Ava Ray

Local veterans organizations met with Congressman Bill Huizenga (R - MI) and U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins Thursday to discuss the challenges veterans continue to face in Southwest Michigan. The roundtable brought together veterans service organizations, county veterans affairs offices and nonprofit leaders to share concerns ranging from housing and mental health to disability claims, access and benefits.

For businesses waiting for their power to come back on, generators have become essential. Consumers Energy crews are continuing to restore power across Michigan after severe storms left hundreds of thousands of customers without electricity over the past week. As of Monday afternoon, just under 10,000 customers remain without power statewide, including roughly 1,400 in the Kalamazoo area.

The Fourth of July holiday weekend is officially underway, and so is the second day of the annual Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival, bringing thousands of visitors to Battle Creek for five days of aviation, entertainment and camping.