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Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music

The Ferris State University softball team opened its weekend road trip with a sweep on Saturday (April 6) as the Bulldogs captured a pair of wins over Purdue Northwest in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play in Hammond, Ind.

The Bulldogs recorded a 1-0 shutout in the opener and came away with a 4-2 win in the nightcap to take the league doubleheader.

In the opener, senior ace pitcher Aryn Gallacher allowed only three hits and no runs in a full seven innings of work to garner the victory. She struck out four and walked one in the performance.

Offensively, the Bulldogs totaled four hits and produced the game's only run in the fourth inning on an RBI from Maddie Gkekas, who notched a double in the win. Freshman Alexis Kozlowski also doubled while Ella McDonaldnotched a sacrifice hit for FSU. Shortstop Emma Gillard and designated player Abby Meyer also garnered hits.

The Bulldogs had another strong performance in game two. PNW struck first in the opening inning with a run, but FSU answered in the top of the second to tie the game back up. The Bulldogs scored in the fourth and the Pride in the fifth before the Bulldogs eventually got their final two runs in the sixth and held Purdue Northwest off the board in their final two at-bats. Both teams finished with six hits.

FSU's Ashley Webb earned the pitching win, giving up only two earned runs on five hits in six innings of work. She had three strikeouts. Izzy Regner pitched two-thirds of an inning and did not allow a hit or run before Gallacher came on to earn the save with a single hit allowed and one strikeout in one-third of an inning.

McDonald had two hits and an RBI at the plate while Meyer also produced two hits and drove in a run. FSU also got hits from designated player Emily Killion, who added an RBI, along with Gkekas in the victory.

The Bulldogs will visit Parkside on Sunday (April 7) for a league doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. (ET) in Kenosha, Wis.

Alexis-kozlowski , Emily-killion , Emma-gillard , Izzy-regner , Maddie-gkekas , Ella-mcdonaldnotched , Ashley-webb , Abby-meyer , Ferris-state-university , Mcdonald , Purdue-northwest , Great-lakes-intercollegiate-athletic-conference

Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music

Catching a glimpse of Monday’s rare solar eclipse can be exciting – but can cause lasting vision damage without proper safety precautions, say faculty members at Ferris State University’s Michigan College of Optometry.

“Unsafe viewing of the sun, even for a few seconds, is not worth a lifetime of vision impairment,” said Dr. Eric Syverson, an MCO assistant professor and chief of Medical and Surgical Services.

A rare total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of the United States, Canada and Mexico on Monday, April 8. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between Earth and the sun – blocking the sun’s light and darkening the sky as if late in the evening or early in the morning.

As cool as a rare solar eclipse is to observe, Syverson strongly urges skywatchers to carefully use special eye protection and limit even protected exposure to minimize the risk of eye damage.

“Some may say it is safe to remove solar viewing glasses to look directly at the total eclipse. Theoretically, this has some merit, but I would not recommend taking that chance,” he said.

Syverson recommends purchasing certified solar viewing glasses that meet the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 12312-2). He further suggests Certified Solar Viewing Glasses with an ISO logo and reference number 12312-2.

Preparation matters.

“These glasses are designed to ensure that solar viewing glasses provide adequate protection for the eyes when looking at the sun or a solar eclipse,” Syverson said. “They are not expensive, but I recommend ordering them ahead of time. They can be found online.”

Syverson said pinhole projectors or indirect viewing methods, as recommended by the American Optometric Association, are also recommended. He also noted that the total solar eclipse can be viewed via the NASA live stream. Additionally, NASA offers eye safety tips for viewers.

Syverson has safety reminders for casual viewers:

Normal sunglasses do not have the required optical density or transmission requirements to protect your eyes against the sun’s harmful rays.
Supervise and educate children on the harm of looking directly into the sun.
Homemade filters should not be used.
Limit your viewing of the total eclipse even with the proper safety equipment.

