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It is not too often a brand-new football program can add a three-time conference champion and two-time regional champion at a skill position.

Luckily for the Calvin Knights, this happened after receiving a commitment from Reed City running back Zach Erickson. The senior standout announced his commitment to the program on February 29 via social media.

“I'm ready to get back on the field and get back to work playing the sport I love,” Erickson said. “I'm also ready to pursue my education and get a healthy job that I can rely on.”

Erickson rushed for over 660 yards last year with 12 touchdowns, including a 137-yard, four touchdown performance against Hart in the District title game. He received All-Pioneer and All-CSAA 1st team honors this past season.

“It's been a pleasure to be a part of the team, city, and program growing up,” Erickson said. “Ever since flag football, it has been amazing being with the teammates and coaches I have had. I could not have asked for anymore.”

When asked what made him choose Calvin, Erickson said his visit made him feel at home.

“The location is super ideal and they were super welcoming. They are starting a new program, which is super exciting. Their chemistry is unique and the players were very welcoming to me.”

The three-sport athlete also competed on Reed City’s district runner-up basketball team but saw limited action due to rehab from a football injury. He also had his best season of baseball on the diamond this past spring.

“Football felt like my thing,” Erickson said. “I have always felt the most knowledge towards the sport, the most confident in the sport, and the most competitive in the sport. I am obviously competitive in all three but football is where I find it the most.”

Erickson will join Coach Trent Figg and the one-year-old Knight football program this fall for its inaugural season. Calvin will be competing against Oberlin College on Saturday, Sep. 7 for its first game in school history. The Knights will be a part of the MIAA conference, which includes fellow Michigan teams like Alma, Adrian, Olivet, Hope, Albion, and Kalamazoo College.

The standout tailback said he liked the small school feel and plans to study business at Calvin.

For more local sports, subscribe to the Big Rapids Daily News at wbrn.com.

*Graphic provided by Zach Erickson.

Reed-city , Michigan , United-states , Zach-erickson , Calvin-knights , Trent-figg , Oberlin-college-on , Kalamazoo-college , Coach-trent-figg , Oberlin-college , Big-rapids-daily-news , Radio-station

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

Improvements are on the way for the construction of Depot Trail Head Park in Big Rapids.

Thanks to approved funding from a special Michigan Strategic Fund meeting last week, 17 projects totaling up to $41 million dollars from all over the West Michigan region will be helped by the collaborative Revitalization and Placemaking Program, or RAP.

“City staff is excited about the opportunity to develop Depot Park into a welcoming park for those visiting the City using the newly paved White Pine Trail,” Big Rapids Community Development Director Michele Stenger said. “We are also excited about the opportunity this will create for the businesses and residents of the east side.”

The $450,000 will be going towards building a trailside park, which will include a 20-foot by 40-foot covered picnic pavillion with an attached set of unisex bathrooms, a bike rack and repair station, and an improved parking lot with 31 spaces for single vehicles.

Other nearby projects being serviced from RAP funding includes $54,000 at the Stone Hatchery Park in Green TWP, $750,000 towards Canal Park in Grand Rapids, and $45,000 for Vida Weaver Park Pavilion in Hesperia.

West Michigan economic development organizations involved with the RAP include Greater Muskegon Economic Development, Lakeshore Advantage, and The Right Place, Inc., in collaboration with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). RAP is an incentive program that deployed $100 million in American Rescue Plan funding to address the COVID-19 impacts in Michigan communities. This recent distribution is the second round of funding available to the region. In 2022, the region received $3.6 million to support nine projects.

For local news, subscribe to the Big Rapids Daily News at wbrn.com.

United-states , Big-rapids , Michigan , Grand-rapids , Muskegon , American , Michele-stenger , Big-rapids-community-development , Greater-muskegon-economic-development , Right-place-inc , Michigan-economic-development-corporation , Placemaking-program

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

Big Rapids Daily News - WYBR-FM Big Rapids, MI Today's Hit Music
wybr.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wybr.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.

David-miller , Kaleb-dubowski , Noah-brandt , Riley-vennix , Philip-wilbur , Jack-bollman , Mike-selzer , Wil-strickler , Paw , Reed-city , Central-montcalm

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

A summer’s worth of 23 games is now complete for fellow Big Rapids Cardinal baseball players.

Led by Pioneer Coach of the Year J.T. Scarpelli, the Lumberjacks finished a circuit of four tournaments and various weekday exhibitions with a 10-13 record against some of Michigan’s premier 16U, 17U, and 18U teams.

“It was a great building season for everyone,” Scarpelli said. “We're going to continue the work into the Fall and be ready to go again next Spring.”

