(Community Matters 156) GVSU Battle Creek Brings Veterans Entrepreneurship Lab to Town

(Community Matters 153) ‘Success Coach’ Helping Local Employees Be Better Workers

Sep 23, 2025

April Gordon has a cool title: Success Coach. The concept is to help employees with everyday challenges – which can have an impact on their job performance. Doing so, April says, improves retention and work performance. The service is part of the national Employer...

(Community Matters 128) More Demand – and Funding Uncertainty – at South Michigan Food Bank

Mar 28, 2025

Food insecurity brought record demand at the South Michigan Food Bank during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, that does not mean demand has returned to pre-pandemic levels. CEO Peter Vogel returns to Community Matters to talk about a recent visit to Washington, D.C. where...

(Community Matters 124) Wiggly Tail: Once Severely Injured, Bagel is Ready to Find his Family

Feb 26, 2025

Bagel the orange tiger kitty is a story in resilience. Once severely injured in some sort of attack, he was most certainly in a life and death situation. Now, he's mostly recovered and looking for his family. Hear Bagel's story on this Wiggly Tail segment of Community...

(Community Matters 116) While Retiring from BC, Fleury was Finalist for Top Admin in Nashville Suburb

Jan 13, 2025

City of Battle Creek photo As Thanksgiving 2024 approached, the City of Battle Creek bade farewell to its longest-serving city manager, Rebecca Fleury, who served 10 years in the position. While preparing this year-end look back at the final Community Matters visit...

(Community Matters 114) KCC Seeks Aspiring Entrepreneurs for ‘Bootcamp’

Dec 23, 2024

The Kellogg Community College entrepreneurship program, of course, is seeking participants who want to realize a dream to own their own business. Now, the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp is offering a chance for some who meet income guidelines to get started at no cost. The...

(Community Matters 115) BlueOval Salaried Hiring Underway; Resume Portal Open

Dec 23, 2024

Courtesy Ford BlueOval Battery Park Michigan In her first interview since beginning as the human resources director at the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan in Marshall, Amy Helner joins Community Matters to talk about the status of hiring employees at the plant. The...

(Community Matters 113) Eight Years Running, Battle Creek Gets Grant to Deal with Lead Hazards

Dec 12, 2024

Cracked flaking white paint on the wall, background texture Even though the hazards of lead have resulted in years of education and remediation, cities with homes built before 1978 were commonly painted with lead paint. Leaded gas in the 1970s also had an effect that...

(Community Matters 111) Local Group Seeks to Make it Easier to Find Businesses Offering Military Discounts

Nov 26, 2024

Courtesy MDS Certainly, many folks have heard businesses publicizing the discounts they offer to members of the military and veterans. But how does a person find a comprehensive list of them? The Marshall, Michigan-based Military Discount Society – a non-profit...

(Community Matters 109) Looking Back 100 Years at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center

Nov 12, 2024

The Battle Creek VA Medical Center celebrated 100 years with an event in October 2024. BCVA photo In 2024, the Battle Creek Veterans Administration Medical Center marked its 100th anniversary. As part of the 2024 special Community Matters episode ahead of Veteran's...

(Community Matters 109) Deadline November 22 to Nominate a Veteran to Win Holiday Lights on their Home

Nov 11, 2024

November 22, 2024 is the deadline to nominate an area veteran to receive a professionally installed holiday light display on their home. Owner Chuck Barnes at Twinkle Holiday Lighting will, again this year, fulfill the wishes of the family of Marine Cpl. Josh Hoffman,...