Episodios

  • SAFER by 2030: Michigan's Aggressive Effort to Reduce Traffic Fatalities (12-12-25)

    SAFER by 2030: Michigan's Aggressive Effort to Reduce Traffic Fatalities (12-12-25)
    Dec 13 2025
    We welcome Alicia Sledge, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) and chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission (GTSAC), for this segment of West Michigan Weekend.

    Alicia joined host Phil Tower for an overview of a serious and aggressive effort to reduce traffic fatalities in Michigan.

    SAFER by 2030…. Is the name of the initiative AND SAFER is an acronym for “Statewide Action to Reduce Fatalities Encountered on our Roadways” by 30 percent by 2030.

    The new program involves several state of Michigan agencies and departments working collaboratively to create a culture of safe driving in Michigan, to work towards Zero Traffic Deaths.

    In 2024, 288,880 traffic crashes in Michigan took the lives of 1,099 people. Those 1099 fatalities were an increase over the 2023 number of 1095 automotive fatalities.

    The SAFER by 2030 initiative focuses on three key areas of Awareness, Engagement, and Enforcement.


    Helpful Links:

    MICHIGAN OFFICE OF HIGHWAY SAFETY PLANNING

    LeaMichigan.gov/saferby2030
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    14 m
  • Unpacking West Michigan's Economic Health: The Right Place's 2026 State of the Region Report (12-12-25)

    Unpacking West Michigan's Economic Health: The Right Place's 2026 State of the Region Report (12-12-25)
    Dec 13 2025
    In this episode, host Phil Tower welcomes back Randy Thelen…President and CEO of The Right Place.
    He joined us for this segment of West Michigan Weekend to take a closer look at the economic health of our region as we head into 2026.
    The Right Place—West Michigan’s leading economic development organization—just released its annual State of the Region report in early December. It provides a detailed look at trends in jobs, wages, business growth, population, and more across our 13-county region.

    Randy helped us unpack some of the key takeaways from the State of The Region Report, which measured several economic benchmarks, including the local job market, wages and cost of living, housing affordability, industry strengths, and emerging sectors, the state of regional talent and population trends, the small business climate in the region, and the state of local infrastructure.

    Online-The Right Place

    Download the complete State of the Region from The Right Place.
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    15 m
  • Legally Haunted!? How To Carefully Navigate Selling a Ghost-Inhabited Home (12-07-25)

    Legally Haunted!? How To Carefully Navigate Selling a Ghost-Inhabited Home (12-07-25)
    Dec 6 2025
    In this episode, host Phil Tower speaks with Cooley Law School Professors Mark Dotson and Jim Hicks.

    Legal experts Dotson and Hicks joined us for a most unusual but relevant conversation they called, “So You Think Your House is Haunted?

    The professors advised that before listing your home that you feel may be haunted, you should first consult a legal expert.
    Disclosing a home’s paranormal activity when it is time to sell varies by state.

    Cooley Professors Mark Dotson and Jim Hicks noted that local and state laws may affect sales of homes that individuals believe to be “haunted,” including the famous New York case, Stambovsky v. Ackley, which is the most famous or notorious case involving the disclosures of paranormal activity during the sale of a home.

    Under Stambovsky, when a homeowner tells others their home is haunted, they would have to disclose this information. If a home has a reputation or is known as a haunted house, it will need to be disclosed. The house in the Stambovsky case had both the reputation and media coverage about it being haunted, to required that it be disclosed.

    The "Legally Haunted House

    Cooley Law Online
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    18 m
  • How Iron Fish Distillery and the Conservation Resource Alliance are Protecting Michigan Rivers(12-07-25)

    How Iron Fish Distillery and the Conservation Resource Alliance are Protecting Michigan Rivers(12-07-25)
    Dec 6 2025
    In this episode, host Phil Tower welcomes Troy Anderson, Marketing Manager with Iron Fish Distillery.

    Troy joined the program to talk about Iron Fish Distillery's exciting new limited seasonal release, Riverbed Whiskey. Troy said that Riverbed Whiskey represents the pinnacle expression of Iron Fish’s Mad Angler brand.

