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Host Phil Tower brings you the latest news and developments from area non-profit organizations and their leaders, plus issues of importance nationally and globally with experts and authors. Tune in...
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Host Phil Tower brings you the latest news and developments from area non-profit organizations and their leaders, plus issues of importance nationally and globally with experts and authors.
Tune in weekly for thoughtful conversation, inspiration and enlightenment.
show less
Tune in weekly for thoughtful conversation, inspiration and enlightenment.
West Michigan Weekend (A Public Affairs Program from iHeartradio)
West Michigan Weekend (A Public Affairs Program from iHeartradio)
WOOD Radio
Transcribed
18 NOV 2024 · In this episode, we speak with Shannon Hills, a Regional Administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services. Shannon walks us through signing up for health insurance through healthcare.gov.
Open Enrollment is the time for people without health insurance to find an affordable, quality plan. Millions of people lack health insurance and now is the time to take advantage of the excellent coverage options and prices available at HealthCare.gov.
Open Enrollment began November 1 and continues to January 15.
Shannon reminded us that people seeking healthcare must select a plan by December 15 to ensure coverage starting January 1.
Open Enrollment is also when enrolled people can change their health plan and update their application information. Shannon reminded us that available healthcare plans change yearly, so it's worth reviewing what’s available.
The healthcare.gov website has been improved dramatically and streamlined to make finding affordable healthcare more accessible than ever.
The toll-free number for questions and additional information is 800-318-2596
Online: https://www.healthcare.gov/
Topics addressed:
Transcribed
18 NOV 2024 · On this episode, host Phil Tower welcomes Dawn Baker, Festival Manager for the Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival. Dawn gave us a final preview of the upcoming Festival, which will return to DeVos Place in downtown November 21-23. Dawn also let us know tickets are still available for Thursday's “Cheers for Charity” in the Grand Gallery space, benefitting Hospice of Michigan.
The event will be an upscale experience featuring a dozen restaurants and specialty food producers serving mouth-watering small plates, food and beverage demonstrations on the Meijer Food Stage, hand-selected beverages, and much more.
Tickets Plus more information about this year's International Wine, Beer & Food Festival is at https://showspan.com/grw/
Topics Addressed:
Transcribed
10 NOV 2024 · On this episode, host Phil Tower speaks with Gordon Oosting, Board Member and CFO with Mel Trotter Ministries. Gordon joined us for an update on the impact of the services of Mel Trotter ministries and to talk about the upcoming WOOD Radio & Mel Trotter Ministries Turkey Drop on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
Turkey Drop is an annual tradition in West Michigan. Mel Trotter Ministries, WOOD Radio, and Celebration Cinema partner for an entire day devoted to collecting frozen turkeys for our neighbors in need in the greater Grand Rapids area. This year's goal is to collect 5,000 turkeys.
Online: https://www.meltrotter.org/events/turkey-drop/
Transcribed
The positive health impact of Neighborhood Wellness Centers with Reverend Parris McMurray (11-10-24)
10 NOV 2024 · On this episode, host Phil Tower speaks with Reverend Parris McMurray, Senior Pastor of the Renaissance Church of God in Christ. Renaissance Church of God in Christ on 33rd Street SE here in Grand Rapids is home to a Neighborhood Wellness Center, where residents can go to receive their fall vaccinations.
The church partners with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and they are one of the 22 Neighborhood Wellness Center locations in Michigan. We spoke with Reverend McMurray to hear the backstory of how his church became a Neighborhood Wellness Center and about its positive impact on his parishioners and those who access its services.
Online: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/neighborhood-wellness-centers/nwc-hourshttps://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/neighborhood-wellness-centers/nwc-hours
Transcribed
3 NOV 2024 · In this segment, Phil Tower welcomes back Ron Jenkins, Director, and Kateri Schneider, the actor playing the lead role of Dorthy, in LionHeart Productions newest presentation, The Wizard of Oz Live on Stage…….. November 8-10, 15 & 16, 2024, at Grant Fine Arts Center.
