Good morning, Grand Rapids. I’m LeQwane and this is Calder News — and here’s a fun fact I learned last night:

Crescent Park is the oldest park in town. The land was set up for use as a park all the way back in October 1858.

Pretty interesting, huh?

Now, let’s dive into what’s happening around town.

~LeQwane L.

Calder News is an independently owned hyper-local media company with an audience of 10,000+ residents in Grand Rapids.

If you’re looking to..

A briefing of local news that matters

Development

Not everything is pretty on the water. Bridgewater Place (the glass building downtown), has been placed under court receivership after a dispute between its owner, lenders, and contractors over a $37M loan. A court-appointed manager now controls the building’s finances and operations as the case moves toward possible foreclosure. Despite the turmoil, the building isn’t too far off full occupancy. | Read more

Media

Nexstar Media Group, WOOD-TV’s owner, has agreed to buy Tegna, the parent company of WZZM 13 - in a $3.5 billion deal. If approved, the merger would put two of GR’s biggest TV stations under the same banner. The deal still needs regulatory and shareholder approval and isn’t expected to close until late 2026. | Read more

Education

Wyoming Public Schools has outfitted its whole bus fleet 25 with new tracking tech to give parents real-time updates on their students’ location. Here’s how it works — students scan a badge when boarding, and parents can follow routes through an app. The system uses GPS to send alerts if a bus runs late, and onboard cameras record drivers who ignore stop signs. With more than 4 of 5 students riding the bus, education leaders hope the upgrades will improve safety and communication. | Read more

GRCC is adding an associate degree in AI. Funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. About 60 students are expected to take part over three years, working with 20 local businesses on short projects like chatbots, data tools, and automation. Also, GRCC is one of just 45 schools nationwide to receive the NSF support. | Read more

Have news to report? Click here.

🕺 Dancing Around

The Grand Rapids Ballet’s free 2-day Summer Dance Festival kicks off Friday at outside the Peter Martin Wege Theatre. You’re invited for free food, a great performance, music, and more. *

🍎 Robinette’s Goes All Out

Robinette’s has unveiled their 2025 corn maze and it’s insane. The maze is a 6.5-acre remake of GR’s 175th Anniversary. Check it out here.

🚗 Metro Cruise Returns

Starting tomorrow, the annual Metro Cruise is taking over 28th street. The popular event is a way to spot and get close to exotic and classic cars, eat great food, and enjoy friends.

🪨 Cannon Township Gets Creative

Cannon Township is working with young artists to help make a unique installation in its Center Park.

Opening:

Her Daily Bread - The popular online cookie shop (Her Daily Bread), is expanding to open a storefront in the Downtown Market

K9 Resorts - GR’s very own luxury puppy resort on 28th St. is officially opening its doors this Saturday

Preview: Events —> Live Music

*Shows are subject to change, but that’s show biz.

Quick hits of news from cities around Grand Rapids

⭐ If you enjoyed today’s newsletter, copy the link to the post and share it with a friend. Every new reader that joins our email helps.

📧 Get your business in an upcoming issue of Calder News. Let’s talk about how we can put your business in front of thousands of GR locals.

Made with ❤ in Grand Rapids