    Troy shared that the Mad Angler name was drawn from the writings of Northern Michigan writer Michael Delp, whose work is deeply rooted in the advocacy for preserving and protecting the region’s rivers. Riverbed Whiskey is blended from the most distinctive single barrels of four mash bills and slow-proofed for balance and depth.

    A limited amount of Riverbed Whiskey has been released statewide at select Michigan retailers through the holidays. In conjunction with the Riverbed Whiskey release, Iron Fish has partnered with the Conservation Resource Alliance (CRA), an environmental nonprofit that has spent more than 50 years restoring rivers and habitats across northwest Michigan.

    Through its signature River Care program, CRA reconnects fragmented streams, reduces erosion, enhances aquatic habitat, and strengthens watershed resilience across 16 watersheds in the region.
    Learn More: Mad Angler Riverbed Whiskey
    Visit: Conservation Resource Alliance
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    11 m
  • Unpacking The Complete Storm Team 8 Winter Outlook with Chief Meteorologist Ellen Bacca (11-28-30)

    Unpacking The Complete Storm Team 8 Winter Outlook with Chief Meteorologist Ellen Bacca (11-28-30)
    Nov 28 2025
    In this extended episode, host Phil Tower speaks with Storm Team 8 Chief Meteorologist, Ellen Bacca. She joined us for a look back at some of the biggest weather stories from 2025 and for an in-depth look at the Storm Team 8 Winter Weather Outlook for 2025-2026.


    Some Key 2025 Michigan Weather Events:
    •     A Historic Northern Michigan Ice Storm (March 28–30): An "unprecedented" ice storm struck northern Michigan, coating surfaces with up to 1.5 inches of ice. The event caused extensive damage, and Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency.
    •     Record-Active Tornado Season: In fact, Michigan had one of its most active tornado years on record, with a total of 33 confirmed tornadoes by September, more than double the annual average of around 13. The majority of the 33 tornadoes in 2025 were weak, classified as EF-0 or EF-1, which typically cause tree and minor property damage rather than significant structural devastation.
    •     We also experienced a uniquely hot summer, as the summer of 2025 was noted as one of the hottest on record, not necessarily due to extreme daytime highs, but because of consistently high overnight temperatures.

    For the remainder of the conversation, we asked Storm Team 8 Chief Meteorologist Ellen Bacca to highlight some of the key points of their recently released winter weather outlook for 2025-2026.
    Storm Team 8 identified some key forecast drivers and a big wildcard that will impact our winter ahead, namely, a weak La Niña to start the winter--Teleconnection signals in the Gulf of Alaska and the impact of the Siberian snowpack and polar vortex activity on our weather locally.

    Ellen said the official Storm Team 8 forecast indicates a good chance that La Niña will fade by January, with neutral conditions favored from January through March.

    TAKEAWAYS:
    Storm Team 8 Chief Meteorologist Ellen Bacca added that no two winters are ever the same, especially in West Michigan.
    Winter outlooks can help shed light on trends by examining past years and established scientific linkages. Winter outlooks are based on more than a dozen variables worldwide. Changes in just one variable can have an impact on our winter here in West Michigan.
    This upcoming winter is expected to start cold and snowy, with active lake-effect conditions in December and a good chance of heavy snow systems in January and February.
    This winter is expected to wrap up on time with near-average snow for the season and above-average snow in the month of December. Seasonally, Grand Rapids typically averages 76-78 inches of snow on average.


    The Complete Storm Team 8 Winter Weather Outlook:

    Weather “Teleconnections” Explained
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    25 m
  • Radical Hospitality: CEO Salina Bishop On Reshaping the Narrative of West Michigan's Ronald McDonald House (11-23-25)

    Radical Hospitality: CEO Salina Bishop On Reshaping the Narrative of West Michigan's Ronald McDonald House (11-23-25)
    Nov 23 2025
    In this episode of West Michigan Weekend, host Phil Tower speaks with Salina Bishop, President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities West Michigan (RMHCWM), who discusses her strategic vision for the organization, emphasizing its critical role in the region's evolving healthcare sector.