The consequences of not exercising caution in viewing the total solar eclipse could be significant, including the possibility of permanent vision loss and impairment due to solar retinopathy, which is damage to the retina - the back of the eye -- from harmful sun rays.

Other potential consequences include red, irritated and or painful eyes due to solar keratitis, which he likened to a sunburn on the cornea that can be painful and difficult to treat.

NASA’s quick facts include the corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere, being normally not visible. During a total solar eclipse, however, the corona becomes visible and provides an opportunity to study this aspect of the sun.

Also, according to NASA, the next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States is not expected until Aug. 23, 2044.

The MCO faculty and staff encourage viewers to protect their vision while observing this unique natural phenomenon.

Ferris State’s Michigan College of Optometry, founded in 1974, is the only optometry program in the state. It includes the University Eye Center, a full-service eye care clinic serving university employees, students, and the surrounding community. In addition to providing comprehensive care, the center has specialty clinics in ocular disease, pre- and post-surgical care, specialty contact lenses, pediatrics, and binocular vision and vision therapy.

*Image provided by Ferris State University.

Michigan , United-states , Mexico , Canada , Eric-syverson , Surgical-services , University-eye-center , Ferris-state-university-michigan-college-of-optometry , International-organization-for-standardization , Ferris-state-michigan-college-of-optometry , American-optometric-association , Ferris-state-university

Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music

Today, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) announced the approval of Michigan’s first-ever Digital Equity Plan by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). This landmark approval marks a significant step forward in Michigan's commitment to eliminating the digital divide and ensuring that every Michigan resident has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.

“Every Michigander deserves access to affordable, fast internet, and the approval of Michigan’s first-ever Digital Equity Plan will help us more efficiently and effectively connect more individuals, families, and small business owners,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “The development of this plan will help us understand better where we need to target resources and make investments and how we can ensure a level playing field for every Michigander no matter where they live. I applaud the Michigan High Speed Internet Office for getting this done, and Governor Whitmer and I look forward to continued work to ensure every Michigander can connect to opportunity and potential through affordable, fast internet.”

The development of the Michigan Digital Equity Plan was a community-driven process, informed by feedback from over 800 residents across Michigan during MIHI’s 41 stop MI Connected Future statewide tour. This extensive engagement effort highlighted the broadband barriers many Michiganders face when it comes to high-speed internet, including affordability of service, availability of service, digital skills and the affordability of internet enabled devices. With the vision of achieving a digitally equitable state by 2030, the plan outlines a comprehensive approach to address these barriers in Michigan.

“The MIHI Office is proud to lead this effort to ensure digital equity for all Michigan residents”, said Eric Frederick, Michigan’s chief connectivity officer. “This plan is a blueprint for empowering Michiganders with the digital tools and access the necessary resources to succeed in today’s digital world.”

The Michigan Digital Equity Plan includes a holistic approach to closing gaps in education, healthcare, workforce development and civic engagement, which culminates the future implementation of a state-wide Digital Navigator Resource Network to support capacity building for communities to meet the needs of their residents throughout the state. This week, the NTIA announced more than $20M will be awarded to Michigan through the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program. The plan approval by the NTIA and the funding from the Capacity Grant Program enables MIHI to begin the implementation of the plan and make these initiatives a reality.

“MIHI approaches digital equity holistically and we are looking forward to working with communities to close the digital divide once and for all,” said Allie Herkenroder, Michigan’s digital equity director. “This plan could not exist without the support and involvement from Michiganders everywhere and we are excited to usher in an era of digital inclusion for Michigan.”

For more information on the Michigan Digital Equity Plan and other digital equity and inclusion resources, visit Michigan.gov/MIHI.

