Focus West Michigan 8-12-26: Allegan Sinkhole

This is Focus West Michigan for Wednesday, August 12, 2026. I'm Joe Balecki with your local news. A section of I-196 near Holland was shut down on Wednesday after a large sinkhole opened on the westbound lanes late Tuesday night. WGVU's D. Morrison reports. Drivers between Grand Rapids, Holland, and South Haven will find the westbound lanes of I-196 completely blocked off at Lincoln Road, M40, near West Michigan Regional Airport at the 45-mile marker. According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, the sinkhole is about six feet across and eight feet deep. gated by holes in a culvert 10 feet below the roadway, undermining the base materials. The culvert is part of the Elegon County drain system. Traffic is being detoured at M40 Highway and rerouted to southbound U.S. 31. Drivers should expect significant delays during peak commute times. MDOT and county crews are assessing the ground stability for repairs and expect westbound I-196 to remain closed for roughly one week. I'm D. Morrison. The Kent County Health Department is advising people who may have had contact with pigs at this year's Kent County Youth Fair to monitor for flu-like symptoms, as WGVU's David Limbaugh tells us, the precautions are due to a detection of swine flu. On Friday, August 7th, a pig at the Kent County Youth Fair died while several other pigs developed signs of swine flu. The sick pigs were isolated and the swine barn was immediately closed to the public. As a precaution, the Kent County Health Department, along with state agencies, are investigated. any reports of influenza-like illness among individuals who had contact with pigs at the fair. KCHD Health Officer Dr. Adam London stated, quote, While we do not have confirmation of human infection at this time, we are taking this situation seriously and want people who may have been exposed to know what symptoms to watch for and what to do next. Anyone who develops flu-like symptoms after having contact with pigs at the fair should contact the Kent County Health Department and let their health provider know. know about their exposure, end quote. Swine flu and pigs is not a food safety concern, and people cannot contract influenza by eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products. I'm David Limbaugh. A new e-bike and e-scooter provider could take over in Grand Rapids as soon as October. VO, the proposed replacement company, promises everything currently provided, and WGVU's Phil Dawson reports many of their vehicles also have obstacle avoidance radar to help prevent crashes. We want to make sure that we are getting the best services for our community. And after comparing their proposal to the current deal with Lyme, a mobile GR strategic initiative manager Matt Gillis says VO is better. They currently operate in a number of U.S. cities. Gillis says Vio offers everything Lyme currently provides, plus some less expensive packages and a slightly cheaper base rental rate. The standard rate currently is $1 for unlock and $0.36 per minute. Vio has proposed a $1 unlock in $33 per minute, so a slight decrease there. And Vio will offer three-wheeled seated scooters, which Commissioner Melinda Yassi says she might rent. The seated scooter makes me feel like I could maybe do that. It allows for more cargo. They are safer. You gain more balance.

