KALAMAZOO (WKZO)– It’s Earth Day in the U.S. and Kalamazoo groups have plans to mark the occasion with special programs.
— From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Borgess will gather experts that can help you find ways to eat, heat, and live with greater environmental sensitivity. It will be staged in the Borgess Cafeteria.
— At noon, Students for a Sustainable Earth will rally to urge the university to divest its stock holdings in fossil fuel firms at WMU’s Bernhard Center.
— At 3pm, WMU will formally announce its entering 6 buildings in this year’s Battle of the Buildings, a competition to determine which can be made most environmentally sustainable. The Utilities and the Green Building Council sponsor the competition.
— Portage will hold their Earth Day event at Celery Flats this Saturday from 11 to 3 p.m. They are calling it “Greenathon 2015”.
KALAMAZOO (WKZO)– Kalamazoo Public Safety is investigating a pair of armed robberies that took place right next door to each other, and they know they are not connected. Right after midnight a man armed with a knife confronted the manager at the Checkers drive through on Michigan Avenue. The Manager did not want to cooperate and subdued the suspect, but not before he suffered a superficial stab wound to the leg, sending him to the hospital for stitches. The suspect was arrested.Five hours later, right across the street, two black males wearing hoodies rushed the Clark gas station, one brandishing a gun. A shot was fired but no one was injured. They fled on foot with cash. A K-9 lost the scent and they got away.
GOBLES (WKZO) — A 59-year-old woman from Gobles was killed in a house fire Tuesday afternoon. The investigation into what caused the fire resumed this morning. The 9-1-1 call came in around 3:30 p.m. that a mobile home on Meadow Drive was on fire. Fires usually move quickly through such structures and that was the case this time. By the time the first crews arrived at the scene, the home was fully engulfed inflames and any attempt at a rescue operation was called off.It took them an hour to douse the flames and confirm she died insideA fire Marshall is looking for the cause.
KALAMAZOO (WKZO)– Kalamazoo County Commissioner Stephanie Moore says she would like to see more people on the new Transit Authority Board who regularly ride the bus. The boards have become packed with people who are well-meaning and accomplished but have no skin in the game.She is asking riders who have the time and skills to volunteer.Yesterday the board appointed an Attorney from Portage to the Board.There are currently two vacancies on the Transportation Authority Boards.
SELFRIDGE AFB (WKZO) — Michigan once again has a squadron of Thunderbolts in the desert chasing terrorists.it’s just been announced that a dozen A-10 Warthog tank-busters, and the 50 Michigan Air National Guardsmen it takes to keep them flying have been deployed somewhere in the Middle East to fly missions against ISIS. The airmen with the 127thAir Wing based at Selfridge have been deployed for 6 months in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.The heavily armored and well armed planes have proven to be particularly effective against the slow moving ground armor and truck convoys used by ISIS.
KALAMAZOO (WKZO)– The City of Kalamazoo will be holding a community meeting this evening to begin prioritizing city services. The recovery may be on going for business but the effects of the recession are still being felt by local governments, who have seen their tax base, based on property values shrink and revenue dry up. They are projecting deficits out as far as they can see.City Manager Jim Ritsema says they want to hear from citizens to find out what city services are most important to them. It begins at 5:30 at the St. Joseph Catholic Church Gym on Lake St.
