Casey Grooten News Today

“The stars are all connected — one big body of untouchable balls of light millions of years old. I wanted people to be able to be stars and know they hold their own potential to shine bright just like our sky when we look up.

Southwest Michigan Second Wave is a team of local writers and photographers who love where they live. The stories they cover impact them and strengthen their sense of community. Read some of their reflections on 2023 stories here.

Middle school students navigate the daily dramas of early adolescent social life, along with other pressures. When things go south, where can they turn? 

Vaping and marijuana are so prevalent that some schools are closing bathrooms to prohibit students from using products during school. One Voices of Youth writer speaks with peers, administrators, and health experts about what the U.S. Surgeon General

“I think the making money part is a great incentive for youth entrepreneurs,

Pastors on Patrol, a partnership between Kalamazoo police and pastors, has been helping increase trust between residents and police, diffuse tense situations, and cushion the blows of calamity. Since the pandemic, both police and pastors involved s

AllyKat Studios, LLC, is a new lash, brow, micro-blading, and tattoo studio that caters to the Queer community. For clients who are currently transitioning genders, a new set of eyelashes, the right brow shape, or even gender-affirming tattoos, AllyK

Elemental Press, a new studio in the Park Trades Center, is committed to making the creation of art accessible by offering free or affordable opportunities. The studio has photography setups, printmaking supplies, and a screen printing machine.

The Spring 2023 Voices of Youth Kalamazoo drew 14 writers and artists. The subjects they chose ranged from minority representation in Advanced Placement courses to life for a high school transgender athletes to the impact on youth mental health due t

While faith-based groups may disagree about the science of climate change, they typically agree on the importance of caring for creation. Hope for Creation, an interfaith group, offers education, programs, and support within a climate action framewor