Michigan , United-states , Eric-frederick , Allie-herkenroder , Information-administration , Digital-navigator-resource-network , Digital-equity-capacity-grant-program , Capacity-grant-program , Speed-internet-office , Michigan-high-speed-internet-office , National-telecommunications , Garlin-gilchrist

Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music

The types of cuisine available in this world is represented by an endless abyss of options. Many of them stick in certain places, while others do not. As a unique area that Big Rapids is, there have been many attempts to insert new options. Satisfying that need is tough, as the audience is very diverse and unique. The question comes down to what’s the next big idea?

After proposing this question over our social media platforms, here are five of the top responses from our followers within the community:

Steakhouse

As one of the most popular responses, a franchise steakhouse has been absent from the area for some time. A Ponderosa once frequented Old US-131 north of 19 Mile Road, but lack of traffic eventually led to the disintegration. With a plethora of casual bar and grill restaurants, both locally owned like Schuberg’s or a franchise like Applebee’s, it has made steakhouse fans travel up to 60 miles or settle for limited options at these versatile establishments. Especially considering the addition of hotels and professional meeting venues, adding a large-scale steakhouse like Logan’s Roadhouse or Longhorn Steakhouse could boost the idea of businesses venturing to Big Rapids for cheaper rates than Grand Rapids.

Italian Restaurant

Remember when the talk of the town was an Olive Garden prank on Facebook? Welp, it turns out it has stuck with townspeople to this day. This was the most liked comment of all posted via our Facebook inquiry. Big Rapids is home to quite a few pizza parlors, but not many sit down pasta, “wine and dine” restaurants have reached this far north. The city used to have Vivo’s a few years back, until the establishment left and was inhabited by A La Mode on State Street. Since then, there isn’t many places that a couple or friends can dress up and go out to eat in formal fashion. This could be a cool add to the town.

Seafood/Sushi

Seeing this common nomination definitely caught my attention. Get it? Outside of Long John Silvers, there really is little to no options for finding seafood options in Big Rapids. It’s a shame because Big Rapids has a reputation, or at least a partial reputation, when it comes to bodies of water. First, the word “Rapids” in our name. Second, the heavily travelled and fisherman-filled Muskegon River. And third, a fairly large population of people that live in the area on the river or a nearby lake. Adding a seafood place could amplify this idea back into the town’s image. This can also include a sushi place, which had some success before at TTOWA before it closed and was replaced by Timber Cannabis Co.

24-Hour Diner

One of the more unique ideas on this list, a 24-hour diner is an interesting idea. While downtown can be quiet during night hours, placing a dinner along Perry Avenue near the hotels may bring success. Similar to a Waffle House, the establishment would likely need to specialize in breakfast to fill the void in that area. The hardest part of putting in a 24-hour diner would be staffing the full day as well as obtaining licenses for serving late hours, but the wide-open opportunity to provide visitors with a convenient any meal, any time option may be enticing enough to draw in a business.

Thai Pad/Chinese Restaurant

Adding some international spice to the town’s menu could be a huge hit. In this category, China One Buffet and New China Chinese Restaurant have been trying to capture that audience, but their tucked away locationshave made it a little difficult. I think adding a second, different style restaurant or faster food place could help boost the desire for Thai or Chinese food. Examples of this could be Panda Express or Lai Thai Kitchen could be options as well as a homestyle, non-franchise original restaurant as well.

In summary, all these options would seem to be bring a plus to the foody scene in Big Rapids. The town has its hidden gems, well-established historical restaurants, as well as some modern fast-food options. Adding a popular, yet unique restaurant in any of the five categories above would add another slice towards completing a positive pie of food places for everyone.

Italy , Italian , Waffle-house , Applebee , Facebook , Olive-garden , Timber-cannabis-co , Big-rapids , Longhorn-steakhouse , Long-john-silvers , Timber-cannabis

Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music

Chuck Thelen of Gotion Inc. is hosting a “Chat with Chuck” virtual town hall meeting on Monday, April 8, at 6 p.m. to provide residents with an update on the proposed battery components facility in Green Charter Township and answer any questions.

