🌱 Social Misfits + Drive-By Shooting + Van Andel Institute

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

First, today's weather:

A bit of morning snow; cloudy. High: 35 Low: 25.

Here are the top 3 stories in Grand Rapids today:

1. A waffle, coffee, and cocktail bar, Social Misfits, is opening in downtown Grand Rapids next week. Owner Spencer Raymond designed the restaurant to be “a welcoming refuge for all, respecting and celebrating the diverse, alternative, and authentic.” The restaurant, located at 43 W. Fulton St. in the Flat Iron Building that houses the Residence Inn by Marriott Grand Rapids Downtown, will open on Dec. 20 at 3 p.m. (grbj.com)
2. A southeast Grand Rapids drive-by shooting left one man with non-life threatening injuries on Thursday evening. A man in his twenties was shot in his arm while he sat in his vehicle and attempted to take off in an effort to escape the attack, but crashed into a parked vehicle. The shooting occurred near the intersection of Englewood Avenue and Shangrai La Drive. (Fox17)
3. The Van Andel Institute for Education in Grand Rapids is offering support and tools to help make things a little easier for teachers, parents, and students as they continue to navigate education during the pandemic. Terra Tarango, the chief education officer at VAI, says most of the tools and resources are available online and are free to use. Students can benefit from the Van Andel Institute for Education with afterschool cohorts, a free program for students in grades four through seven where they can investigate modern issues using scientific tools. (WOODTV.com)

Today in Grand Rapids:

• Invasive Species Removal At Luton Park (9:30 AM)
• Santa Concert At The Market At West Grand Neighborhood Association (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Mark your calendars! On Jan. 8th, at 12:30 p.m. GRPD and Grand Rapids Fire Department are taking it to the ice for a charity game benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). (Facebook)
• Take a look at the behind-the-scenes magic of The Nutcracker! (Instagram)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday! See you Monday 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.