🌱 Concrete Thrown From Portage Overpass + Facility Odors In Kalamazoo

Hey, everybody! Michelle Paul here with your fresh copy of the Kalamazoo-Portage Patch newsletter, filled with all the community information you need to know right now.

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: Warm with plenty of sunshine. High: 78 Low: 51.
• Thursday: Turning sunny and very warm. High: 81 Low: 58.

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Here are the top three stories today in Kalamazoo-Portage:

1. Early Sunday morning, a school bus and other vehicles were struck by concrete chunks on I-94 in Portage, causing minor injuries to some occupants. The Portage Department of Public Safety responded to the incident, which occurred around 12:25 a.m. Police suspect someone may have thrown the concrete from an overpass, as both I-94 and Portage Road have work zones with lane closures. Although officers checked construction zones for suspects, no one was found. (MLive.com)
2. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released a report stating that long-term exposure to hydrogen sulfide and other volatile organic compounds from the Graphic Packaging International facility and Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant could harm nearby residents' health. Complaints from residents about foul odors from the sites go back years. There will be a community town hall meeting about odors and the state health department's findings on May 18 at 5:30 p.m. at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Kalamazoo. (Subscription: Detroit Free Press)
3. Two sisters, Annie Pruis, 32, and Nina Baker, 45, both adopted from Seoul, South Korea, reconnected after taking a 23 and Me DNA test. Although they had never been interested in finding their biological family, the test brought them together after years apart. Pruis, who resides in Kalamazoo, had taken the test for health reasons, and her discovery of a new family member led her to her long-lost sister. (WWMT-TV)

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Today and tomorrow in Kalamazoo-Portage:

Wednesday, May 10

• Kalamazoo Day Camp Open House At Girl Scouts Heart Of Michigan (5:30 PM)
• 3 Of A Kind At Hilton Garden Inn (7:00 PM)
• Dooley And Friends Live At O'Duffy's Pub (7:00 PM)

Thursday, May 11

• Headache, Anxiety, And Sleep Difficulty Workshop At West Michigan Chiropractic (6:00 PM)
• Triple Threat Trivia! LIVE At Presidential Brewing Company (6:30 PM)
• Pour Paint Workshop Pick Your 18″ Wood Cut Out | Paint And Sip At Wine And Canvas Kalamazoo (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• New homes have been listed for sale in the Kalamazoo-Portage area! Get all the property details at the link. (Kalamazoo-Portage Patch)
• A Portage family is raising money for a service dog for their 5-year-old daughter, Ryleigh, who was recently diagnosed with Lennox Gastuat Syndrome – a severe type of epilepsy. Read more about how you can contribute to their cause at the link. (FOX 17 West Michigan News)
• Papa’s Italian Sausage is on the move! The eatery will be moving from its King Highway location to Ransom Street sometime in June. (MLive.com)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Community Native Plant Sale -- Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones (May 20)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Wednesday off right. See you all soon for another update!

— Michelle Paul

About me: Michelle Paul is a Utah-based writer and photographer with a professional background in content management and registered nursing. When not working on projects ranging from photo editing to copywriting, they enjoy traveling, video games, and expanding their skills.