Residents can access the town hall meeting at this link. The “Chat with Chuck” meetings will take place on a monthly basis, and include project announcements, guests from the local community, subject matter experts from Gotion Inc. and other information.

“A virtual town hall meeting is a convenient, easily accessible, way people can get their questions answered about the facility and learn more about the ongoing progress of our project,” said Thelen, vice president of Gotion Inc. – North American Manufacturing. “I’m looking forward to talking with people. The meetings also will be an effective way to reduce misinformation that continues to be spread about the facility.”

Thelen and several officials held a similar virtual panel discussion last year. The video of the meeting was posted on Green Charter Township’s website, but has since been taken down

“People in the region deserve to have access to as much information as possible, and Gotion Inc. will continue to be transparent and open about our efforts,” Thelen said. “A virtual town hall meeting is a great way to allow people to participate in the comfort of their own homes.

United-states , American , Chuck-thelen , Gotion-inc , Green-charter-township , North-american , Radio-station , Ot-adult-contemporary , Dult-contemporary , Ot-ac , C , Op-40

Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music

On Sunday, Mar. 31, at approximately 09:04 A.M., deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of 8 Mile Rd. (M-20) & Old-State Rd. in Mecosta Township.

The investigation revealed a 32-year-old female from White Cloud was traveling east bound on 8 Mile Rd approaching Old State Rd. A 27-year-old female from Tustin was travelling north bound on Old State Road, when she proceeded through the stop sign and failed to yield to oncoming east bound traffic. The White Cloud female then hit the Tustin female on the driver side.

Subsequently, the 27-year-old female from Tustin was identified as Catherine Brinks, Brinks died instantly as a result of the injuries she sustained in the collision. The 32-year-old female involved, was transported by Mecosta County EMS to the Big Rapids Hospital for the injuries she sustained in the collision.

Deputies were assisted on scene by Mecosta County EMS, Mecosta Twp Fire / Rescue, Mecosta County Sheriff Posse, Michigan DNR Officers, Mid-Michigan Medical Examiner’s Office, Big Rapids Towing and Meceola Central Dispatch.

Mecosta , Michigan , United-states , Mecosta-county , Big-rapids , Catherine-brinks , Mecosta-county-sheriff-office , Michigan-medical-examiner-office , Mecosta-county-sheriff , White-cloud , Old-state , Old-state-road

Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music

Another meeting is on the schedule for the Big Rapids City Commission on Monday. The commission is slated to meet at City Hall at 6:30 P.M tomorrow night to discuss a full agenda.

General business items include resolutions and amendments of the following items:

Resolution awarding bid for the repair of the rip rap on city bridges.

Awarding bids for 2024 construction season maintenance
materials and equipment.

Awarding bid for the paving of the Dial-A-Ride parking lot.

Resolution amending fiscal year 2023/2024 general appropriations for Dial- A-Ride parking lot paving.

Amending the Charles E. Fairman Swimming Pool fee schedule.

Resolution adopting the 2024/2030 Capital Improvement Plan.

Amending the City of Big Rapids city code to amend section 94.25
central business district sidewalk occupancy permits.

Resolution on mayoral appointments to boards and commissions.

Ordinance amending of chapter 71 of the Big Rapids code of ordinances regarding parking violations.

The meeting will also include the introduction of Jeffrey Auguste from Our Brother’s Keeper, an audit report from CPA Peter Haefner of Vredeveld Haefner LLC., and a social district update from Director of Community Development Michelle Stenger.

All city commission meetings are available to the public.

For more information, visit cityofbr.org.

Michelle-stenger , Peter-haefner , Charlese-fairman , Jeffrey-auguste , Vredeveld-haefner , Community-development , Big-rapids-city-commission-on , Big-rapids-city-commission , City-hall , Swimming-pool , Big-rapids , Radio-station

Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music

The Ferris State University softball team battled nationally seventh-ranked rival Grand Valley State to a pair of one-run games at home on Friday (March 29), beating the Lakers in the opener at the FSU Softball Field.

