Good morning, Portage.

Mex House opened its doors on July 7 in Portage (7616 S.

Westnedge Ave.) and now serves breakfast and lunch with Mexican and American dishes; chilaquiles cost $11.50 and the restaurant will welcome guests daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Michael Dyer, deputy chief at Comstock Township Fire and Rescue, was arrested after he hit a child while driving drunk in late June — he is now on administrative leave as the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office reviews a charging request — in Comstock Township.

Testing of drinking water near Wenke Greenhouses in Comstock Township from 2022 to 2025 found two residential wells exceeding safe PFAS levels—officials will conduct additional tests and supply filters while residents remain concerned about exposure risks.

Governor Whitmer ordered U.S. and Michigan flags to be lowered to half-staff on July 17 to honor Staff Sgt. Saul Fabian Gonzalez— a West Michigan soldier who died in a non-combat incident in Iraq on the one-month anniversary of his passing.

Governor Whitmer will release details of the state’s Medical Debt Relief program today in Detroit; Undue Medical Debt, a New York nonprofit, negotiated with hospitals to buy debt so that over $2,485,000 was removed from Kalamazoo County residents' bills + local officials say the program will help residents access needed care.

Recent tests on ticks from Kalamazoo County found that 7 of 24 ticks carried bacteria that can cause Lyme disease.

County Administrator Kevin Catlin advised residents to use DEET repellents and check themselves and pets for ticks when returning indoors — one tick also carried bacteria that can lead to anaplasmosis in animals.

Western MI Parade of Homes 2025

6 PM – 7 PM — Home Builders Association — Cost not specified — Experience inspiring home designs at the 35th Annual Parade of Homes.