LionHeart Productions is a community theater organization based in Grant, Michigan. For over twenty years, it has produced family-friendly productions for Newaygo County.
https://lionheartproductions.org/
https://lionheartproductions.org/
Transcribed
3 NOV 2024 · In this segment, Phil Tower welcomes Ilhiana Rojas Saldana, executive and leadership coach, DEI consultant, bestselling author, and international motivational speaker. Ilhiana is the featured keynote speaker at Inforum Michigan’s Capstone Dinner on Thursday, November 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids.
Ilhiana founded BeLIVE Coaching & Consulting and is the co-president of United Latinas. Saldana brings over 20 years of global executive experience from her work with Fortune 500 companies in Mexico and the U.S. Her leadership and business strategy expertise has benefitted numerous professionals and organizations. During Inforum’s Capstone Dinner, Saldana will share strategies on the transformative power of self-advocacy, embracing one’s unique voice, and confidently stepping into your power and amplifying your area of influence. Inforum is a leading professional organization that fosters strategic connections and accelerates women's careers across Southeast and West Michigan.
https://myinforum.org/
https://www.belivecoach.com/
Transcribed
Assuring secure, safe, and accurate elections with Kent County Clerk, Lisa Posthumus-Lyons(10/27/24)
27 OCT 2024 · Host Phil Tower focuses on elections and preparing for election day with Kent County Clerk/Register of Deeds Lisa Posthumus-Lyons on this week's program.
We devoted the whole program to discussing voting, preparing for elections, and the issue of election integrity.
Posthumus-Lyons made it clear that she and her team with the clerk's office have been working overtime to assure that she and her team with the clerk's office have been working overtime to ensure that this general election on November election on November 5 runs smoothly and accurately.
She also told us that election transparency is a priority for her and her team and that every Kent County voter should trust the voting process.
Posthumus-Lyons told us that she wants the election process to be accessible to the public. She even invited county residents to watch the testing of voting machines and ask any additional questions about the process.
She recently told WOOD TV 8, “We’re inserting a number of ballots into the tabulator to ensure that it counts what it’s supposed to count, that it doesn’t count what it’s not supposed to. So, if a voter makes a mistake or overvotes, we want to give the voter that option to correct their ballot,” he said. “…The public can see and observe that whole process.”
71% of Michigan adults 18 and over participated in the 2020 presidential election, which is the highest percentage since the 1960 presidential election (Kennedy vs. Nixon)
We also discussed absentee ballots and early in-person voting with Lisa Posthumus-Lyons. She stressed the importance of getting ballots in on time, especially for absentee ballot voters. She recommended dropping the ballots off at the township ballot boxes and not mailing them to ensure that they are received on time and counted.
Key Registration deadlines:
In-person at local election office on Election Day: Nov 5
Absentee ballot deadlines:
Request ballot deadline: Nov 1 by 5:00 p.m. EDT
Return ballot by mail (received by): Nov 5 by 8:00 p.m. EST
Return ballot in person: Nov 5 by 8:00 p.m. EST
Online: https://www.accesskent.com/Departments/Elections/
Transcribed
20 OCT 2024 · On this week's full program, Phil Tower welcomes back Chad Livengood, the politics editor and columnist at The Detroit News.
In our second visit this year with Chad Livengood on the West Michigan weekend program, we covered a wide range of topics related to the presidential race, Michigan politics, and, specifically, the tight Senate race between Mike Rogers and Elissa Slotkin.
Former President Trump, in a widely covered speech before the Detroit Economic Club on October 10th, everyone was talking about a comment Trump made when he asked what could happen if Vice President Kamala Harris were to win. Trump was quoted as saying, “It will be like Detroit. Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president. You’re going to have a mess on your hands.”
