, cutting power to hundreds of homes and businesses.

It happened around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Leonard Street and Ionia Avenue NE.

Witnesses say the truck brought the pole and electrical wires down onto the roadway.

The Consumers Energy outage website showed, at one time, between 201 and 1,000 customers were affected by the electrical disruption.  That number was later revised to 50 or less.

And those customers had their power restored before Wednesday morning.

 

Fourth grader wins statewide competition for $5,000 scholarship

Fourth grader wins statewide competition for $5,000 scholarship

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—He’s in fourth grade and he’s already got $5,000 tucked away for college.

On Friday, May 10, Navid Hasan found out he won the Ford Freedom Award essay contest.  The Knapp Charter Academy student was the only finalist from West Michigan, beating out 2,000 other students in grades four through eight for  the top prize—a $5,000 college scholarship. Hasan also received a certificate and medal.

Students vying for the Ford Freedom Award  were asked to write an essay about an African American they considered a “quiet hero.” Hasan chose to write about Detroit native Ruby Dunson, who took in neglected or unwanted children and raised them as her own.

“A quiet hero does something selflessly, out of the kindness of their hearts without being recognized,” Hasan said. “I chose Ruby Dunson because she did a righteous thing and was not really recognized for it.”

Beer City USA - GR, Kalamazoo finish at top

(WZZM) - Grand Rapids did it again! 

We clicked our way to the top in a big way and have retained the city's title as Beer City USA for another year, easily out-tweeting and Facebooking other cities up for nomination.

According to Examiner.com, which ran the poll and has created the whole event, Grand Rapids tallied 27,005 votes.  In second place, Kalamazoo, with 11,150.  Asheville, NC, which tied with Grand Rapids last year, came in third at 10,075. 

Ann Arbor came in 4th at 847 votes.

Michigan tallied over 29,000 voters.  North Carolina was second with just over 4,000.

This week is Craft Beer Week across the country.

Michigan Historical Commission approves tribute to Meijer family

Michigan Historical Commission approves tribute to Meijer family

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.— Grand Rapids is getting another tribute to the men behind Meijer Stores.

On May 8, the Michigan Historical Commission approved a marker to honor Hendrik and Fred Meijer, who in 1962 became the first grocers to combine two popular retail models—discount department stores and supermarkets—into a single store on 28th Street, called “Thrifty Acres.”  The Meijers then took their model to Holland and Muskegon. 

Meijer now has nearly 200 stores across the Midwest, including Kalamazoo, Walker, Wyoming, Jenison, Rockford, Plainfield Township, Forest Hills, Lowell, Grandville, Kentwood, Grand Haven and Greenville, where Hendrik Meijer opened his very first store in the 1930s.

The new historical marker will be added to more than 1,700 green and gold signs found across the state, that chronicle the people, places and events that make Michigan’s heritage unique and unforgettable.  The historical markers are nominated by spons

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Car and GR school bus collide on NE side

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - Police are on the scene of a crash involving a school bus and a car.

There were no students on the bus.

The crash happened just before noon at the corner of Diamond and Coldbrook NE, according to witnesses.

Grand Rapids Police say they got the call at about 11:50 am.

Witnesses say police did not get to the scene for more than 30 minutes.

Grand Rapids Police say there were no significant injuries in the crash.

We'll have more details when they become available.

MSP: Successful first month of helicopter patrols

ROCKFORD, Mich. (WZZM) - It's been a month since Michigan State Police started helicopter patrols in West Michigan, but troopers are not getting the positive feedback they hoped for from the community.

Troopers are hearing some negative comments, and WZZM is hearing them too. The WZZM 13 Information Center has taken many calls from people complaining about the noise, many saying they don't like how close they are getting to their homes.

F/Lt. Chris McIntire is addressing those concerns: "It's going to become a little more normal for those that don't like it here right now."

The schedule has been tight for Michigan State Police helicopters in their first month in the area. "It's been in the downtown Grand Rapids area so much lately because of the flooding primarily, and it's caused us to fly a lot lower than we normally would fly."

Craft-brewing boom changing GR's culture, economy

GRAND RAPIDS (Detroit Free Press) -- Greg Brown "can't claim to be a super connoisseur" of craft beers, but he does like to think he knows more than a little about the subject, and he has been a fan of Michigan brewers such as Founders Brewing and New Holland Brewing for a while now.

Still, the 26-year-old Ferndale resident was taken aback in February when he made his first trip to Grand Rapids since he was a child. The purpose was to spend the weekend with his girlfriend, exploring the city's beer culture and taking in the annual Winter Beer Festival, an outdoor event featuring dozens of Michigan brewers that draws thousands to Fifth Third Ballpark in nearby Comstock Park.

"I knew it was a strong scene. But getting out there, it really gave me a sense of the importance and magnitude," said the community manager at Ignite Social Media in Birmingham. "Everyone is super passionate about it, from the casual drinkers to the diehards to the brewers."