Local store donates mattresses for flood victims

Submitted by WZZM13, News Staff

Friday, April 26th, 2013, 8:31pm

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) -- The clean up has begun and local organizations are asking for help with donated items.

Just one of the locations is In The Image, located in Grand Rapids. The organization provides supplies for needy families and is a Red Cross referral source.

The Red Cross asked In The Image for mattresses and was able to get local mattress store, Sleep Doctor to donate $35,000 worth of new mattresses.

"We made a call to our vendors and asked for them to come to the table to help the community too. It should be great," says Roger Wardell, CEO of Sleep Doctor.

Jay Starkey, Executive Director of In The Image says they typically have used mattresses, but the need is so high right now they had to ask for more. "When mattresses get wet, you can't re-use; they get moldy, musty. So these families, mostly with beds in the basement, they have no way of getting other mattresses."

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The food you will Amore!

Submitted by Comstock Park R... on Friday, April 26th, 9:00 am

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich.- Amore Trattoria Italiana is hosting a dinner to benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life on Sunday, April 28.

Tickets to the 5 p.m. event are $30 per person, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to Relay For Life of Comstock Park.

"We feel very honored to have Amore located in Comstock Park. Not only is the food delicious but Maurizio and Jenna Arcidiacono are very gracious and supportive throughout the entire West Michigan area," said Dawn Swafford, promotions chair for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Comstock Park.

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Grand River now below flood stage at Grand Rapids

Submitted by Chris Zoladz, Multi-Media Producer, WZZM 13

Thursday, April 25th, 2013, 10:17pm

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) -- The National Weather Service says the Grand River has receded within its banks in Grand Rapids, where the effects of flooding are still keeping hundreds of people out of their homes.

The weather service says the river at Grand Rapids was 0.1 feet below flood stage at 7 p.m. Thursday. Flood stage is 18 feet, and the river crested about 3.9 feet over that earlier this week.

The river remains 2.7 feet above flood stage upstream at Comstock Park in Kent County's Plainfield Township. Flood stage there is 12 feet.

Officials say about 1,700 people were evacuated in Kent County, including about 1,000 residents of downtown Grand Rapids' Plaza Towers. At least 150 have returned home.

The county commission voted Thursday to extend a state of emergency for 30 days.

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Grand River tested for high E. coli levels

Submitted by Valerie Lego, Health Reporter

Thursday, April 25th, 2013, 5:20pm

LOWELL, Mich. (WZZM) -- A no contact order remains in effect for the Grand River, which means coming in contact with the river can make you sick.

Thursday morning the Kent County Health Department tested the river near the fairgrounds in Lowell to measure the level of E. coli bacteria. High levels of E. coli are an indicator there are other harmful pathogens in the river like listeria and shigellosis all of which cause severe vomiting and diarrhea.

"With flood waters you get an elevated level of E. coli counts because of septic tanks overflowing as well as waste water treatment plants that have been stressed discharging into the river," says Sara Simmonds, head sanitarian with the Kent County Health Department.

Two other sites of the Grand River were also tested; the area where the Rogue River meets the Grand River in Plainfield Township, and Johnson Park in Walker.

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Beauty and the Beast Showing in Sparta

Submitted by Kal Kamyszek, Part-time Blogger, Part-time Receptionist & Cook on "In the Kitchen w/Kal"

Thursday, April 25th, 2013, 9:36am

Beauty and the Beast will be presented by the Sparta High School Drama department beginning this evening at Spartan High School Auditorium located at 475 W. Spartan Dr.

The curtain goes up at with performances at 7:00pm tonight, Thursday, April 25th, through Saturday evening along with a matinee on Sunday at 2:00pm.

Tickets are $8.00 for adults and $6:00 for students and seniors. For additional ticket information, call 616-887-8213 ext. 1353.

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$6,000 AC unit stolen from Amore restaurant

Submitted by Chris Zoladz, Multi-Media Producer, WZZM 13

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013, 6:04pm

ALPINE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZZM) -- The owner of a popular Kent County restaurant came to work to discover someone had stolen a large air conditioning system. The theft happened at Amore Trattoria Italiana, on Alpine Avenue.

Owner Jenna Arcidiacono says between Monday night and Tuesday morning someone stole the unit from the back of her building. She estimates the four foot tall unit weighs as much as 400 pounds.

"We were kind of flabbergasted-- wondering why someone would steal it? We figure for scrap, but it's always disappointing to find something missing from your property," said Arcidiacono.

The restaurant is working with a nearby bank to review surveillance video. The stolen unit costs up to $6,000.

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Fundraiser to Benefit Relay For Life of Comstock Park

Submitted by Comstock Park R... on Tuesday, April 23rd, 10:03 am

Culver's Dips in to Freeze out Cancer

Comstock Park, MI - Culver's of Comstock Park, 4280 Alpine Avenue NW, will donate a percent of their sales to help raise funds for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Comstock Park on Tuesday, April 23, 2013, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

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