Good morning, Portage.

On June 3, Portage firefighters, supported by five neighboring departments, battled a house fire in the 10000 block of South 12th Street where a firefighter was injured, two cats were rescued & treated, and the homeowner evacuated safely as crews worked over two hours to control the flames while the cause remains under investigation.

Organizers of Kalamazoo Pride Festival report that reduced corporate support and lower ticket sales amid DEI funding cuts may force reductions in vital services—such as emergency housing for young people.

The festival is set for June 6 at 6 p.m. and June 7 at 2 p.m. at Arcadia Creek Festival Place.

The Kalamazoo County board is mounting a rescue effort to save the 48-unit Kal Recovery Project—a housing facility for recovering substance abusers at risk due to White House cuts.

Board chair Jen Strebs supports the proposal while vice chair John Taylor requires a claw-back provision, and county staff will negotiate details and present a formal proposal in the future.

Michigan coalition Protect MI Care testified on Medicaid cuts at the Senate Health Policy Committee hearing in Lansing on June 4—warning that proposed federal cuts of nearly $700 billion over the next decade could hurt the state’s health system.

Nurses at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo and at its Allegan location are worried about losing their jobs as Beacon Health System takes over and has not shared clear employment requirements—nearly 250 contract workers will be laid off on July 1 and some nurses risk losing future access to retirement health care benefits. The staff seeks more details to understand the steps they must take to keep their jobs.