Focus West Michigan
Focus West Michigan for 6-26-24
Today on Focus West Michigan, Kent County is seeing another spike in construction site thefts. The West Michigan Asian American Association has a new mentorship program, Patrick Center has the latest edition of Crane's Grand Rapids Business Brief and more State and West Michigan News. For WGVU, I'm Joe Bellecke, today is Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Focus West Michigan is brought to you by listeners like you, to support this show and everything we do here, visit WGVUNews.org and click the "Donate" button. The Kent County Sheriff's Office says construction site thefts are spiking again. WGVU's David Limba has the latest. The Kent County Sheriff's Office is reporting overnight thefts from construction sites in Ada and Cascade townships. In total, approximately $22,000 worth of generators, tools and construction materials were stolen throughout the county since last week. Additionally, a generator was stolen from a firework vendor in Gaines Township after it was broken into. Construction site thefts are on the rise. In April, the KCSO noted an increase when approximately $23,000 worth of trailers, construction materials and tools had been stolen from different job sites. In May, a 50-year-old Cedar Springs man was arrested after law enforcement recovered approximately $10,000 in stolen property. Authorities arrested Dan and Simpaski, alleging his involvement in multiple thefts totaling upwards of $30,000 in the Cedar Springs area since March of this year. Detectives also recovered several stolen items belonging to residents in Kent County, northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Those items included construction tools. KCSO encourages people living in new housing developments or with larger remodeling projects to call them or silent observer, should they see any suspicious activity. And to have security cameras installed at their job sites and businesses, I'm David Limba. The West Michigan Asian American Association is starting a new mentorship program for students from newly immigrated or refugee families. WGVU's Dean Morrison reports. The West Michigan Asian American Association's Asian and Pacific Islander Youth Mentorship Program will address unique educational disparities for high school juniors and seniors coming from Burmese, Butanese and Nepalese communities. West Michigan has a really unique region poised to receive a lot of refugees and new immigrants. These smaller Asian groups, they are fastest growing population in West Michigan community. Ellen Wenlalu is a board member of the association and co-lead on the mentorship project, which received a three year grant of $126,000 from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. She says the high schoolers will be mentored by Asian Americans in college or recently graduated young professionals after a needs assessment is done on what challenges each student faces. "This could vary from one individual to a different, maybe this individual struggles with math and that individual struggles with mental health and the other ones struggles with financial or housing or food." The goal is to address barriers inherent in systemic racism and to help the students graduate from high school, then create a career plan through college or vocational school. The grant is on a three year cycle, so the association has plans to launch the program now, then renew and expand it. I'm Dee Morrison. Henry Ford Health says its surgeons have successfully performed the first beating heart transplants in Michigan. The relatively new procedure could expand the pool of eligible heart donors for thousands of people on the heart transplant wait list. It keeps the heart mechanically beating both during transport and during the transplantation surgery. This allows donated organs to travel further distances over longer periods of time. A recent investigation by the Better Business Bureau reveals scammers may be adopting new technology to reel in new targets. The investigation tallied a record number of reports. WGVU's Jennifer Moss has more. A recent Better Business Bureau investigation into phishing scams shows scammers are leaning on text message based scams now to pull in new targets. They are also using internet searches, moving away and part from the well documented email phishing scams. "The main goal of all of these scams is, again, to get your money and get your information, but they're just painting them different to adapt with our habits so that we're not as vigilant when we come across them." That's Katie Grievius, the community relations manager for the BBB serving Western Michigan. She says reports to the BBB scam tracker in 2023 nearly doubled, reaching a record high of more than 9,000. Since 2021 reports to the BBB show scammers used phishing tactics in almost every type of scam. However, the most recent reports show scammers increasingly turning to SMS based versions. Grievius says they're tricking everyone from seniors to teenagers. "They've heard about it with an email, but they didn't know that the text message is just as vulnerable or that their internet search may not be the safest way to find contact information for companies." Grievius says to avoid the scams, don't click on links in an unexpected email or text message, don't click or download or open anything from an anonymous sender and ignore calls for immediate action. You can find more information or make a report at BBB.org. I'm Jennifer Moss. The City of Grand Rapids will hold their fireworks display and celebration of Independence Day on Saturday, July 6th at Anaba when Park. This year's show is sponsored by soaring Eagle, Casino and Resort. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. with live entertainment, food vendors and vendor exhibits. The fireworks display begins at 10.30 p.m. CNN has named Grand Rapids as one of America's best towns to visit in 2024. WGVU's Dean Morrison looks at why. Grand Rapids came in number eight on the list of just 10 towns named by CNN as America's best towns to visit in 2024. Travel editors wrote, at its core, "This city is one of crafters, designers, innovators and artists." A quote Kate Lito loves. She's the associate vice president of marketing for experienced Grand Rapids, formerly the convention and visitors bureau. "They did really focus on art in the article and the reason why we were chosen for this, but really mentioned and woven to the story how it's deep-rooted in the Grand Rapids area, all throughout our attractions and what you'll find when you come here." CNN editors wrote that in addition to its vibrant art scene, Grand Rapids made the list for its thriving beer culture and family-friendly recreation, noting its many museums, Meyer Gardens and the fish ladder. They also looked at future development. "We know that we've got a great city here, but we aren't stopping, there's tons of new things in development and the amphitheater and the soccer stadium are definitely a couple of big ones." Fox says being listed with towns like Richmond, Virginia, Providence, Rhode Island and Tacoma Washington is important. CNN travel has more than 20 million followers on Instagram. "Getting on these lists really does open up a new audience for us and serves as a really a bragging point that we can use for years to come in convincing people that Grand Rapids is a great place to visit." I'm Dee Morrison. Clean-up continued today after two severe storm systems moved through West Michigan Tuesday morning. Just to areas was Muskegon County. WGVU's David Limba has more on the aftermath and clean-up efforts. According to the National Weather Service and Grand Rapids wind speeds during the storms recorded between 68 to 71 miles per hour, the Emergency Operations Center for Muskegon County was activated after 776 calls to 911 were fielded within the first hour of the storms. Reports of wires and trees down were extensive, including several trees that had fallen through homes. This energy has been working to restore service to approximately 37,000 residents and hopes to have power restored to most customers by Thursday afternoon. According to Michigan State Police, eight homes were seriously damaged by the storms. Emergency Management Director for Muskegon County Renee Gavin says two serious injuries were reported due to fallen trees. Multiple residential and secondary roads remain closed in the areas of Muskegon, Norton Shores, and Whitehall as crews continue to work on repairing downed power lines and tree branch removal. However, all major highways are now open. Muskegon County Emergency Services continues to update its Facebook page and asks residents to call 211 if they need assistance or 911 for life-threatening emergencies only. I'm David Limba. A Michigan court of claims judge has blocked enforcement of a handful of remaining restrictions on abortion care in the state. The judge issued a preliminary injunction that holds 24-hour waiting periods, among other things, are not allowed under an amendment to the state constitution adopted by voters in 2022. The preliminary injunction says requiring a 24-hour waiting period violates the state constitution. The order also blocks restrictions in the law that barred certain medical professions from providing abortion services. Dr. Sarah Willette is the chief medical operating officer for Planned Parenthood of Michigan. We have nurse midwives and advanced practice clinicians across the state who have wanted to provide this care for patients. And my hope is in the upcoming days and weeks that abortion could potentially become more accessible as that barrier is removed. The injunction order says the judge expects the legal challenge to the restrictions will prevail in the end. Organizers are pushing state lawmakers to pass various criminal justice reform bills, activists met in Lansing yesterday, Colin Jackson has more. Several bills, including ones to end the sentencing of young people to life without parole and to allow people in prison more chances to shorten their stay, have been stalled in the state legislature. Adam Grant is with the group a brighter way. He says advocates want bold politicians instead of safe ones. Incremental change is better than no change at all, but for some people who've been behind the eight ball for their entire life, for generations, for hundreds of years, incremental change doesn't mean anything to them because when the pendulum swings back, it takes everything that they gained out of it. House Democratic leadership says criminal justice reform bills could still see floor votes later this year, though they've faced some skepticism among legislators. I'm Colin Jackson in Lansing. The State House adopted a bill on Tuesday that would reduce the state's contributions to the public school employee retirement fund, Rick Plutta, reports. Democrats say the fund is on a path to be fully paid for and the state has what's essentially a windfall worth hundreds of millions of dollars that can be turned to other education-related purposes. Governor Gretchen Whitmer would like to use the money to pay for universal pre-kindergarten, but Democratic state representative Matt Kolazar says that's not part of his bill. That's a conversation that I know the governor's been having. I know that hasn't necessarily been worked out yet. This just simply returns money to schools. Republicans say the plan is short-sighted. The legislature is working to send budget bills to Whitmer's desk this week before beginning its summer recess. I'm Rick Plutta in Lansing. Living West Michigan celebrates the vibrant people, captivating places, and remarkable things that define our community's unique lifestyles. Through engaging storytelling, we are showcasing the diverse community, breathtaking natural beauty, and rich cultural heritage that make this region truly exceptional. Vibrant people, captivating places, remarkable things. Living West Michigan Wednesday evenings at 6 on WGVU Public Television. This afternoon, in our Crane's Grand Rapids Business Brief, WGVU's Patrick Center talks with Crane's Grand Rapids Business Senior Writer Mark Sanchez about manufacturers embracing artificial intelligence, office furniture maker Steelcase seeking a competitive advantage by aggressively reducing carbon emissions, but first, priority health is expanding into Indiana and Ohio. It's the number two health plan in Michigan, 1.3 million members, majority owned, I think Corwell's 95% owns priority health. And this, of course, is the former Lakeshore and Butterworth HMO, that those two came together many years ago. The former priority health is grown into the number two health plan in Michigan, and now it's for the first time going to cross state lines. This is a deal we wrote about last week. It announced a deal with Fort Wayne-based Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana, Inc. It's out of Indiana and South Bend, and priority health is acquiring the South plan. It's got 52,000 members in Indiana and Ohio. What makes this an interesting transaction is think about employers who are in maybe some of those border markets. Think about Barian