Good morning, Portage.

The Landing Place will open on April 30 in Kalamazoo County, offering a non-congregate shelter where families receive private rooms, meals, and caseworker support.

More than 20 new employees (earning a minimum of $23 an hour) will begin training before welcoming families.

Grand Rapids-based Fox Motors is buying Kalamazoo’s Maple Hill Auto Group, keeping all jobs and its support for events like the Holiday Parade and New Year’s Fest.

The deal will close within four months (pending approval by Audi, Hyundai, Volkswagen, and Volvo) and marks Fox Motors' first Kalamazoo location.

Larry Bell plans to break ground in July on a new facility in Kalamazoo, converting the former Food Dance building (401 E.

Michigan Ave) into a gallery, research library, and 200-seat performance hall while also developing an adjacent parking lot. He will display his Michigan history collection for researchers.

A Pure Michigan report shows the tourism campaign inspired 1.5 million leisure trips and generated $2.5 billion in visitor spending last year; Gov. Whitmer praised the campaign at a Traverse City conference as it celebrated its 20th birthday and urged residents to explore local attractions this spring and summer.

WMU's Cultivate 269 competition took place Friday night at the WMU Student Center, where entrepreneurs pitched ideas and WMU student Samuel Marseille won $100K for his pitch of OneShotAI.

Hosted by Kalamazoo Forward Ventures, the event offered expert coaching and local exposure for underrepresented innovators.

USGS helicopters will begin a low-level water-monitoring survey on Apr.

13 over 16 west Michigan counties. The flights, conducted in partnership with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, & Energy, will use airborne geophysical technology to map underground aquifers for water resource management.

Portage will begin repairing the wooden fishing pier at 8600 S.

Sprinkle Road in Ramona Park after the Long Lake swimming season ends. The city allocated $121,360 and hired contractor Riverworks Construction to realign pilings and install new decking and railings.