VP of Community Relations/Educational Foundation at the BBB Serving Western Michigan, former newsie, Husband, dad to two teenage boys.
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Articles by Troy Baker
Bears Open 2026 Campaign with 63-35 Win Over Curry
By Jim Fenton BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The last time the Bridgewater State University football team had celebrated an opening-day victory was back in 2018. The Bears edged Buffalo State by a point to begin that year, then lost six consecutive season openers to Ithaca and MIT (twice each), Morrisville State and Curry College. That frustrating streak came to an end on Saturday afternoon when BSU jumped right into the win column.
Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic Gets an Exciting New Update After Major Milestone
upcoming game has crossed a major milestone this week. The game will be Naughty Dog’s first new IP in 13 years, marking a bold new direction for the developer. Intergalactic has been in development since 2020, following the release of The Last of Us: Part 2. In a new post on social media, Naughty Dog announced that it has completed the cinematic motion-capture for the game.
Netflix Closes Oxenfree Studio Night School and Moonloot in Games Division Cull
Netflix has shut down Night School Studio, the acclaimed developer behind Oxenfree, along with the Helsinki-based studio Moonloot, as part of a broader restructuring of its games division. The closures, first reported by Game File, come alongside unspecified job cuts across Netflix’s internal games team and land barely six weeks after Night School released its interactive horror title Unhinged.
Marvel's Wolverine just got a new story trailer spotlighting Jean Grey, The Hand, and... is that Troy Baker?
Insomniac Games has revealed brand new story details for Marvel's Wolverine alongside an official story trailer, featuring bloody battles, mutants, and a ton of villains. Revealed at San Diego Comic-Con, the trailer kicks off with Logan, aka Wolverine, confronting Jean Grey in what looks to be the aftermath of a battle. The pair clearly share a lot of history in this story, and Jean can be shown accompanying Logan on missions as they rescue mutants and investigate threats as part of Team X.
Three 'massive' Future Games digital showcases will air next month during Gamescom 2026, offering viewers world premieres and exclusive trailers from 'some of the industry’s most creative studios'
The Future Games Show will officially return next month for Gamescom 2026 with three digital showcases. Future Games Show at Gamescom will air the same day the industry event kicks off, on August 26, and feature new announcements from «some of the industry’s most creative studios,» including world premieres, exclusive trailers, developer deep dives, and brand-new game demos.
Netflix is launching a new horror game by the developers of Oxenfree — and your phone is the controller
Netflix has announced they are launching a new horror game, Unhinged, on June 30 and that it will be available to all subscriber tiers. Unhinged was made by Oxenfree developer Night School Studio, and is a first-person horror game centering on two young women who are neighbors, as one attempts to escape from a home invasion.
The Future Game Show Summer Showcase airs tomorrow and will offer an extended look at Exodus, as well reveal new trailers and game announcements — here's when you can tune in
The annual Future Game Show Summer Showcase is almost here, and alongside new trailers and game announcements, this year, a special extended look at Exodus will be featured. To get ready for the event, here's everything you need to know about Future Game Show Summer Showcase, including when and how to tune in, and what games to expect. The Future Games Show Summer Showcase returns on Saturday, June 6 at 12PM PT / 3PM ET / 8PM BST / 9PM CEST.
'It’s all shaping up to be a wonderfully daring adventure, with plenty of surprises in store' — The 2026 Future Games Show Summer Showcase has found its hosts in The Last of Us actor Troy Baker and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis' Alix Wilton Regan
The hosts for this year's Future Games Show Summer Showcase have been announced as actors Troy Baker and Alix Wilton Regan. Baker is an award-winning actor best known for his roles as Joel Miller in Naughty Dog's The Last of Us, Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding, and, most recently,Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. «I’m truly honored to be hosting the Future Games Show Summer Showcase on June 6 alongside the wonderful Alix Wilton Regan,» Baker said.
The Last of Us Actor Says 'We've Not Seen The Last of Joel'
The Last of Us video game actor Troy Baker has said there's more to come for his character Joel, potentially including "more games." Baker, who played Joel in Naughty Dog's The Last of Us and its sequel, made the remark while discussing the character's impact with fans — something an audience wider than video games has enjoyed with Pedro Pascal's portrayal of the character in HBO's The Last of Us TV series.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach for PS5 Drops to Just $29.99 During the Amazon Spring Sale
Heads up: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach for the PlayStation 5 just dropped to $29.99. This is the best video game deal right now during the Amazon Spring Sale and beats out the $49.99 price I saw during Black Friday. I played and beat DS2 right after it came out. It might not appeal to everyone, but this was my top #2 game of 2025. From the "nonsensical" story to the "grind" of delivery packages - I loved every minute of it.
Death Stranding 2 new PC & PS5 features detailed, live March 19
Hello Porters. Jay Boor from Kojima Productions here and we’re 48 hours away from Death Stranding 2 being delivered to PC. To celebrate the moment, we have a new launch trailer debuting today that confirms new features for both the PC and PS5 editions of Death Stranding 2, edited by Hideo Kojima.
