Episodios

  • The power and positive impact of sports tourism with Mike Guswiler, President of The West Michigan Sports Commission(07-28-24)

    The power and positive impact of sports tourism with Mike Guswiler, President of The West Michigan Sports Commission(07-28-24)
    Jul 26 2024
    On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Mike Guswiler, President, The West Michigan Sports Commission.
    Mike spoke with us about the powerful impact that sports tourism has nationally and here in West Michigan. Here in the U.S., the sports tourism sector generates over $52 billion in direct spending annually (up 31.5% from $39.7 billion in total direct spending in 2021) and a total economic impact of $128 billion. That’s a massive impact!Mike reminded us that the West Michigan Sports Commission was founded in 2007 as an economic generator to harness some of that $52.2 billion national youth and amateur sports industry for West Michigan.
    One of the WMSC's top priorities is generating overnight stays from sporting events, which drives spending in area hotels, restaurants, and other businesses.
    Since its beginning, the WMSC has booked 1,216 sporting events and tournaments, attracted more than 2 million athletes and visitors, and generated over $649 million in estimated economic impact.
    Currently, the WMSC is identifying statewide, regional, and national sports finals and championships with MHSAA, NAIA, MIAA, GLIAC, and USOPC in various sports.
    In other sports to resin and local sports news, Mike discussed the $12M expansion at the Meijer Sports Complex in Rockford and the exciting news that Grand Rapids will host the 2025 Move United Games. Move United is the largest organization promoting and hosting community adaptive sports.

    Online: West Michigan Sports Commission
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    28 m
  • Creating a talent pipeline with the Michigan Manufacturers Association+The Impact of Michigan's Afterschool Partnership (07-21-24)

    Creating a talent pipeline with the Michigan Manufacturers Association+The Impact of Michigan's Afterschool Partnership (07-21-24)
    Jul 21 2024
    During the program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Bill Rayl, executive director of workforce solutions at The Michigan Manufacturers Association. Bill is MMA’s point person for efforts to develop sustainable talent ecosystems that serve the workforce needs of MMA members around the state. We’ve been hearing for years now that so many of the trades and businesses in Michigan that help to build things need talented workers…and The Michigan Manufacturers Association is taking the initiative by building collaboratives across the state of Michigan by partnering schools with local manufacturers to ensure companies have access to top talent and students have access to fulfilling career opportunities. This is a private-public partnership created by the Michigan Manufacturers Association, designed to offer students a wide range of opportunities.
    Online: Michigan Manufacturers Association

    In the second half of our program, Phil speaks with Erin Skene-Pratt, executive director of the Michigan Afterschool Partnership. While afterschool programs across Michigan have served more than 67,000 children since July 1 of last year, there are more than 750,000 youth on afterschool program waiting lists. · Afterschool programs include daycare and childcare, which are topics for concern and negotiation on the upcoming state budget. The Michigan Afterschool Partnership works to encourage policymakers to continue recognizing the critical importance of out-of-school time programs and to allocate sustainable funding to ensure that every child can benefit from these life-changing programs. In the summer specifically, many youths lack access to three meals a day, and adults are at home, as many are at work. OST provides a safe space but also activities, friendships, and meals.
    Online: The Michigan Afterschool Partnership
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    27 m
  • An inside look at the West Michigan Veterans Coalition with Paul Ryan and Brad Dorland (07-14-24)

    An inside look at the West Michigan Veterans Coalition with Paul Ryan and Brad Dorland (07-14-24)
    Jul 13 2024
    On this week's program host, Phil Tower, welcomes Captain Paul Ryan, Vice-Chair, West Michigan Veterans Coalition, and Brad Dorland, founder and Director of Essential Patriot

    The West Michigan Veterans Coalition is a collaboration between local military-friendly organizations that provide support, information, and resources to those who have served or are serving in the Armed Forces and their Families, employers, and other organizations throughout West Michigan.Online: West Michigan Veterans Coalition

    About our guests: Captain Paul J. Ryan, a Retired U.S. Navy captain, is Vice Chair of the West Michigan Veterans Coalition. Paul served on active duty in the Navy for five years and made one peacetime deployment to the Western Pacific. His service in the Navy Reserve spanned twenty-five years, including seven tours as Commanding Officer of various Navy Reserve units. He retired from the Navy in 2005.
    Brad Dorland is the founder and Director of Essential Patriot. Brad has served in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a Firefighter and fire alarm expert. Also, during the Great Recession, Brad served as Director of Service to the armed forces for the American Red Cross.

    Online: Essential Patriot
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    28 m
  • Marriage and family expert Bob Lepine on his book: Love Like You Mean It: The Heart of a Marriage that Honors God (07-07-24)

    Marriage and family expert Bob Lepine on his book: Love Like You Mean It: The Heart of a Marriage that Honors God (07-07-24)
    Jul 8 2024
    In this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Bob Lepine, a marriage and family expert and author of a powerful book on marriage: Love Like You Mean It: The Heart of a Marriage that Honors God. Bob Lepine is best known to radio and podcast listeners as the long-time co-host of FamilyLife Today® and as the on-air announcer for Truth for Life with Alistair Begg. Bob is also the Lead Pastor at Redeemer Community Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.He is also the author of Build A Stronger Marriage (2022), and The Four Emotions of Christmas (2022). Bob joined us for the full program to speak about a topic we've never covered: Marriage. Every year, millions of men and women stand before friends and family to pledge their lifelong love to each other. Do they know what they’re getting into? Love Like You Mean It gives husbands and wives a biblical understanding of what real love looks like in marriage by unpacking the ten attributes of genuine love listed in 1 Corinthians 13.
    TOPICS DISCUSSED: Marriage, infidelity, dating, marriage counseling, faith in marriage, and divorce.

