🌱 Man Dies Before Being Hit By Car + Nonprofit Helps New Startups

Hey, neighbors! It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Grand Rapids Patch newsletter. Let's get this Friday started off right, with a quick review of the most important things happening these days in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Partly sunny. High: 78 Low: 52.
• Saturday: Sun mixing with clouds. High: 83 Low: 59.

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Here are the top three stories in Grand Rapids today:

1. On Wednesday, Jun. 7, an older man was hit by an oncoming vehicle after collapsing in downtown Grand Rapids. The crash happened around 1:45 a.m. between Commerce Avenue SW and Cherry Street, and the driver of the vehicle was extremely cooperative with police. According to a medical examiner, the 60-year-old man had died of natural causes prior to being struck by the vehicle. (MLive.com)
2. The nonprofit group SpringGR is currently accepting applications for a program designed to help entrepreneurs of color attract new customers and grow their businesses. The 250 Project is a six-month-long program that was created with the goal of strengthening businesses owned by people of color within the region and helping to increase their revenue by 30 percent or $250,000 over a span of three years. This upcoming cohort is set to launch in July and it will cost businesses around $250 to participate. (Fox 17)
3. City officials recently installed a speed trailer by Richmond Park in Grand Rapids after local community members complained of cars driving too fast in their neighborhood. According to long-time resident Donna Plate, many drivers have started to slow down and hit their breaks after passing by the speed trailer. In addition, speed bumps are also being installed in this area as a part of Mobile GR's second phase of its traffic calming program. (WZZM)

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Today and tomorrow in Grand Rapids:

Friday, June 9

• The Golden Girls Live At Grand Rapids Theatre (8:00 PM)

Saturday, June 10

• Rock The Block At LINC Community Revitalization (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• In case you missed it - Now's your chance to join Grand Rapids Public Library's Summer Reading Challenge that's running all the way until early September. This exciting summertime activity encourages individuals of all ages to read different books and potentially discover new hobbies, interests, and skills. Readers will have the opportunity to earn prizes and you can sign up here. (Fox 17)
• Drivers heading into downtown Grand Rapids over the next couple of days can expect some major road closures on I-196 that could significantly impact their commutes. The Michigan Department of Transportation will be conducting a construction project all weekend long that will begin around 5:00 p.m. on Friday and last until around 12:00 a.m. on Monday. (WGRD)
• On Friday, Jun. 2, local community members found a starving and abandoned dog laying in the middle of the road. The dog, named Hope, was found in East Grand Rapids and taken to a nearby animal hospital for immediate treatment. Hope has since been adopted and the West Michigan showed their support by raising over $20,000 to go toward her hospital care. (WZZM)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you soon.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.