Beloved PS5 RPG Expedition 33 Set to Steamroll Another Game Awards Ceremony | Push Square
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has proven to be quite the awards magnet, and that trend looks set to continue as the BAFTA Games Awards rolls into view. All the nominations for the upcoming awards ceremony have been announced, and Sandfall Interactive's debut game leads the charge with a total of 12 nods.
Mouse: P.I. for Hire: Meet the Movers and Shakers of Mouseburg - IGN First
Mouse: P.I. for Hire is one of the most visually striking games we've seen in quite some time. We played Mouse last year – and we'll be doing so again as part of this month's exclusive IGN First coverage – but the thing is, it's going to need more than just a unique art style in order to leave a lasting impression on the first-person shooter genre. And so today we're digging into the people, the city, and the story underneath that rubber hose-animated black-and-white veneer.
Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PROMOTED Buy Something wrong? Let us know! You can buy "Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home as download or rent it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home online. Besides streaming, you can also buy the movie on DVD from GRUV, Amazon DVD / Blu-ray and on Blu-ray from Amazon DVD / Blu-ray, Barnes & Noble. There aren't any free streaming options for Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles right now.
Troy Baker celebrates Pedro Pascal for EW's 2023 Entertainers of the Year: 'He's just so damn good in everything'
Troy Baker, who originated the role of Joel in the "Last of Us" video game, pays tribute to series star — and "Internet Daddy" — Pedro Pascal. Pedro Pascal has long been one of the internet's favored "daddies," dating back to his turn as sex-positive bisexual Oberyn Martell on HBO's Game of Thrones in 2014. It's just now he has a whole Saturday Night Live sketch about it in the year 2023, which proved to be the actor's biggest of his career thus far despite an already meteoric rise.
Helping MSU shooting victims, families
Actions Facebook Tweet Email Better Business Bureau: Helping MSU shooting victims, families 4:04 PM, Feb 16, 2023 Posted at and last updated 2023-02-16 19:42:18-05 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.— Many people want to help victims and their families after Monday’s deadly mass shooting at Michigan State University .Ask questions: Find out how the donations will help victims’ families and watch out for vague appeals that do not identify the intended use of the money raised.A newly formed organization could...
BBB warning: No, that document did not come from the government
Business owners have a lot on their plate. So, it is no surprise that a lot of them are falling for deceptive mailings that leave the impression they came from a government agency or are in some way required by the government. The Better Business Bureau Serving Western Michigan and various state agencies have been warning businesses about these mailings for years, but they keep coming. And there is a simple reason they keep coming: they work.
What to be wary of while Black Friday shopping
What to be wary of while Black Friday shopping RELATED GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It is the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season: Thanksgiving kicks off what many are calling "Cyber Week," made up of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. Cyber Week accounts for as much as 20 percent of all online shopping for the year, according to softwaremaker Adobe, which analyzes retail and other industries.
What to be wary of while Black Friday shopping
Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. RELATED GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It is the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season: Thanksgiving kicks off what many are calling "Cyber Week," made up of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday.
Deadline nears to file Blue Cross settlement claim
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The clock is ticking on a massive class-action lawsuit that affects as many as 8 million Michigan residents. The deadline to make a claim and get part of a nearly $30 million settlement is Saturday. The lawsuit was filed in 2010 against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the state's largest insurer.
Moving troubles: Family's items damaged or missing
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A family says they don't expected to see the toys, electronics and keepsakes lost by a moving company ever again. “It’s just a nightmare. It really is," Chad Olsen told Target 8. In June, he moved his family from the Ravenna area to Florida, where he took a job for Disney. He said he went looking for a moving company because he "had 4 kids, and two dogs and two cars to get down here" by himself.
'Half off' may not be as good as advertised
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Mike Barz was looking for some good deals for a good cause, but what he found instead were some questionable prices. “I was going to Younkers because we're having a golf outing that benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation and I thought maybe we could get some good deals on some items for the silent auction," Barz, of Zeeland, explained.
BBB: Lottery scams cost victims millions
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Better Business Bureau is putting out a warning about lottery scams and promises of big prizes that are too good to be true. On Tuesday, the BBB released a national report on sweepstakes, lottery and prize scams. It says that over the past three years, the BBB has received 473,199 complaints about lottery or sweepstakes scams. In those cases, the victims lost a total of $344,414,000.
Target 8: Transition to new voting equipment imperfect
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — May 8 will mark the first time voters in several counties will use new voting equipment. The machines, first rolled out last August, are a big improvement from the old voting equipment. But documents obtained by Target 8 reveal the transition has not been easy. Michigan used $30 million in federal funds from the Help America Vote Act and another $10 million in state funds to purchase new voting equipment.
Investment scam capitalizes on bitcoin trend
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A new twist on a classic scam is taking advantage of the boom in the online currency bitcoin. "This is capitalizing on the moment, on the hot streak that bitcoin is on, and in this case using it to scam people out of their money," John Masterson of the Better Business Bureau of Western Michigan said. The BBB is sending out a warning about a Ponzi scheme-type offer that promises bitcoin returns that are too good to be true.