    In our conversation, Salina discusses three key areas: securing a "seat at the table" in local healthcare, reshaping the narrative that RMHCWM is "more than just a place to stay," and providing "radical hospitality" to remove family barriers.

    Bishop also highlights the impact of the recent $2.5 million expansion, which increased capacity to 25 family suites, allowing the 35-year-old nonprofit to better meet the increasing demand for specialized pediatric care in Grand Rapids.

    Learn More: Ronald McDonald House Charities West Michigan
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    13 m
  • Partners in Ministry: Mel Trotter & Degagé Unveil a New Vision for The Unhoused In Grand Rapids (11-23-25)

    Partners in Ministry: Mel Trotter & Degagé Unveil a New Vision for The Unhoused In Grand Rapids (11-23-25)
    Nov 22 2025
    In this segment, host Phil Tower welcomes Chris Palusky, CEO of Mel Trotter Ministries, and Thelma Ensink, Executive Director of Degagé Ministries, to discuss a groundbreaking new collaboration transforming support for unhoused neighbors in Grand Rapids.

    On November 20, a coalition of 11 nonprofit organizations and churches, together with the City of Grand Rapids, celebrated the ribbon-cutting of a brand-new Community Center and Service Center in the Heartside neighborhood.

    Led by Mel Trotter and Degagé, this unified effort—known as Partners in Ministry—marks a major milestone in creating a more coordinated, compassionate, and accessible network of care for individuals experiencing homelessness. Located within Westminster Presbyterian Church at 47 Jefferson SE, the center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, offering a welcoming space for both unhoused community members and residents seeking connection.

    The center provides a wide range of essential services, including:
    • Warming and cooling space
    • Restrooms
    • Morning coffee, sandwiches, and snacks
    • Lunch provided by Catholic Charities West Michigan
    • Art and enrichment activities
    • Weekly access to the Mel Trotter Mobile Shower Unit
    • Two full-time Case Managers/Community Health Workers
    • Three full-time Safety & Support Specialists
    • Space for partner organizations to offer services throughout the week
    Partners in Ministry organizations include:
    Catholic Charities West Michigan, City of Grand Rapids, Cornerstone Church, Crossroads Bible Church, Degagé Ministries, First United Methodist Church, LaGrave Christian Reformed Church, Mel Trotter Ministries, Park Church, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church. This episode dives into how the partnership came to life, what it means for the Heartside community, and the importance of cross-organizational collaboration in addressing homelessness with dignity and care.

    Matthew 25: 31-46
    More about the new Community Center & Service Center
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    16 m
  • To Die For: Beautiful Stories Behind Rosie Grant's Quest for Gravestone Recipes (11-16-25)

    To Die For: Beautiful Stories Behind Rosie Grant's Quest for Gravestone Recipes (11-16-25)
    Nov 15 2025
    In this episode, West Michigan Weekend host Phil Tower welcomes Rosie Grant, author, digital archivist, and the passionate & tireless creator behind @GhostlyArchive.

    Rosie’s new book is: To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes.
    Rosie's book is an inspiring collection of recipes preserved on gravestones, with fascinating interviews from the families, celebrating the beloved food legacies of their dearly departed.
    As the founder and creator behind @GhostlyArchive, Rosie has been searching out and documenting this interesting phenomenon.

    Rosie credits her parents with helping to stir her fascination with ghosts and graveyards.

    In To Die For, Rosie collects 40 recipes she’s found across the globe, carved into headstones or associated with a grave that has a story to share.
    An interview with the remaining family members accompanies each recipe, plus photography of the food, the gravestone, and any memorabilia the family wanted to share.

    Her book is available wherever books are sold. If you can, shop local!

    Rosie’s amazing website: Ghostly Archive

    Follow Rosie on Instagram

    Rosie Grant on TikTok

    Helen Rose Sweers Gravestone in Cutlerville, MI
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    21 m