The two West Michigan rivals fought to identical 2-1 scores with FSU winning the opener before the Lakers pulled out the win in the nightcap for the split.

In the opener, Grand Valley State was held to a single run on two hits as senior ace Aryn Gallacher put together a great performance in the circle while being aided by strong defensive play. She struck out four and walked only one in the victory.

The Bulldogs scored the first two runs of hte game in the bottom of the third on RBI's from Abby Meyer and Jadyn Joseph. GVSU answered with a single run in the sixth, but could not find the equalizer.

Ferris State had four hits overall, including hits from Meyer along with Ella McDonald, Emma Gillard and Maddie Gkekas. FSU held the Lakers to only two hits.

In game two, the Lakers tallied 13 hits, but could manage only two runs. However, the Lakers again held the Bulldogs to four hits and FSU totaled only a single run.

Grand Valley State scored in the fourth to break the scoreless tie before Ferris State responded with a single run in the bottom of the sixth to knot the game back up. The contest went to extra innings and GVSU put a run on the board in the eighth to pull out the win.

Gillard had two hits and tripled for the Bulldogs in addition to driving in FSU's only run while Ferris State also got hits from Alexis Kozlowski along with Brooklyn Verbeek.

In the circle, the Bulldog combination of Ashley Webb and Izabella Regner combined to allow only two runs on 13 hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

GVSU's Genesis Eggart earned the game two win, striking out three and walking three in going the distance.

The Bulldogs will visit Davenport on Saturday (March 30) for a league doubleheader in Caledonia. First pitch for game one has been pushed back to 2 p.m. (ET) with game two set for approximately 4 p.m. (ET).

Caledonia , Michigan , United-states , Grand-valley , Ferris-state-university , Maddie-gkekas , Izabella-regner , Abby-meyer , Ashley-webb , Alexis-kozlowski , Brooklyn-verbeek , Ella-mcdonald

Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music

Monday, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II joined the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) and announced the start of the State Challenge Process, encouraging Michiganders to help identify locations across the state that are eligible for high-speed internet infrastructure expansion through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

“Every Michigander deserves access to affordable, fast internet so they can connect to online learning, healthcare, and economic opportunity,” said Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “As Michigan sets the stage to connect more homes, businesses, and communities, the BEAD state challenge process will help us deploy resources more effectively. I encourage every Michigander to visit the portal and tell us about unserved or underserved locations. Governor Whitmer and I are proud of our work to connect tens of thousands of locations to affordable, fast internet, and we will continue working alongside the team at the Michigan High Speed Internet Office to connect every Michigan community.”

This past June, the Biden Administration announced that Michigan is receiving a historic $1.559 billion funding allocation for its BEAD program—the fourth highest in the nation. Now through the State Challenge Process, MIHI will identify unserved and underserved homes, businesses and institutions in the state to ensure they can get connected to high-speed internet through the BEAD program.

Current state maps of internet service are based on existing information from federal and state sources. However, through the State Challenge Process, the state is inviting stakeholders to verify the accuracy of current maps and submit additional information, or “challenges,” where they are incorrect.

Challenges will be accepted March 25 through April 23 through an interactive State Challenge Portal. That portal is now open for eligible participants to submit challenges on whether their home, business or institution is accurately represented as being served or not. Local units of government, Tribal governments, non-profit organizations and internet service providers are eligible challengers and will need to register for an account to participate in the State Challenge Process. Individual Michiganders do not need an account but can still provide information about service issues they may be experiencing with getting high-speed internet at their location or with their existing service.

Once the State Challenge Portal closes, MIHI will review each challenge to ensure no eligible locations are left out of Michigan’s BEAD program.

