Sarah Spohn

It’s springtime, which means the flowers are blooming and the grass is turning from brown to green. It also means Earth Day is coming up! It’s a way to celebrate the Earth and all it provides for us. Later this month, a local annual event invites families for education, demos, exhibits, experiments, food trucks, prizes, and more. The Midland Section of the American Chemical Society hosts the Earth Day Action Expo on Saturday, April 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at H.H. Dow High School.
Gina Malcz...

This article is part of the Block by Block series, supported by FHLBank Indianapolis, IFF, and the Community Economic Development Association (CEDAM). The Block by Block series follows small-scale minority-driven development and affordable housing issues in the state of Michigan.
Health care is always evolving. As patients’ needs shift, so, too, does the way health care providers serve their communities. In Detroit, Corktown Health is known for being open-minded, adapting to change, and remai...

FLINT, Michigan — Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village of networking, support, and resources to start a business. Fortunately for local Flint entrepreneurs, they have an extra level of support via 100K Ideas, a nonprofit providing dreamers and innovators with resources to make their ideas a successful reality.
The tenth and latest episode in 100K's client storytelling series features the stories of three Flint entrepreneurs — Sean Murray of Rootless Coffee Co.,...

If you’re in the market to buy a house, start up a renovation project, or just want inspiration, the Midland Home & Outdoor Living Expo is a great place to start. The annual event, put on by the Home Builders Association of Midland County returns to Dow Diamond for a weekend of vendors, demos, small business connections, prizes, and more on April 27-28. The expo runs from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Amanda Page is an event planner with Page ...

Just as many look forward to the spring season on their calendars, there’s also an excitement surrounding a week in April. It’s Greek Week, a week-long fundraising event in partnership with Central Michigan University (CMU) and United Way of Gratiot and Isabella Counties. Annually, numerous CMU sororities and fraternities unite to support one non-profit organization in their community. United Way serves as a fiduciary for the fundraising, and connects students with non-profit agencies for the...

This is part of a reporting series, supported by BUILD Institute, that chronicles businesses and entrepreneurship in Detroit.
Research shows that Black women make up less than 10% of the country’s population, but they’re the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the nation. But taking a leap into entrepreneurship isn’t easy, even if it’s stepping into a family business that’s already been established. Such is the case for Espy Thomas of Sweet Potato Sensations.
Sweet Potato Sensations sta...

Joe Benoit dreamed of having an ice cream shop. His wife Donna had always pictured what it would be like to own a bed and breakfast. The former Macomb County residents visited Lexington one summer and, as chance would have it, their dreams came true shortly after and the couple became the new proprietors behind the Lexington House Bed & Breakfast.
While on a summer visit to Lexington, the couple drove past the Lexington House Bed and Breakfast and the on-site ice cream shop, Scoops of Lexingt...

The lack of affordable housing is an issue across Michigan.
That issue has become especially severe in northwestern lower Michigan, where the lack of affordable housing is stopping prospective teachers and school staff from taking or keeping jobs in communities in the region.
To change the situation, a group of local schools has banded together to form an educational consortium, the Grand Traverse County Housing for Educators. The aim is to help create housing developments and affordable livi...

The McLaren Port Huron Foundation is dedicated to providing care for hospital patients as well as the entire community outside of the nonprofit hospital setting. Through donations, educational programs, health services, updated equipment, and financial resources, the Foundation impacts neighbors, family members, and the community as a whole.
The Keel recently had the opportunity to speak with three McLaren Port Huron Foundation Board members who shared more about their roles, community connec...

Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare. It can lead to the feeling of absolute deep dark devastation and despair.
When Dick and Judy Winter lost their son Eric, who was born with cerebral palsy, they found a way to shed light on disabilities. Through such a sad time, they have found a way to bring joy, happiness and music to thousands of families. During their ongoing grieving process, the parents looked for ways to memorialize and honor Eric’s love for music.
They founded the Eric ‘Ric...

Iris Mehler studied in the field of rehabilitation counseling, and worked with people with disabilities during her Master’s degree program. When she had her daughter, Keren, all of that experience helped prepare her for the challenge ahead. Keren was born with cerebral palsy, is a quadriplegic, and uses a device to speak. Although Iris was equipped with theoretical knowledge surrounding disabilities, she says living that reality is much different.
“Everything you learn from a professional exp...

As a student in college, Kristi Nichols-Shopbell took a wine-tasting class with her friends, an experience that set her on a path to becoming a wine connoisseur and entrepreneur. After falling in love with Michigan wines while traveling across the state, she came upon a winery that had hobby-level equipment sparking an idea to open one of her own.
Today, Lexington residents Nichols-Shopbell and her husband, Nathan, are the proud owners of two local establishments: 3 North Vines Vineyard & Tas...

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- It’s the job of high school to help prepare students for the "real world," providing them with valuable lessons to take into college, the workforce, and their futures. For some Springfield students, their high school curriculum is helping them reach even higher heights with drone classes.
The School of Innovation is a project-based learning center, located at 601 Selma Road. The School offers a hybrid model of hands-on learning and experiences in a non-traditional setting...

East Lansing has a pretty impressive musical past, opening the doors and stages for many notable rock musicians and singer-songwriters over the decades.
While older venues like The Small Planet or Rick’s American Cafe are gone or no longer cater to rock crowds, live music has taken the stage at other local businesses lately. If you’ve noticed an uptick in performances at The Graduate Rock Bar, Crunchy’s, The Peanut Barrel, or the newly-opened Mash Bar, it’s partly because of Dan Laird. Laird ...

Not everyone feels comfortable or safe being their authentic selves at home, at work, or in other social settings. Blue Water Allies aims to create that safe haven of support for the LGBTQIA+ community since the nonprofit was created in April 2023.
Amanda Hurtubise, President of the Blue Water Allies, says the organization came out of a confluence of several entities within the community such as the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, McLaren Port Huron Foundation, and St. Clair County ...