🌱 Child Neglect Claims At Childcare Center + New Coffee House

Hey, people of Grand Rapids! It's me again, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Grand Rapids Daily.

First, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy and windy. High: 53 Low: 26.

Here are the top 3 stories in Grand Rapids today:

1. A man has plead no contest to murder in a 2020 Grand Rapids homicide. Lonnie Sanders was previously charged after Michael Eastwood was found shot in the chest after a he crashed a car in Dec. 2020. Sanders pleaded no contest to 2nd degree murder, felony firearm, and felonious assault and his sentencing has not been scheduled yet. (WOODTV.com)
2. An entrepreneur is opening a Black- and woman-owned coffee house on the West Side. Owner Deanna Bossenbroek will hold a soft opening for Shift Coffee + Culture, at 616 W. Fulton St., from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 20. The coffee shop is currently hiring baristas. (GR|MAG)
3. The Grand Rapids Police Department, Child Protective Services (CPS), and the state are investigating child neglect claims that allegedly took place at a childcare center. Three police reports were filed for child neglect on Dec. 7 and 8 which were alleged to have occurred at Little Lights Childcare Center, located at 839 Sibley St NW. The preschool room has been closed until Jan. 3 and any staff members indicated in the investigation will be suspended while the investigation is carried out. (WZZM13.com)

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From my notebook:

• Grand Rapids Public Schools will have a half-day of school on Thursday and Friday. (Facebook)
• Take a look at the Grand Rapids Ballet feature in Ballet Forever Magazine about their return to DeVos Performance Hall for The Nutcracker. (Facebook)
• One month is left in the Symphony Merry Match! Your support helps make a huge impact in the community. (Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow morning for your next update.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander. She works as a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and as an assistant producer for a live-lit storytelling show in Chicago. She holds a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies from The University of Rhode Island. In her free time, you can find her traveling, hiking, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.