“The MIHI team is excited for this next chapter in Michigan’s BEAD program to help us reach universal availability in the State,” said Eric Frederick, Michigan’s chief connectivity officer. “We encourage local units of government, Tribal governments, non-profit organizations, internet service providers and every Michigander to visit the online challenge portal and participate in the State Challenge Process to ensure every location is accounted for in Michigan’s BEAD program.”

For more information on how to participate in the State BEAD Challenge Process and to submit a challenge, visit Michigan.gov/BEADChallenge.

Michigan , United-states , Eric-frederick , Biden-administration , Michigan-high-speed-internet-office , Speed-internet-office , Garlin-gilchrist , State-challenge-process , Broadband-equity , Lieutenant-governor-garlin-gilchrist , State-challenge , Individual-michiganders

Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music

Scott Barla has traveled many rewarding paths as a golf professional and the 1994 graduate of Ferris State University’s Professional Golf Management program claimed his latest honor from the PGA Indiana section receiving its Teacher of the Year award.

Barla has nearly 30 years in professional roles, serving as a Class A golf instructor in Illinois, Michigan and Indiana, an equipment company representative and a stint as a merchandising professional for the PGA championship and Ryder Cup events. Barla now is the successful owner and director of instruction of Barla Golf Academy in Noblesville, Indiana, just north of Indianapolis.

“One of my early and very rewarding teaching experiences was helping establish the Midnight Golf Program in Detroit, working with founder Renee Fluker,” Barla said. “This great program introduces inner-city youngsters to golf, as an inspiration to follow personal and academic pursuits. I have given individual lessons throughout my career, so my wife and I decided the academy would be a way to apply top-flight instruction and technology, to benefit players of all ages through our indoor facility.”

Beyond efforts in youth instruction, which has included high school coaching, support of First Tee, a program mixing golf lessons with social skills learning and his current role as a PGA Junior League host at his academy, Barla is proud to be involved with PGA HOPE, for Help Our Patriots Everywhere.

The program has a six-to-eight-week curriculum, with 90-minute sessions where veterans and active military personnel learn the game, but also gain a greater sense of well-being. The sessions are offered without cost and begin in April.

Receiving the Teacher of the Year Award from the Indiana PGA section caps a fulfilling five-year stretch for Scott. The award was presented in late February in a ceremony in Muncie.

“I received the Indiana PGA Player Development Award in 2019 and I was honored to have the Ferris PGM Alumni Association select me for the Bill Strausbaugh Excellence in Teaching Award in 2022,” Barla said. “I believe the regional prestige of Ferris’ Professional Golf Management program was influential in my receiving the Indiana PGA’s #GameChanger Award last year, and the recent Teacher of the Year Award.”

Finally, teaching young people and others the game has brought Scott rewards beyond trophies and business success.

”Junior golfers and high schoolers in my area have expressed interest in a career as a golf professional,” Barla said. “As a University Alumni board member, I am proud my current intern from Noblesville High School has chosen to pursue his dream at my alma mater, after I took him and his father on a tour of the Ferris campus.

It is gratifying to encourage competitive golfers, along with those looking to focus their talents on a lifelong association with the game. I am committed in my role with golf’s resurgence and my facility and staff are dedicated to offering our energies and expertise every day.”

Barla was one of ten 2024 Indiana PGA award winners and the field included 1984 Ferris Professional Golf Management alumnus Roger Lundy, who received the section’s Youth Player Development Award for the third time in his career.

“I considered Roger a great friend, as we collaborated on PGA HOPE at the Highland Golf and Country Club for several years,” Barla said. “Though we were on opposite sides of the Indianapolis metro area, I knew of Lundy’s service as a coach at Manchester University and Franklin College. As a tribute to Roger’s service, as he died suddenly in late October, our section’s Junior Leader Award will now be known as the Roger Lundy Youth Player Development Award.”

*Image provided by Scott Barla.

Detroit , Michigan , United-states , Muncie , Indiana , Illinois , Ferris-state-university , Noblesville-high-school , Renee-fluker , Scott-barla , Roger-lundy , Manchester-university