on this. Around half of the VO scooters and e-bikes will also have obstacle avoidance radar that will slow or stop it to avoid crashes with people and other vehicles. This scans about 20 feet in front of the device can lead to cutting the power from the vehicle or triggering an audible warning or slowing speeds. This significantly helps minimize crashes. Vio could take over as soon as October. Commissioner Kelsey Perdue is a supporter. This seems like a huge upgrade. I'm Phil Dawson. The Perseid meteor shower peaks this week, giving West Michigan residents and optimal skywatching opportunity. WGVU's D. Morrison explains why this year may be better than most. Perseid meteors are tiny fragments of space debris, mostly dust and small pebbles, shed by the swift-tuttle comet and visible in West Michigan each August. Because they appear to be radiating from the constellation Perseus, we call that the Perseid meteor shower. And it's usually the most popular and sometimes the best meteor shower in terms of meteors per out. Tom Good is vice president of the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association, which focuses on community outreach, hands-on telescope training, and helping beginners connect with practical astronomy. For a lot of people, all it takes is one glimpse at a star cluster, at a distant galaxy, or Saturn or the moon, and they get the astronomy bug. Good says Perseid meteors can be seen with the naked eye, and this year's peak may be especially dramatic, because it coincides with a new moon, passing between the Earth and Earth. Sun. When the moon is in a fuller phase, the moonlight sometimes washes out some of the dimmer meteors that we need for. The Association operates an observatory in Lowell, hosting public viewing nights April through October. I'm Dee Morrison. On Wednesday, Frederick Meyer Gardens and Sculpture Park welcomed its 17 millionth guest, as WGVU's David Limbaugh tells us, it's another sign of the park's impact on West Michigan's economy. We planned this trip a couple of times, and the weather didn't cooperate. and or appointments. Finally, today was the day. Mid-Michigan residents Judy Dumfuss, Andrea Stoll, and Judy Keeling were pleasantly surprised to be welcomed as Frederick Meyer Gardens and Sculpture Park's 17 millionth guests. The trio were treated to free admission, lunch, ice cream, and tram rides. This is my first time here, but Judy's turning into a regular. Yeah, because I bring groups. If they want to come, I bring them. Since opening its doors in 1995, the attraction has brought visitors from all over the world experiencing art, culture, and nature, generating an annual economic impact of $138 million in West Michigan, with 62% of visitors traveling from outside Kent County. To think about just 31 years ago, we were an idea in Fred and Lena's eyes. President and CEO Charles Burke. To now having 17 million people come in and enjoy Grand Rapids as a whole. I mean, what a lovely gift. It was just over a year ago when the park welcomed. its 16 millionth visitor. I'm David Limbaugh. Coming up soon, another edition of the Your Dream is Our Dream podcast, but first, news from around the state. Michigan's utility regulators say power bills could get cheaper if rates start getting set for multiple years at a time rather than annually. Colin Jackson has more on the new policy recommendations. The Michigan Public Service Commission argues tying a multi-year utility rate to performance and reliability would solve a host of issues. Commission Chair Dan Scripps says frustration with utilities seemingly asking for another rate increase as soon as a first one gets approved is among them. Let's use that opportunity to also make the bills more affordable.

And that, I think, through performance-based mechanisms and tying utility earnings, more to the core objectives around reliability and affordability and not just spending more to earn more, I think that has the potential to really move the needle. It'll be up to state lawmakers to decide what happens next with the proposals. The Republican-led Michigan House of Representatives maintains repealing the state's clean energy laws are the best way to lower costs. I'm Callan Jackson. Michigan Democrats gathered on Tuesday in Ann Arbor to try to build support. for their candidates in the November election, Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hurtell says there are a lot of positions up for grabs, and he's optimistic for the party's potential to win them. This is the first time in Michigan history. that we've ever had an open governor's race, open U.S. Senate race, open Attorney General, open Secretary of State all the same time. It's never had before. Hurtell says Michigan could be pivotal in flipping control of the U.S. Senate and changing the direction of the country. Republicans have said the slate of candidates nominated by Michigan Democrats is too radical. Focus West Michigan is brought to you by listeners like you. To support this show and everything we do here, visit wGVU news.org and click the donate button. And for a weekly dose of news right to your inbox, sign up for the WGVU newsletter. Today on Your Dream is Our Dream from Kent ISD. With the new school year about to get underway, students enjoying Miranda's park party recess at Endeavor Elementary in Kentwood were asked to share their dreams and how education may help them achieve their goals. Tim Hargis, the district's communications director, joined us with insight from his year's leading classrooms and as a school principal.

