St. Joseph County Sheriff Mark Lillywhite was sentenced to 12 months probation, ordered to pay more than $1,000 in fines, and will have his concealed pistol permit revoked after pleading guilty Monday in Kalamazoo County Eighth District Court to operating while intoxicated, and carrying a concealed weapon while under the influence.

Peek into the joyful chaos of a Sibshop, and you might think you’re seeing a playgroup where the participants all happen to be siblings of children with disabilities. Sibshops aren’t therapy, and there’s no curriculum; the goals are simply to give participants the opportunity to connect, share their experiences, ask questions, and offer advice.

Today, there are more than 550 Sibshops in 15 countries — including one at Advocacy Services for Kids (ASK) Family Services in Kalamazoo.  

Skyridge Church of the Brethren in Kalamazoo will be celebrating Earth Day this Saturday by hosting “One Earth, One Chance;” a workshop and discussion on environmental sustainability and social justice in the surrounding communities. The event will be led by grassroots activist David Radcliff of the Virginia-based New Community Project (NCP), and will be held April 22 from 1-3 p.m.

About 23 years ago, Jim Henry and four other Kalamazoo-area professionals launched the Southwest Michigan Child Trauma Assessment Center at Western Michigan University. At the time, few people knew how traumatic experiences can negatively affect the developing brain of a child. But the founders of CTAC did. And the center they created to assess traumatized children has not only become the model for similar centers across Michigan and in Colorado, but also has effected change in the state’s child-welfare system and beyond.

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.