Community Matters Calhoun County

Battle Creek Mayor Mark Behnke sits down with Community Matters for an end-of-year look at the initiatives that served as priorities in 2023 - and a look ahead at the new year. Episode Resources Battle Creek Mayor and City Commission website City of Battle Creek website Battle Creek City Clerk Elections website More Community Matters: County Clerk Hinkley Discusses Early Voting ABOUT COMMUNITY MAT...

In his first legislative update to Community Matters since the Michigan House of Representatives left for the holiday break, 44th District Rep. Jim Haadsma (D-Battle Creek) returns to discuss: The balance of power in the House after two Democrats' campaigns for mayor in the Detroit area are successful. Michigan's clean energy bills signed recently by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, which incl...

Calhoun County-based Starr Commonwealth - an organization intending to heal trauma and build resilience in children - has a vision for emerging young adults, as well. In this episode of Community Matters , Starr Commonwealth President and CEO Elizabeth Carey talks about the concept of the FOCUS Forward program (FOCUS stands for Forging Opportunities for Career Upskilling and Success). The State of...

Musician Barb Hibiske - longtime member of the Battle Creek's Cereal City Concert Band - returns to Community Matters to share holiday cheer. She's doing so by inviting the community to attend its annual holiday concert on December 10, 2023. Click to hear more about "the most wonderful time of the year" theme and the band's holiday concert plans! Episode Resources CCCB web...

As folks in Calhoun County consider their charitable giving during the 2023 holiday season, Battle Creek's Charitable Union is reflecting on another year of record need. CEO Teresa Allen joins Community Matters just head of "Giving Tuesday," a national post-Black Friday promotion meant to encourage charitable giving to non-profits during the holiday season. Allen talks about the loc...

Battle Creek Chamber of Commerce President Kara Beer joins Community Matters on "Small Business Saturday" to talk about the origins of the post-Black Friday retail theme. With Black Friday shopping mostly focused on larger national on-site and online retailers, the "Shop Small" effort the following day encourages holiday shoppers to make a conscious effort to support smaller, l...

Two members of the Marshall Retail Group join Community Matters on "Small Business Saturday" - the post-Black Friday appeal for shoppers to commit to spending some of their holiday shopping budget locally, at smaller businesses. Also known as "Shop Small," the promotion happens one day after the national "Black Friday" big retail push - and just days before "Cybe...

The November 2023 poster pup for adoptable pets at the Humane Society of South Central Michigan is Navy, a 6-month-old Aussie-Lab-Husky mix. In this Wiggly Tail update, HSSCM's Jessica Gilbert tells us the kind of home that would work best for Navy. She also offers some pet-friendly holiday advice. And, host Richard Piet shares some news about his tortoise shell cat Kitty Boo Boo. Episode Res...

With the cancellation of the second meeting in November, the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners will discuss the 2024 budget at a December meeting. As well, Calhoun County Board Vice-Chair Steve Frisbie (R-Battle Creek) - a seven-term incumbent on the panel - has announced his candidacy for the 44th District Michigan House of Representatives seat. The seat is currently held by Rep. Jim Haadsma...

Bells are ringing all around Calhoun County as the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign gears up for another holiday season. Battle Creek Captains Mika and Grace Ronilla tell Community Matters about their holiday festivities planned for this year, as well as their fundraising goals and impact on the community. Episode Resources Battle Creek Salvation Army website Register to Ring Kettle Bells...

After significant roadwork in 2023, the Michigan Department of Transportation is wrapping up its Calhoun County projects for the winter. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa returns to Community Matters to update listeners on the projects that included repair or replacement for more than a dozen bridges along I-94 in Calhoun County. Episode Resources Mi-Drive construction interactive map MDOT construc...

After asking for nominations of military veterans in southwest Michigan, a local business chose a 90-year-old veteran from Marshall, Michigan to win its professionally installed holiday light display. Chuck Barnes of the west Michigan firm Decorate with Lights collaborated with the mother of a local veteran to choose the winner from a list of nominees in November 2023. Her son passed away - and th...