    More About the Book: Love Like You Mean It: The Heart of a Marriage that Honors God.

    Buy Bob's Book here.
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    29 m
  • Understanding and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease with Trinity Health's Dr. Kevin Foley(06-30-24)

    Understanding and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease with Trinity Health's Dr. Kevin Foley(06-30-24)
    Jun 28 2024
    On the program this week, host Phil Tower speaks with Dr. Kevin Foley, MD, Medical Director of Trinity Health Medical Group Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Program in Grand Rapids. Dr. Foley is also a teaching Professor with the Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University.Dr. Foley is one of the preeminent experts on dementia and Alzheimer's disease in Michigan. We were fortunate to have him on the program, as June is recognized as Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month.

    Currently, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 55 million people across the world are living with the disease.

    Data shows that roughly 6.9 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's in 2024. Seventy-three percent are age 75 or older.

    Dr. Foley reminded us that Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, but there are hundreds of other types of dementia as well. We learned that Trinity Health Grand Rapids now offers Lecanemab a new promising treatment for patients with early symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

    Dr. Foley also recommends continuously educating and supporting caregivers to maintain their resolve and resilience.
    ONLINE: Trinity Health’s Memory Disorders Program
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    29 m
  • The power of Latino voters in America with Mike Madrid, author of The Latino Century, plus FSU's Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery(06-23-24)

    The power of Latino voters in America with Mike Madrid, author of The Latino Century, plus FSU's Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery(06-23-24)
    Jun 24 2024
    On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Mike Madrid, author of The Latino Century: How America's Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy. In 2020, Latinos became the second-largest ethnic voting group in the country. Today, they make up the largest plurality of residents in the most populous states in the country, as well as the fastest segment of the most important swing states in the US Electoral College. Mike is not only a terrific author and one of the smartest people in politics in America, but he's also a well-respected, veteran American political consultant, one of the country’s authoritative experts on Latino voters, and a co-founder of The Lincoln Project. Mike served as the press secretary for the California Assembly Republican leader, as the political director for the California Republican Party, and as senior adviser to both Democrats and Republicans. He is a partner in GrassrootsLab, a political consulting firm in California.
    Online: The Latino Century: How America's Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy

    In part two of this week's program, Phil speaks with Dr. David Pilgrim, Founder and Director of the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University. *Last June, The Grand Rapids Public Museum hosted the premiere of JCM's original traveling exhibit, Overcoming Hateful Things: Stories from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery. That powerful exhibit explored the Jim Crow system, the African American experience through the Jim Crow era, and the legacies of the Jim Crow system in modern society. Most importantly, the exhibit shows how African Americans pushed back against racial injustice. The exhibit has since closed, but you can still visit the Jim Crow Museum on the campus of Ferris State University.
    Update: In April of this year, the Michigan Association of Broadcasters awarded this segment a "Best-in-category" award for long-form interview programs.
    (*ENCORE PRESENTATION from June 2023).

    Online: Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University
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    29 m
  • Tips for an "off the beaten path" summer vacation in Michigan with John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman(06-16-24)

    Tips for an "off the beaten path" summer vacation in Michigan with John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman(06-16-24)
    Jun 24 2024
    On this week's episode, host Phil Tower welcomes John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman, hosts of the popular Michigan travel show, “Behind the Mitten." John and Amy joined Phil to highlight some hotspots for Michigan travel this summer and share some off-the-beaten-path places that are their favorites and highly worth checking out. Some of these places include northeastern Michigan on the Lake Huron shoreline, the Manistee area, and several of the delightful suburbs in the greater Grand Rapids area. “Behind the Mitten” is heard on over 20 Radio stations in Michigan, and their podcast has more than 400 episodes. John is a longtime journalist, early adopter of social media, and a member of the Central Michigan University Journalism Hall of Fame. Amy is a former chef with 20-plus years of experience, a craft beer expert, and a freelance writer. The show has been recognized by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters as a "Best in Category" weekend specialty show.

    Online: Behind the Mitten
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    28 m
  • The Story of Soft Parade Vodka: A Match Made In Michigan (06-09-24)

    The Story of Soft Parade Vodka: A Match Made In Michigan (06-09-24)
    Jun 17 2024
    In this segment, host Phil Tower welcomes Kerry Lynch, sales director with Shorts Brewing, and Richard Anderson, co-founder of Iron Fish Distillery. Kerry and Richard joined the program to discuss the unique “Made In Michigan partnership with Iron Fish Distillery and Short’s Brewing regarding the return of the limited-release Soft Parade® Vodka. This special release celebrates a collaboration between two of Michigan's top craft beverage brands. The two Michigan companies have combined their expertise to create a unique spirit appealing to vodka enthusiasts and craft beer lovers. Soft Parade® Vodka is infused with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, the exact same fruit used in brewing Soft Parade® Beer. The 2024 batch is even more fruit-forward and comes in at 75 proof.
    Online: Shorts Brewing
    Online: Iron Fish Distillery

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    15 m