Grand Rapids Press

JENISON, MI — Laughter resounded through Rosewood Park as thousands of kids raced down West Michigan’s largest Slip ‘N Slide, soaking up the last days of summer vacation. The Saturday Slip ‘N Slide event was started by Steve and Shelley Frody, lifelong residents of Georgetown Township and real estate brokers. They began the event 13 years ago to bring the community together and to give back in a constructive way. “We started the event because we wanted something for families.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Dr. Ezra Sprague Holmes was a pioneering dentist who helped professionalize the practice in Michigan. Holmes served as president of the Michigan Dental Association from 1869 to 1871, and left a lasting legacy through his donations to what became the Grand Rapids Public Museum. His dental office, recreated in the museum’s “Streets of Old Grand Rapids” exhibit, offers visitors a tangible connection to 19th-century tools, books, cabinetry and plaster casts of teeth.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A knuckle sandwich isn’t something most people expect to find on a menu. At Watusi, a new restaurant on Grand Rapids’ southeast side, it’s exactly the kind of surprise owners Sarah Andro and Delie Minnema are hoping customers embrace. Today, the restaurant’s signature item might be a turkey knuckle sandwich topped with blueberry barbecue sauce. A few months from now, it could be gone, replaced by shepherd’s pie, hearty fall soups or another unexpected creation from the kitchen.

KENT COUNTY, MI — A human case of the swine flu has been identified in an Ionia County resident who was a swine exhibitor at the Kent County Youth Fair earlier this month. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Kent County Health Department and Ionia County Health Department confirmed the case Friday, Aug. 14. The confirmation of the illness comes one week after a pig suddenly died at the fair on Aug. 7.

KENT COUNTY, MI — The Plainfield Township board voted Friday to censure Trustee Robert Reminga and call for his resignation after a social media post calling for violence against Muslims appeared on his Facebook account, though he denied creating or posting it. The board convened a special meeting in response to community concerns about the post. The meeting agenda listed the only item of business as considering action regarding statements by a board member.

GEORGETOWN TWP., MI - With summer almost over, families are looking to soak up one last weekend of fun before the kids hit the books again. Thousands are expected to descend on Rosewood Park in Jenison on Aug. 15 for the 13th annual Saturday Slip ‘N Slide. For the past few years, Geoff and Arianna Eckart have run the event with their national youth ministry, Never the Same.

KENT COUNTY, MI – Kent County is deploying a new AI-powered sorting system at its waste facility that will be able to pull recyclable materials out of trash before it heads to the landfill. Kent County Department of Public Works officials said the new technology will be installed at the county’s Waste-to-Energy facility in Grand Rapids, scanning trash bags before they head to the incinerator to identify and remove recyclable materials like cardboard and plastics.

KENT COUNTY, MI – Plainfield Township has scheduled a special board meeting to respond to “community concerns” over statements made by one of its elected officials. The public meeting will take place at noon Friday, Aug. 14, inside the township hall board room at 6161 Belmont Ave. NE in Belmont. The only item on the agenda is to “consider action regarding Board Member statements,” followed by an opportunity for public comment.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids is adding a new sister city. Dnipro, Ukraine will be Grand Rapids’ eighth official sister city once leaders sign a formal agreement next month, elevating a partnership that began in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Grand Rapids City Commission approved a resolution on Aug.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Eight current and former Grand Rapids elected officials are challenging U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten’s support for reforming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement rather than dismantling it, exposing a divide among local Democrats over the agency’s future. The officials said Thursday that they were working with Scholten’s office to schedule a group meeting to discuss their concerns.