As Stephanie Cornish and her crew of volunteers from the Harper Creek Optimist Club prepare for the annual Battle Creek Christmas Parade, she made a decision: Let the entrant count go for a bit and see how many actually come in. Speaking to Community Matters a week ahead of the November 18, 2023 parade date in Battle Creek, Stephanie talks about how many they have confirmed - and how she determine...

You have no doubt heard about concerned folks at home, worried about their loved ones in Israel and Gaza when war broke out in the fall of 2023. That made us wonder what a travel professional would say to someone who might want to travel to the region. In fact, what advice would a travel agent give any traveler planning holiday or other excursions? We asked Shane Gray of Dream Vacations in Marshal...

The Battle Creek Community Foundation will find a successor for a 30-year CEO in 2024, after Brenda Hunt retires. After community listening sessions, the BCCF CEO Transition Committee has now formulated a job description and expects to interview and recommend finalists to the full board as the next steps in the process. BCCF Board Chair Linda Morrison and Transition Committee Co-Chairs Preston Hic...

In her October legislative update on Community Matters , Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport) reflects on juvenile justice reform bills moving through the Michigan House and Senate. The package comes after the governor-appointed Juvenile Justice Task Force completed its work earlier in 2023. Lightner also discusses her view on a package of bills meant to increase solar power usage in Michigan. She a...

Moving prairie dogs from one zoo to another - and into a new habitat - means you might not see them much in the beginning. That's because they are busy underground setting up their new digs. But they're there. That's the word from Allie Stoddard of the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan. The 18 black-tailed prairie dogs arrived in June 2023 - right into a newly prepared habit...

Calhoun County, Michigan Sheriff Steve Hinkley returns to Community Matters - this time to discuss Halloween safety. Hinkley encourages parents to take safety precautions and to help their children do the same. Episode Resources Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department website Sheriff Steve Hinkley’s website ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host...

Calhoun County Board of Commissioners Vice-Chair Steve Frisbie returns to Community Matters with updates on the October 2023. Frisbie elaborates on the annual property tax apportionment report approved by commissioners in October 2023, including an overall county tax increase related to the 9-1-1 millage. He also discusses the process by which local municipalities begin estimating road improvement...

The Humane Society of South Central Michigan is issuing an appeal to pet owners to consider how the excitement of Halloween night may affect their pets - and plan accordingly. Executive Director Jessica Gilbert tells Community Matters pets often get lost on Halloween - and can be spooked (not in a good way) by consumes and other frights that humans enjoy. Jessica also introduces us to Matcha, a be...

Deadline to enter: November 1, 2023 In this episode, we visit with Chuck Barnes, owner of the southwest-Michigan-based firm Decorate with Lights. Chuck is looking for nominees of local veterans from which one winner will be chosen to receive a free holiday light installation on their home for the 2023 holiday season. Click the link below to the Decorate with Lights website and complete the online...

Battle Creek Police plan a special added enforcement focus targeting drivers who are speeding, distracted and other violations during the week of October 23 - 27, 2023. In this discussion, BCPD Lt. Ryan Strunk talks about why the special enforcement is being done - and what the department hopes motorists will learn from it. Episode Resources BCPD website More Community Matters: Now Illegal in Mich...

Only having driven an electric vehicle a couple of times for short distances, my experience was limited. Though skeptical about the ability to shift to an EV for all my personal transportation, I was curious. Could I use an EV exclusively for all my daily transportation? Thanks to Lakeview Ford Lincoln in Battle Creek, I have spent a month with a 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E all-electric and I've...

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Observing that, Battle Creek's SAFE Place shelter and support program for victims of domestic violence joins Community Matters for a frank discussion of the problem. Chief Executive Ellen Lassiter Collier also talks about how the organization's programs have expanded to meet the local need - including early intervention and an approach to sex...

Elections officials all over Michigan are preparing for what voters approved in 2022: Nine days of early voting ahead of Election Day. That has Calhoun County Clerk Kim Hinkley and her team working to put together a staff who can pull it off in 2024. But, in order to do so, more elections inspectors will be needed. In this episode, Clerk Hinkley talks about the job, the requirements and how much i...