A Coffee Rescue rescue

A local entrepreneur thought she couldn’t go on after a decade of building a business and mounting frustration. Then came her fans and patrons to the rescue.
NowKalamazoo Daily Newsletter

Foul odor complaints expand
The West Main Hill neighborhood is concerned that the smell in their area is the same plaguing the Northside neighborhood in the city of Kalamazoo. Also: 187 years of county deeds and other documents are being digitized to preserve them. And, a new position is supposed to help coordinate county efforts to prepare for a warming climate.

The last shoe drops

A third-generation Kalamazoo cobbler is shutting down his shop with no one left to take it over when he retires this summer. It’s a trend in a craft that has devastated local customers and, nationally, underscores an embrace of waste.

NowKalamazoo in our Community

logo for Knight Life News
Providing editorial support for Loy Norrix student journalists.
logo for Mental Wellness Project
Demargeo White and Sydeny Davis hold an oversized $5,000 check.

5 local businesses. 5 minutes. $5K. Startup Zoo returns.

The entrepreneur support network returns with the first of its new monthly pitch competitions and a series of programs to invigorate local business growth.
Loot Energy founder Jon Elms laughs while holding a can of Loot Energy while sitting on couch with an unnamed woman.

From the gym to gaming to a business idea

Playing video games was supposed to pass time until the pandemic ended and gyms opened back up. Then Jon Elms, a fitness coach, created an energy drink company for gym rats and gamers alike that is expanding beyond Kalamazoo after some help from another local business owner.
A plate of egusi stew and fufu

Nigerian fusion food comes to Kalamazoo

Isa Clark spent many hours in the kitchen growing up in the Niger Delta region, helping feed an extended family and a steady stream of visitors. Now it’s the Kalamazoo community’s time to feast.
Chris Dilley standing in the produce section of the People's Food Co-op

‘This is what the community wanted. I helped facilitate it.’

Chris Dilley’s influence has helped redefine Kalamazoo’s food landscape. He’s been instrumental in the transformation of the People’s Food Co-op for nearly half the time it’s been in operation. Now, he’s moving on.
Reggie Moore speaks to a group of people in a meeting room.

‘Time to double down’

Advisor to a gun violence prevention initiative in Kalamazoo says the severity of the crisis looms large, despite a recent drop in homicides.
Two people stand in the snow in the middle of a homeless encampment.

From the managing editor’s notebook: A snapshot of homelessness in Kalamazoo

NowKalamazoo’s Kristie May helped conduct a nighttime count of anyone sleeping outdoors within Kalamazoo County. Here’s what she learned.
KDPS Chief Vernon Coakley posing in his police uniform

KDPS chief loses misconduct review, wins retirement deal

Kalamazoo’s chief of public safety stands accused of discrimination and harassment during the brief time he was in charge of the department. But Vernon Coakley is being allowed to retire with a year of pay and full benefits.

A sister by her side. A family behind her back.

It takes a will, skill, and family for two women running a cafe in the middle of rural Scotts. Yet the community is grateful they’ve taken it on, from the retired couple who offered them the chance, to their meat suppliers who are also regular diners.