Many people in Detroit and beyond expressed understandable outrage. Still, Trump’s supporters said the national media seized upon that comment and took it entirely out of context.
Chad attended the Detroit Economic Club speech and shared his views on what happened that day.
Both candidates, former President Donald Trump, and Vice President Kamala Harris, have made numerous trips to Michigan and are likely to make several more as the presidential race becomes more important and magnified as we approach election day.
Chad also discussed the key Senate race between Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R). As we recorded this program, the polls showed that both candidates are in a virtual dead heat in their effort to replace retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s (D) seat in the U.S. Senate
Additionally, we talked about absentee ballots and the importance of early in-person voting, which Chad felt could have a major impact on the election here in Michigan.
Finally, we ended our conversation by discussing the importance of trusting the election outcome, precisely the idea of election integrity.
A September survey by the Gallup organization found that 57% of Americans say they are very or somewhat confident that the votes for president this year will be accurately cast and counted. The Gallup research noted that this percentage of voters aligns with how Americans have viewed the election results most years since 2008. However, the research noted that only 28% of Republicans have faith in the accuracy of the vote.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/651185/partisan-split-election-integrity-gets-even-wider.aspx
You can read Chad’s stories here in https://www.detroitnews.com/staff/9891415002/chad-livengood/
TOPICS ADDRESSED: the presidential election 2024, presidential politics, election integrity, get-out-the-vote efforts, absentee voting, early in-person voting, election safety, and media coverage of the presidential race.
Transcribed
13 OCT 2024 · On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Doug Stanton and Anne Stanton of the National Writers Series.
They joined us to discuss the fall 2024 season of The National Writers Series in Traverse City, Michigan.
Doug Stanton is a journalist, lecturer, screenwriter, and author of New York Times bestsellers In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors and Horse Soldiers, which was the basis of the 2018 film 12 Strong. Doug is also co-founder of the National Writers Series.
Along with Doug Stanton, Anne Stanton is also a co-founder of the National Writers Series and currently serves as its executive director. She is also the editorial director for Mission Point Press.
NWS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging world-renowned authors in meaningful conversations in the Traverse City area. The organization also sponsors "Raising Writers" programs to help students express themselves, explore the world through reading, develop their imaginations, and think critically.
Since 2010, the National Writers Series has hosted more than 260 authors––including Alice Walker, Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, Tayari Jones, Jodi Picoult, Vince Gilligan, and Anthony Doerr––and drawn more than 70,000 people to our events, mostly held at the City Opera House. The events have also sold some 20,000 books through local bookstores.
Online: https://nationalwritersseries.org/
Transcribed
6 OCT 2024 · On this episode, host Phil Tower speaks with bestselling author Philippa Perry, on her book, The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read: (And Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did)
This is an encore replay of our interview with Philippa Perry in February 2020.
In her now million-copy bestseller, leading psychotherapist Philippa Perry shares relationships' vital do's and don'ts. This is a book described as “for us all.” Whether you are interested in understanding how your upbringing has shaped you, looking to handle your child's feelings or wishing to support your partner, you will find indispensable information and realistic tips in these pages. Philippa Perry's sane, sage, and judgment-free advice is an essential resource on how to have the best possible relationships with the people who matter to you most.
Online:https://www.theguardian.com/profile/philippa-perry
The Book: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Wish-Your-Parents-Children-ebook/dp/B07GRBB9WQ
TOPICS ADDRESSED: marriage relationships, parenting and marriages, Childcare, parenting advice.
Host Phil Tower brings you the latest news and developments from area non-profit organizations and their leaders, plus issues of importance nationally and globally with experts and authors. Tune in...
show more
Host Phil Tower brings you the latest news and developments from area non-profit organizations and their leaders, plus issues of importance nationally and globally with experts and authors.
Tune in weekly for thoughtful conversation, inspiration and enlightenment.
show less
Tune in weekly for thoughtful conversation, inspiration and enlightenment.
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