Welcome to the Your Dream is Our Dream podcast where we celebrate student success one dream at a time. Today we're talking to a lot of dreamers here at Endeavor Elementary School in Kentwood. And we are here as part of their summer program. We're finding out what students are dreaming about becoming when they grow up and also how education is helping them to make their dreams come true. My name is Queen and I am in third grade right now. Yeah, and I'm Cleveland, and I'm in February, and when I grow up, I want to be a FBI officer. My name is Mason, and I'm in the fifth grade, and my dream is to be a soccer player or a basketball player. My name is Esther, and I go to Hamilton, and I want to be an actress and a single when I grow up. My name is Celine, and I'm in fourth grade. I would like to be a teacher, an artist, or a singer. Because I want to help students learn, and mostly because I'm always constantly teaching my little sibling stuff. My name is Peyton. I'm in third grade. I want to be an artist when I grow up. We do a lot of art in our classroom. And we also have an educator here with us today. Why don't you introduce yourself and tell us what you do here in Kentwood? Yeah, so I'm Tim Hargis. Currently, I'm the Director of Communication for Kentwood Public Schools. This is my 22nd year in the district. I've spent time as an instructional coach at the elementary level and also was an elementary principal at Medellon Elementary before taking on my new role as a director of communication, which I'm in my fifth year, unbelievably, and that role is now. Well, congratulations. That's a wonderful career. And you know students well. Today we're asking them what they're dreaming about. Why do you think it's important for educators to even ask that question? Our students have so much potential, and they have so much they can add to this community and any community. And we are committed to helping foster their dreams and to give them the opportunities they can. can have to be successful because what they can offer a community is limitless and it is our job to capture their energy and their spirit and their dreams and help move that forward for them to be successful. My name is Ila and I'm going to third grade and I want to be a dentist. My name is Chloe. I'm in kindergarten.

animals my name is Ronnie Harris and I'm and I'm going to sixth grade I'm gonna be I'm gonna be a famous hockey player I really like when they teach me a lot math and reading and I think that's gonna help me a lot when I make it to my career I'm hoping I can achieve my dream when I turned 16. One thing we embrace in Kentwood is the idea of real world learning. And the first thing that comes to the top of mind is just two days ago, I got a chance to tour a home here in Kentwood that was built by the residential construction class at East Kentwood High School. For more than 40 years, students from our high school have building homes in this community. And the most important thing is to hear and see those students, talk about the work they've done, share it with members of the community, share it with their parents and the pride and the excitement to share what they've done with something else. And then we did a Facebook post about the home. People are like, I built the home in 97. I love that they're still doing this. This is just such a great thing. So it's really trying to provide some concrete opportunities in the learning realm to help foster those dreams and move our kids forward. And our kids today are sharing dreams of becoming. Everything from a singer and a police officer to a doctor or an aeronautical engineer. And what kinds of opportunities are elementary school kids getting every day in your classrooms? Our students know that they're welcomed, they're safe, and they're valued. And to me, that helps build that esteem and that belief that they can do whatever they want to do. Giving them opportunities to talk and learn. together is going to set them up for success down the road. Absolutely. And I do want to explain that what we're hearing around us today is Miranda's Park Party recess. Why is it important to collaborate with community members like Miranda and everyone she brings together here today? Community partnerships are at the core of what we do. There is no success for a school district if you don't have a partnership with your community. But the broader community, Miranda, other entities that show up year after year for our kids really matters. If the members of the community are going to give time and volunteer and services to bring some joy and fun and experiences to the kids today, that just is... A great example of how these kids are valued and how they have so much to get, and they will give back to the community someday. So give and then give.

Thank you so much for the work you do here in Kentwood. I appreciate it. Thank you, Joy. We want to thank everyone who participated in our podcast today and all of those who are listening today, too. If you know a student who dreams big, let us know. You can find the Your Dream is Our Dream Podcast on Kent ISD.org and WGBU. This podcast is presented in partnership with WGBU. I'm Joy Walsack for the Your Dream is Our Dream Podcast. This has been Focus West Michigan from WGVU for Wednesday, August 12, 2026. I'm Joe Balecki. Our audio operations manager is Rick Beirling and our news and public affairs director is Patrick Center. Don't forget to like and subscribe and we'll be back with more news and events in West Michigan tomorrow. Thanks for listening.