May 8, 2018 election: What's on the ballot
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — On May 8, voters in several school districts across West Michigan will decide the fate of bond proposals aimed at improving classrooms. Here are some of the largest proposals on the ballot: At more than $96 million, this is the largest bond Kalamazoo Public Schools has ever put before voters.
For sale by the government: Your information
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — It is no secret that your information is for sale, offered to companies and marketers around the country. It's gathered by businesses you frequent, mail offers you respond to, sweepstakes you enter and websites you frequent. But it doesn't stop there, Target 8 found. Your own government sells records, and you have no say in how it gets used. Kalamazoo attorney Roger Bus is hoping to change that. For Bus, it all began when business at his law firm picked up more than expected.
The (La)Grand plan
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A state lawmaker from Grand Rapids is working on a set of bills that would change the way Michigan judges set bond for low-income defendants. It’s a problem Target 8 told you about last year: Often the decision about whether a low-risk defendant is allowed out of jail without paying money upfront depends on who is hearing their case. "We're not talking about people who are dangerous... we're talking about people who are poor.
Grand Rapids ends secret meetings exposed by Target 8
Related Coverage GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Grand Rapids City Commission will no longer hold secret meetings in response to a Target 8 investigation that questioned their legality, the city manager said. “I think by you raising the question, it came in front of the City Commission,” City Manager Greg Sundstrom told Target 8.
Woman who ripped off elderly couple must pay nearly $6K
Selina Hernandez arrives at court in Hudsonville on Dec. 6, 2016. Related Coverage HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) — The estate sale manager accused of ripping off a couple from Ottawa County is avoiding jail time, but has been order to pay them back. Selina Hernandez pleaded no contest to larceny by conversion. She was sentenced to two years of probation in May. During a restitution hearing on Friday, a judge order Hernandez to repay the Jension couple $5,896. Bob and Dolly Jewell.
Target 8 finds Montcalm Co. violated own dumping rules
BELVIDERE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Montcalm County plans to clean up a county property following a call from Target 8. In June, the county tore down the bathrooms at Schmeid Park, which sits along the north side of Townline Lake in northern Montcalm County, because they were in disrepair. Instead of going to a landfill, county work crews dumped the bathroom debris half a mile down the road at a county-owned property at the intersection of Robin Drive and North County Line/Eisenhower Road.
Local asphalt company fixes couple’s botched driveway
Related Coverage LYONS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Korean War veteran and his wife who were scammed out of $9,000 by a fake paving company have a new driveway. Jeff Kresnak owns Superior Asphalt. After seeing Target 8’s story on John and Ruth Polhamus, his company decided to step forward and give the couple a new driveway for free.
Crooks promise blacktop, bail with cash
LYONS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Korean War veteran and his wife are putting out a warning after losing thousands of dollars to a scam targeting West Michigan residents. John Polhamus, 84, and his wife Ruth, 87, live outside of Lyons in Ionia County. The retired great-grandparents have spent the past eight months searching for answers after getting conned. “He was fast-talking, that’s what he was,” Ruth Polhamus said of the man who ripped them off. Ruth and John Polhamus.
Former Grand Rapids city attorney questions secret meetings
Related Coverage GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids’ former city attorney is questioning secret meetings held regularly by city commissioners. Catherine Mish, who served eight years as city attorney, is now running for a seat on the City Commission. If elected, she said, she would refuse to attend the meetings, which are held every other Tuesday at City Hall.
Secret meetings in GR: Big issues, public not allowed
A tip led Target 8 to investigate the meetings, which city officials say have gone on for about 10 years. Target 8 first asked in January to attend one of the secret meetings. That day, Grand Rapids Police Department Chief David Rahinsky spent his entire morning giving the same presentation three times to separate sets of city commissioners. The city manager says the private meetings are legal and don't violate the state's Open Meetings Act because there's never a quorum and they don't deliberate.
Couple looking at $20K bill to fix bungled roofing job
The Shattucks' ordeal started in January when they decided to have some work done on their Ionia home. Inside, they wanted new drywall and a textured ceiling in the bedroom. Outside, they wanted the flat roof on the back side of their home turned into a pitched roof. The Shattucks put a post on Facebook looking for recommendations. Dennis Upton and Upton's Quality Construction was one of several companies to respond.
Standards proposed for court-appointed attorneys
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — For the first time, Michigan may adopt minimum standards for court-appointed attorneys. This week, the Michigan Supreme Court will hear public comment on the first four proposed standards, which were created by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission. “It’s hard to argue that we’re doing the best we can,” said former Barry County Judge James Fisher, who chairs that commission.
Wrong man jailed for child porn in Mich.
ALBION, Mich. (WOOD) — Billy Dean Rowe, who lives near Albion, is a meat cutter by trade and a married father of four who spent three nights in jail for child porn — a crime he didn’t commit. “I was in the cell,” Rowe, 50, told Target 8. “I just laid in the bed all the time. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t do nothing.
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