Good morning, Portage.

The WMU Board of Trustees held an online meeting on Wednesday to ratify a two-year contract with the AFSCME union that set a base 2% raise for 300 employees after both sides conducted market studies + union members ratified the deal on Monday.

Portage city council awarded Waste Management a five-year trash hauling contract last month—despite protests and allegations of misrepresented rates from losing bidder Best Way.

Mayor Patricia Randall said the city will work to rebuild trust after the disruptive meeting and multiple FOIA requests.

State officials are working with the Attorney General’s office to plan next steps after the EPA ended the $7-billion Solar for All grant program—cancelling a plan that would have given Michigan over $156-million to lower energy bills by $400 per family and create 700 jobs.

Meteorologist Amy Sweezey began her career with WWMT in 1995 and later moved to Orlando as a morning meteorologist—after 18 years there and while raising three children, she switched to freelance work to write two children’s weather books and launch a podcast called Reinvention at any Age. Today, she continues to share her weather insight while managing her own schedule.

BrickUniverse LEGO Fan Expo - VIP

9-10:30 a.m. — Kalamazoo County Expo Center — VIP Admission $28.99 — Experience the largest collection of LEGO creations under one roof and meet professional artists.

Stewardship Day

9:00 a.m. — Gourdneck State Game Area north-east parking lot — Free (Registration required) — Participate in invasive species removal and support local public lands in Portage.