County, St. Joe, South of Battle Creek, Calhoun County, those markets South of Cal, Mizzou, they are maybe on one side of the border, but they have employees who live on the other side of the border. This now potentially gives them a single solution that works in both states, and for priority health, there's a big business opportunity there to pick up those types of employers, not only to just simply grow in those markets organically, but also those employers that are based in those border markets, and they do business on both sides of the state line. So it's a big opportunity for priority health. They think the deal should close by the end of 2024. It needs regulatory approval in both states, but it's certainly a big move by priority health. So we see that competitive advantage taking shape in health insurance. Still case, it sees a competitive advantage with a new plan to cut carbon emissions 90% by 2050, that is aggressive. That's an ambitious, aggressive goal by Steelcase, you know, for years, one of the leaders in the office furniture industry based here in Western Michigan, and Steelcase rolled out this plan at the Neil Kahn Show here a couple of weeks ago down in Chicago. Basically, as you said, it wants to eliminate most of its carbon emissions over the next 26 years by 2050, a 90% reduction. And it's not just what Steelcase generates through its emissions and through its operations, but also wants to run this down through the supply chain. So all those suppliers out there as well, you know, that entire value chain that the CEO Sarah Armbruster talks about, it's embed these practices, the sustainability practices throughout the supply chain. It's really looking at going about this in a number of ways, both through the operations, the emissions, about two thirds of their carbon emissions reduction will come through what types of materials they use and how they design products and produce products. And then there's also, you know, how we transport products and looking at energy efficiency on site solar energy use, reducing waste. So as you said, it's really an ambitious plan that Steelcase rolled out here a couple of weeks ago. And giving credit for also offering a transition plan of really planning this out, you know, how they're methodically intending to achieve the school over the next 26 years. And you are seeing more corporations beginning to really sign on to this type of practice, this organization that Steelcase is working with, that has these voluntary guidelines. It's worked with about more than 5,000 companies around the world. So Steelcase is really jumping on this train and it's again committed to reducing its carbon footprint carbon emissions by 90% by 2050. That's corporate culture, but in the headline, it reads, Steelcase sees a competitive advantage. So where does it see that competitive advantage? Well, you talk about just this ESG environmental social governance that's become significant in corporate America these days, although in the lately you've seen some pushback to it, there are companies, especially investors that we prefer to do business with companies that have this type of culture in place. We prefer to do business that companies that have these sustainability practices in place. That's I believe is where she's talking about and identifying that competitive advantage on how they can really help their customers in their supply chain achieve these types of same types of goals as more companies migrate toward these practices. We're talking with Crane's Grand Rapids business senior writer Mark Sanchez, seeing that corporate opportunity. AI is a looming opportunity, but we also see threats for manufacturers who are embracing automation. Yeah. This came from an event we hosted, one of our power brokers that cranes hosts quarterly. And we talked about AI and the latest innovations of industry 4.0 is the label that's put on this movement. And you're right, there's opportunity there that AI is coming fast in all types of sectors across the economy, helping with efficiency, productivity, and the manufacturing setting machines that can identify when the machine itself is sick, and machines experiencing some kind of difficulty and can kind of self-report that, so go and fix it. And that's just one small example of how AI is working in manufacturing. There's so many tangents to this. So there's a lot of opportunity to improve operations. And one gentleman speaking at our event, he talked about the single biggest issue that so many employers have had for a long time is talent retention, talent attraction. He says, "Well, if you've got somebody who's going into a skilled trade and they're opting they will work in the manufacturing setting, when they see these types of machines, these modern high-tech AI-enabled machines in the workplace, that tells them about your company. And they may say, "Hey, that's kind of cool. That's the type of stuff I want to work on." So some of the speakers talked about that and at our event as well, about this could be kind of a talent magnet for you. In addition to all the business operations and the improvements that this can generate for you, on the downside, boy, how many examples do we need to see about cyber security? If your machines connected to the internet using the Internet of Things, there's a risk there. There's a risk that these hackers could maybe get into your system and then affect your operations. We've seen many companies get hit by this. So with this technology as it migrates further, as it evolves, as it advances, there's that risk factor as well. To keep in mind and for the speakers, as they talked about this at our event, this is something you have to fold into your planning is the cyber security and how you're going to protect your business and protect your assets. The flip side of that, too, is AI can be used to make systems more secure. Absolutely. It's like the technology has both sides to it. That's part of it. It's just part of this brave new world. Learn it, understand it, and then fashion that plan on how you're going to use it for your benefits and to benefit your business. Crane's Grand Rapids Business Senior Writer Mark Sanchez, thank you so much. Thank you, Patrick. This has been Focus West Michigan from WGVU for Wednesday, June 24, 2024, I'm Joe Bilecki. Our audio operations manager is Rick Beerling and our news and public affairs director is Patrick Center. We'll be back with more news and events in West Michigan tomorrow, wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening. [music], thank you. [music] (upbeat music)