Good morning, Portage.

Heavy winds Friday night and Saturday knocked out power for thousands in Portage’s West and Austin Lakes neighborhoods and left trees and limbs scattered across yards.

Consumers Energy said crews are working nonstop in 16-hour shifts to clear debris — most customers are expected to have power restored soon.

244 workers employed by Compass Group USA at Ascension Borgess sites in Allegan, Plainwell, Dowagiac, and Kalamazoo are set to be laid off on July 1—this comes after the hospital system was sold to Beacon Health System, according to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

Western Michigan University’s president-elect Russ Kavalhuna will take over as the tenth president on July 1 — he said he plans to work closely with students and staff to address campus challenges.

The fall semester will begin on August 27.

Hundreds of volunteers cleaned up the Kalamazoo River on May 17, working on a stretch from Comstock to D Avenue that includes parts of Portage and Axtell creeks, and the Rotary Club of Kalamazoo will host next year's cleanup on May 9.