Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: What this FOIA court win means for Grand Rapids transparency seekers

And check out The Warped Band on the Grand Rapids Patch calendar

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Saturday December 13th Patch AM
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Hi Grand Rapids! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • What this FOIA court win means for Grand Rapids transparency seekers
  • Why parents are demanding safer routes between Godwin Heights schools
  • Why Grand Rapids Catholics walk Jefferson Avenue in the December cold

Also on today's calendar: The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show - Grand Rapids, MI and 5 more events.

Find out what's happening in Grand Rapidsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the boat dock say when it was arrested? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Grand Rapidsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Saturday: A little snow in the p.m., with a high of 16 and low of 4 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
  • Sunday: Low clouds and very cold, temps: high: 22, low: 12.
  • Monday: Cloudy, breezy and chilly, with a high of 26 and low of 21 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. ACLU loses appeal against Grand Rapids over FOIA response times (mlive.com) — Grand Rapids city officials just won a key FOIA lawsuit, after the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled the city didn’t break state law despite taking over a year to release police drone records. The decision confirms Michigan’s FOIA law sets no firm deadline for fulfilling public records requests, raising fresh questions about transparency and response times for residents seeking information.
   

2. Police: Girl, 12, accosted by man with knife as she walked from school (woodtv.com) — A 12-year-old girl walking from Godwin Heights Middle School in the Grand Rapids area was allegedly accosted by a man who briefly blocked her path, touched her inappropriately, and then followed her with a knife before she reached safety. Wyoming police quickly arrested a nearby resident, who now faces a felony assault charge, while the girl’s mother is demanding stronger security between district schools.
   

3. Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Hundreds of Catholics partake in annual GR pilgrimage (wzzm13.com) — Hundreds of parishioners in Grand Rapids are marking the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with nightly pilgrimages from Our Lady of Sorrows down Jefferson Avenue to the local shrine. The tradition, rooted in a 16th-century Mexican miracle, is especially meaningful for Latino families facing political tension and immigration fears, offering a sense of comfort and community.
   

4. Man convicted in deadly Grand Rapids neighborhood shooting from 2023 (fox17online.com) — A man has been convicted in Grand Rapids’ final 2023 homicide, a neighborhood shooting on Horton Avenue that left Darryl Yaber dead. Jurors found 34-year-old Dominike Sterling guilty on multiple counts that could keep him in prison for life, while another suspect awaits trial and sentencing is set for February 26, 2026.
   

5. Grand Rapids Mormon temple marks one year of construction (woodtv.com) — Construction of the Grand Rapids-area Mormon temple in Kentwood has reached a visible new phase one year after groundbreaking, with walls and facade now taking shape. The temple, only the second in Michigan, is expected to finish between 2026 and 2028, draw worshippers from several states, and briefly open to the public before its formal dedication.
   

📸 Around Grand Rapids

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Grand Rapids

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

    Saturday December 13
  • The Warped Band
    The Stache, 133 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW, Grand Rapids
    7:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Grand Rapids Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • My dad is a WWII hero.
    My dad was a Rock Star to me. Here is a TV 8 story on my dad. https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/wwii-veteran-from-grand-rapids-dies-at-105/ (Nextdoor Remembrance / Blandford)
  • ASSISTANCE NEEDED: Foxx is still missing.
    Thank you for all of your help but we need your continued assistance. I am posting more pictures. Someone has a new small brown dog, try calling Foxx… (Nextdoor North Park/Creston)
  • Costco Wholesale Corporation posted a job opening for Bakery Wrapper / Sanitation in Grand Rapids. Apply here.
  • Staffing posted a job opening for SAP IS U- Billing in Grand Rapids. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Grand Rapids here.

Ok Grand Rapids! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I demand a jury of my piers.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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