Some highlighted players from the Lumberjacks include upcoming junior Ty Gielczyk, who finished the summer hitting .544 at the plate with an outstanding .768 slugging percentage. He also hit a memorable walk-off grand slam against a Midland travel team at Beal City.

“He was also our best defender all over the field,” Scarpelli said. “Ty is expected to be our primary contributor next spring.”

Senior Mayson McNeilly continued his powerful batting potential with a 1.069 OPS. The man nicknamed “Peanut” showed great versatility in the field and made great progress on the mound with a 2.8 earned run average.

“(McNeilly) showed tremendous speed and versatility,” Scarpelli said. “He also showed he should be on the mound next Spring.”

Second year player Brody Ososki made great strides, especially on the basepaths with a .571 on base percentage and four stolen bases.

“Brody is a tremendous athlete with some real speed,” Scarpelli said. “Once he fills out and logs some innings, he'll be a very competitive player for our high school program.”

Young upcomers Jonathan Losinski and Karsen Rehkopf made noise as well. Losinski was one of only two players above a .400 batting average and Rehkopf made “impressive improvement” on the mound.

Other varsity contributors include Philip Wilber, Caiden Schuberg, Nick Teceno, and Cole Kiebala.

For more sports, be sure to subscribe to the Big Rapids Daily News at WBRN.com.

Michigan , United-states , Beal-city , Philip-wilber , Cole-kiebala , Caiden-schuberg , Nick-teceno , Brody-ososki , Jonathan-losinski , Mayson-mcneilly , Karsen-rehkopf , Young

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

After arguably one of the best seasons in school history, the Cardinals look forward to continuing their proven success in the fall.

While the team has lost five players from last year’s team due to graduation or a school change, head coach Jon Coles believes this year’s team has major potential.

“We lost five out of twelve players,” Coles said. “However, I see us reloading, not rebuilding. We will be skilled but inexperienced in the singles lineup and should be very solid and deep in doubles.”

Along with the roster changes, the team will also be moved up to Division 3 due to boosted enrollment numbers. This creates a much tougher schedule for the Cardinals in the regular and postseason.

“D3 is a different animal,” Coles said. “It’s a much, much tougher division. Our schedule is extremely difficult. We have 17 dates scheduled and we’ll play 13 State Qualifiers from the 2022 season.”

A few Cardinal players practicing returns at last Monday's practice at Big Rapids High School.

Based on his team’s personnel, Coles mentioned that he wants to get his younger players some experience on both levels and he believes that the talent can make this team just as special as last year’s team.

“We can be just as good as last year if not better. We are extremely deep so it will be an extremely close and competitive competition for the top 12 spots. I’m not opposed to a few guys being two-way players throughout the season because we are so deep. My plan will be to have our top JV guys practice with Varsity to make us stronger next year and the years ahead. I’ve never done that but it makes sense given our depth.”

When it comes to goals, the Cardinals have some goals already set entering pre-season workouts. Not only do they include qualifying for the state tournament and winning a regional championship, but more beyond the trophies.

This includes life lessons like “teamwork, discipline, sacrifice, work ethic, and commitment.”

“(We want to) have fun and foster a good team environment and culture. We’ll make positive memories regardless of the outcomes.”

For more local sports coverage, subscribe to the Big Rapids Daily News at WBRN.com.

Jon-coles , Big-rapids-high-school , Big-rapids-high , Big-rapids-daily-news , Radio-station , Ot-adult-contemporary , Dult-contemporary , Ot-ac , C , Op-40 , Ig-rapids , Ichigan

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

Coming up next Monday, July 3, is the Freedom Fest fireworks show at the Big Rapids fairgrounds and Roben-Hood Airport.

The festivities will begin at 6 P.M., including food trucks, vendors, and a band at the fairgrounds. Big Country 100.9 will be coordinating music for the show, which is slated to begin around dusk.

Big Country Fireworks glasses will be available at sponsored locations; which includes the Mecosta County Chamber of Commerce, Johnson’s Automotive, Isabella Bank, the Mecosta County Visitor’s Bureau, A1 Auto Glass, and the Big Rapids Media offices.

For more local event news, be sure to subscribe to the Big Rapids Daily News at wbrn.com.

Mecosta-county-visitor-bureau , Mecosta-county-chamber , Isabella-bank , Freedom-fest , Big-rapids , Country-fireworks , Mecosta-county-visitor , Big-rapids-media , Big-rapids-daily-news ,

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

Almost 13 months after winning $25,000 from the Consumer’s Energy “Put Your Town on the Map” contest, the Big Rapids skate park project is reportedly getting closer to being built.

