Daily
Portage
Thursday, January 1st, 2026
Good morning, Portage. Here's your local news at a glance for Thursday, the 1st of January.
COMMUNITY NEWS
- ➤ Erik Reed, known as Outdoors with Erik, provided free yard care for seniors and single parents in West Michigan on Dec. 31, 2025 — his efforts have reached nearly half a million YouTube viewers and inspired neighbors to support one another. WWMT
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ Starting today, drivers will notice the sales tax on gas is removed while the flat tax increases to 52.4 cents per gallon to support $2 billion in road improvements. The change is expected to add about $27 to annual fuel costs as pricing cycles adjust. WWMT
- ➤ A 24% wholesale tax on cannabis takes effect today in Michigan as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget — state officials expect the new rate to lead to a 50 percent markup from wholesale to retail, a figure lower than the proposed 32 percent. WKZO
- ➤ In December, Kalamazoo-area officials approved several projects including a Speedway convenience store, a Consumers Energy building rebuild, a controversial multi-family housing rezoning in Comstock Township (4-2 vote), and a plan for 39 single-family homes in Cooper Township; the decisions reflect a shift toward addressing local housing needs. MLive
SPORTS NEWS
- ➤ The ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings resumed their season Wednesday, Dec. 31 at Wings Event Center when they hosted the Toledo Walleye at 6 p.m.; a new contract ratified by the players association and league increased player pay and improved safety measures. WKZO
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