🌱 Free HIV Testing In Kalamazoo County + Iconic Downtown Shop Closing

Hello, everybody! It's me, Michelle Paul, your host of the Kalamazoo-Portage Patch newsletter — here to tell you everything fit to print about what's happening locally.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: A shower and thunderstorm. High: 71 Low: 57.
• Tuesday: Cloudy with a passing shower. High: 70 Low: 56.

From our sponsor:

Today’s Kalamazoo-Portage Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Kalamazoo-Portage Patch newsletter possible.

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

1. Officers in Kalamazoo County are currently investigating a serious car multi-car crash that occurred during the day Saturday that sent two people to the hospital with serious injuries. Officers responded to South Sprinkle Road around 11:40 a.m. after receiving a report of a vehicle driving a roundabout struck two other vehicles driving the same direction which caused the cars to collide with a fourth vehicle head-on. Kalamazoo County deputies were on the scene as well as the Kalamazoo Department of Public Service, Comstock Township Fire/Rescue, and Life EMS, two drivers were uninjured while the other two were transported to different hospitals. The accident is currently under investigation by the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office. (FOX 17 West Michigan News)
2. For National HIV Testing Day, both Allegan and Kalamazoo counties will offer free HIV testing for residents today, Jun. 26, and tomorrow, Jun. 27. In Kalamazoo, testing will occur in the mobile HCS unit from 1:00-3:00 p.m. near Westnedge Avenue and 4:00-6:00 p.m. on the corner of East Milham Avenue and Portage Road. These will be rapid testing sessions and results can be expected in around 20 minutes. (WWMT-TV)
3. A staple in downtown Kalamazoo announced this past Friday that it would be shutting down business after 100 years of serving the community. V&A Bootery will close its doors to its South Kalamazoo Mall shop due to a downturn in business since the pandemic; with that and a lot of structural change coming to the city, it was seen as a business decision to close down. Although this location will likely close later this summer, you can still shop at V&A Bootery as the second location in Portage is looking to expand. (WWMT-TV)

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Today and tomorrow in Kalamazoo-Portage:

Monday, June 26

• KPL Tech Days At Kalamazoo Public Library (10:00 AM)
• Movie Mondays At Eastwood Branch Library (1:30 PM)

Tuesday, June 27

• Move & Groove At Kalamazoo Public Library (10:00 AM)
• Paddlesports Sampler At Ramona Park & Beach (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Kalamazoo Public Library still has a few more seats available at Miller Auditorium to see Jordan Klepper. Click here to get your ticket for the show on Jun. 30. (Kalamazoo Public Library via Facebook)
• In case you missed it, last week's free Wednesday workout was an energizing Pilates workout at Bronson Park. This week, join the community for a Zumba class at 5:30 p.m. to get your move on while burning some extra calories. (Downtown Kalamazoo via Facebook)
• Join the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council on Jul. 8 for a relaxing canoe trip to Battle Creek River! Registration for the event is free, and morning refreshments will be provided as well as food truck vouchers for lunch! (Kalamazoo River Watershed Council via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Building Wealth in Your 40s Webinar (June 26)
• Online Pranic Healing Intro Course (June 28)

You're all caught up for today! See you 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.