🌱 Van Andel Arena, DeVos Place Financial Losses + Tree Lighting

Good day, people of Grand Rapids! Miranda Fraraccio here with a brand-new copy of the Grand Rapids Daily.

First, today's weather:

Very windy; some snow, 1-2in. High: 33 Low: 16.

Here are the top stories today in Grand Rapids:

1. Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place suffered big financial losses last fiscal year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the public authority that manages the venues remains in strong financial shape thanks to a $10 million federal grant. The arena lost $1.8 million in fiscal year 2021, while DeVos Place lost $3.9 million. (mlive.com)
2. Grand Rapids held a tree lighting ceremony to kick off the holiday season. Sponsors say the tree is 42 feet tall and features 40,000 lights, which is more per square inch than the tree in Rockefeller Center in New York City. (WZZM13.com)
3. More than $13 million in funding is going to positively impact older adults in 2022 through the Kent County Senior Millage. (WZZM13.com)
4. This week marks two years since the shooting death of a Grand Rapids man, Manuel Salgado. The homicide remains unsolved. (WOODTV.com)

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Today in Grand Rapids:

• City Commission Meeting - East Grand Rapids Community Center (12:00 AM)
• Feeding America Food Truck at HS (Godwin Heights High School) (4:00 PM)
• K-8 BCPS Student Art Show - Walker City Recreation Department (5:30 PM)
• GRPS Board of Education Regular Meeting (6:30 PM)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update! If you're loving these newsletters, consider bringing some of your friends and neighbors on board. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— 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.