Alek’s childhood friend and standup comedian Rio Riojas stops by Keep Your Voice Down to discuss his recent foray into the world of standup comedy and his upcoming show in Kalamazoo (Wednesday, March 22 at Final Gravity Brewing Company, 8 p.m.). The Bay City native and East Lansing resident tells Doug and Alek about how he got started, how his act has evolved over the last year, his comedic style, how becoming a father has influenced the way he performs onstage, and why you shouldn’t bring your kids to see his act.
Kalamazoo County
After a six-month comprehensive search, Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF) has named Dr. Grace Lubwama as the new President and Chief Executive Officer. She will begin her new position with KZCF in July 2023.
Watershed Voice columnist Charles Thomas writes, “Because ChatGPT can write essays, I thought it would be interesting to ask it to write a couple of essays for Watershed Voice about recent issues we’ve reported on. (The following) is an edited transcript of my conversation with ChatGPT, along with ChatGPT’s first work for Watershed Voice.”
St. Joseph County Sheriff Mark Lillywhite was arrested in the early morning hours of Sunday, February 26 following a two-vehicle crash in Schoolcraft Township, according to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office. Lillywhite is expected to be arraigned on charges of operating while intoxicated and possession of a firearm while intoxicated.
Nurses surveyed in 2021 said the most common reason they planned to leave their job was that work had negatively affected their health and well-being. The second most common reason was insufficient staffing. Here’s why it’s important to provide care for them and what some are doing to make sure they get it.
A recent survey of caregivers under age 30, commissioned by the New York-Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative, found 53% said caregiving had taken a toll on their mental and/or physical health.
Young caregivers need more support but where will it come from? There’s an app for that.
HighDive, Kalamazoo’s newest dining establishment, gets the Bites with Beca treatment. After opening their doors to the hungry public on January 18 for a soft opening, HighDive is making its case as Kalamazoo’s favorite dive bar with high-end food. So what did Beca think? Read the review here.
This week on Keep Your Voice Down, Doug and Alek are joined by Jackie Koney, chief operating officer of The Mill at Vicksburg, and friend of the show, Dan Moyle. The quartet discuss the progress of The Mill project and its 110-acre campus being developed for craft brewing, entertainment, tourism and more, right here in Southwest Michigan.
Conner McBride, a senior at Loy Norris High School in Kalamazoo and a Voices of Youth correspondent, examines what Kalamazoo is doing to protect the environment, and how teens can get involved.
JungleBird, located on the ground floor of the Exchange Building on Michigan Avenue in Kalamazoo, opened its doors to the public in September and has quickly built a reputation thanks to an extensive, exciting cocktail menu, and a menu that is rooted in Caribbean fare.
The union representing hundreds of nurses at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo announced late Friday that the group has reached a tentative agreement with the hospital’s administration that would avert a potential strike, boost wages and offer additional benefits.
WSV columnist Charles Thomas recalls the “saddest Christmas” he’s ever had, and how a recent exchange with a Las Vegas taxi driver helped put into focus what Charles and many of us take for granted.
Former Three Rivers DDA executive director Brian Persky is moving up in the world after earning an expanded role with Discover Kalamazoo, the local convention and visitors bureau for Kalamazoo County.
The pandemic has increased the already large need for mental health services. The system hasn’t kept up, putting more pressure on those on the frontlines.
We call them heroes. We call them rock stars. But when it comes to meeting the emotional and social needs of educators, have school districts been paying enough attention to teachers?
Kalamazoo recording artist, producer, and songwriter Sherridan Harris returns to Keep Your Voice Down to chat with Doug and Alek ahead of Saturday’s Watershed Voice Artist Showcase. The trio discuss Sherridan a.k.a. Sherdizzil’s sophomore record “The Vine Album,” his growth as an artist and as a performer, rap and hip-hop nerdom, and how this year’s showcase will be different from last year’s show.
Brian Persky, former Three Rivers DDA Executive Director and Watershed Voice supporter since 2021, explains why he supports WSV and why you should too.
Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative, in collaboration with The Synergy Health Center and Integrated Services of Kalamazoo, will welcome community members to a Community Conversation: Navigating COVID – What’s Your New Normal? to take place at El Concilio, 930 Lake Street, in Kalamazoo on Tuesday, June 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m.