According to City Manager Mark Gifford, the development is currently in the last stages of securing funds to begin construction.

“We're in the final piece of the puzzle of putting the funding together,” Gifford said. “We applied to the DNR passport program a few months ago, so we should find out whether or not we get that right around August or September.”

The skate park is slated to be placed at Swede Hill Park near the Muskegon River, in which American Ramp Company is slated to construct the facility. After multiple surveys and community meet ups last year, the city is continuing to push this project towards completion.

“We are committed to (the) project and finding a way to get that built,” Gifford said. “We're excited about that but we are just putting all the funding together.”

For more local news, subscribe to Big Rapids Daily News.com.

United-states , American , Mark-gifford , Consumer-energy-put-your-town , American-ramp-company , Big-rapids , City-manager-mark-gifford , Swede-hill-park , Muskegon-river , Big-rapids-daily-news ,

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

During Tuesday night's presentation at the Green Township Board meeting, Gotion Vice President of North American Operations, Chuck Thelen explained to board members and attendees of the three main elements used in their assembly of its battery components.

Lithium Carbonate, Lithium Iron Phosphate and Graphite Powder were mentioned on Tuesday by Thelen. The Gotion VP told those in attendance the SDS (Safety Data Sheets), that anyone can find on the internet, for the key materials they will be using show that they have no hazardous association to air, water or aquatic life.

Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are documents that provide information on the hazards of working with a chemical and procedures to ensure safety. They are a primary source of information regarding chemical hazards and handling. They are required under OSHA's Hazard Communication and Process Safety Management Standards, EPA's Right-to-Know regulations, DOT's transportation regulations, and other federal and state regulations.

In an effort in transparency, Big Rapids Daily News received Gotion's Safety Data Sheets for Lithium Carbonate, Lithium Ion Phosphate and Graphite Powder.

Click on the following links for SDS:

LITHIUM CARBONATE

LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE

GRAPHITE POWDER

United-states , American , Chuck-thelen , During-tuesday , Green-township-board , Gotion-vice-president , North-american-operations , Lithium-iron-phosphate , Graphite-powder , Safety-data-sheets , Data-sheets

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

On Monday, Big Rapids senior Ben Knuth signed his letter of intent to confirm his collegiate running
plans at Ferris State University next fall.

As a multi-year all-conference honoree, Knuth enjoyed a breakout senior season that included a 16:37 5K personal best and seven top-10 finishes.

“My junior season, I had dealt with injuries so my senior year was my last year to get my best time out there,” Knuth said. “I had some big goals going into the season and I was really happy with my last race.”

The multi-sport athlete also played basketball and baseball for the Cardinals, including winning a
conference regular season and tournament championship on the hardwood this past winter. When
asked about making his decision, Knuth said he’s very happy to stay close to home.

“(Ferris) was on the top of my list for sure. I was so happy to get an offer from them and have my family in this area. I’m ready to go and represent my hometown.”

Knuth will finish his final baseball season with the Cardinals before enrolling to compete and study land surveying at Ferris State in the fall.

“The last two summers, I worked for my dad’s buddy and I really liked it,” Knuth said about his academic selection. “I like working outside so that’ll be my major.”

For more local sports coverage, follow the Big Rapids Daily News at wbrn.com.

Ben-knuth , Ferris-state-university , Big-rapids , Ferris-state , Big-rapids-daily-news , Radio-station , Ot-adult-contemporary , Dult-contemporary , Ot-ac , C , Op-40 , Ig-rapids

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

An informational panel meeting regarding the Gotion Inc project that was scheduled for April 5th at Ferris State's Williams Auditorium will now be virtual due to possible groups coming to disrupt the event.

In an email to Big Rapids Daily News, Green Township Supervisor Jim Chapman says a link to the virtual meeting will be posted on the townships website.

In addition, Chapman says a link to a document with all the questions that have been submitted will be posted as well. If you have a question about the Gotion project, you have until Monday, April 3rd to submit your question on the township's website HERE.

The meeting on April 5th at 6:30pm will feature representatives from a variety of fields; Roads, Fire/HazMat, Energy, Waste Water, along with representatives from Gotion Inc., Ferris State University, and The Right Place economic non-profit organization will be on hand to answer residents questions.

Jim-chapman , Gotion-inc , Ferris-state-university , Ferris-state , Williams-auditorium , Big-rapids-daily-news , Green-township-supervisor-jim-chapman , Waste-water , Right-place , Radio-station , Ot-adult-contemporary , Dult-contemporary