 
A Note From The Administrator
With so much happening across Kent County in recent weeks, it’s important to take a moment to recognize and thank the men and women who have served our country and helped protect the freedoms we enjoy. As you'll read below, Operation Green Light is underway and will culminate with Wednesday’s Veterans Day Parade. These efforts bring our community together to show appreciation and honor the courage, dedication and sacrifices of our veterans. While Veterans Day offers a special opportunity to reflect on their service, let’s make sure our gratitude and support continue throughout the year.
On Thursday, I joined our staff and commissioners for the Road Commission’s annual Township Dinner. This event is always a wonderful opportunity to connect with township leaders, strengthen partnerships, and hear updates on road projects and improvements happening throughout Kent County.
As always, please let us know if you have articles, topics, or ideas that you would like to include in future newsletters.
- Al Vanderberg
|
Kent County Begins Year-Round Siren Testing
Beginning last Friday, Kent County is now testing our outdoor warning sirens at noon on the first Friday of every month year-round. Previously, testing occurred only from April through October.
The change supports a major modernization project by our Emergency Management team which will improve system reliability, monitoring, and emergency response. Upgrades will also allow public safety officials to activate sirens in more targeted geographic areas during severe weather or other emergencies. Residents are reminded that outdoor warning sirens are designed to alert people who are outdoors and should always be paired with other emergency notification methods.
Read the full press release about the new warning siren schedule and technology here.
|
Probate Court Chief Judge Receives Judge of the Year Award
Congratulations to Chief Judge Avery D. Rose, from our Probate Court, who was named Judge of the Year by the Michigan Probate and Juvenile Registers Association (MPJRA).
Judge Rose received the award in October, recognizing his outstanding judicial leadership and contributions to Michigan’s probate and juvenile court systems. This honor reflects the dedication, leadership, and commitment to public service demonstrated by our Probate Court and its staff. Congratulations to Chief Judge Rose on this well-deserved achievement!
|
Our Community Glows Green for Veterans
 It's Operation Green Light Week! Residents, businesses, and community partners are encouraged to light their homes and buildings green in support of local veterans. Our Veterans Services department has been busily distributing over 1,000 free green light bulbs and has been encouraging everyone to participate. Yesterday, we even lit up the court green at Van Andel Arena for the Grand Rapids Gold game.
The campaign concludes this Wednesday, November 11 with the Veterans Day Parade, beginning at 6 p.m. in downtown Grand Rapids. The parade will travel along Division Avenue, Fulton Street, and Park Place before ending at Veterans Memorial Park.
Bring the family, line the parade route, and show your support! Watch for Veterans Services staff handing out goodie bags along the way.
Meet Dusty the Crawlspace Inspector
Something was lurking in the crawlspace this Halloween…and it’s here to help residents, with our Community Action (KCCA) team.
Meet Dusty, our new Wombat Inspection Crawler! This addition to KCCA's Weatherization Program helps our team inspect hard-to-reach spaces and identify opportunities to improve a home's energy efficiency, health, and safety.
Dusty handles the creepy crawlspaces so our team can get a closer look at what's happening beneath residents' homes.
|
Staff Bring the Halloween Spirit to Life
Our employees embraced the Halloween spirit with creativity, teamwork, and plenty of festive fun during this year’s Employee Americana-Themed Costume Contest! With two ways to win, the competition featured a Judges’ Choice and a Fan Favorite award.
Congratulations to 63rd District Court, whose Salem Witch Trials theme earned Judges’ Choice for the second consecutive year and to our Friend of the Court department, who took home Fan Favorite honors with their Women in Black costumes, earning the most votes from our social media followers.
Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this year’s contest a fun celebration of teamwork and County camaraderie! You can view all of the costumes here.
Why Flu Vaccination Matters This Season
As holiday gatherings approach, our Health Department team partnered with Corewell Health's Helen DeVos Children's Hospital to highlight the importance of annual flu vaccination.
According to pediatric infectious disease consultant Dr. Rosie Olivero, more than 90% of children hospitalized with influenza-related complications had not received a flu vaccine that season.
Vaccination remains one of the best ways to protect yourself, your family, and our community from serious illness. The partnership aims to encourage residents to take simple steps now to stay healthy throughout the flu season. To sign up for a flu shot, visit here and call 616-632-7200.
|
Art, Justice and the Power of Storytelling
Our Administrator, Al Vanderberg, and staff recently toured three landmark solo exhibitions at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) exploring the American criminal justice system through the power of art and storytelling.
The exhibitions feature works by an artist who experienced incarceration, an exoneree who spent 42 years in prison before being cleared, and an artist documenting the final meals of individuals on death row. Together, the exhibits highlight how creativity can inspire healing, preserve stories and give people a sense of purpose. GRAM hopes to use the exhibitions as a starting point for meaningful community dialogue.
|
Help Shape a New Community Safety Resource
Our Welcome Plan Collaborative is creating a Community Safety Hub on welcomewestmi.org to provide accessible safety information and resources for refugees and immigrants across West Michigan.
To ensure the hub reflects community needs, we are seeking feedback from ethnic community-based organizations and service providers. Your input will help identify information gaps, prioritize topics, and improve access to important resources.
If your organization works directly with immigrant and refugee communities, please complete the short survey and share it with others in your network.
|
Happy Homes, Happy Hearts Luncheon
Our Community Action team recently hosted the Happy Homes, Happy Hearts Luncheon, celebrating the people and partnerships behind their residential home repair programs.
Through client stories and examples of collaboration, attendees learned how these programs are improving homes and lives across Kent County. The event highlighted partnerships that help stretch grant funding and reach more residents. We also encouraged contractors to get involved and proudly recognized R & R Heating and Cooling for its outstanding partnership and more than $1.2 million in work completed over the past five years. Together, we're making a difference, one home at a time.
MSU Extension’s Grand Ideas Garden Featured on PBS GardenSMART™
MSU Extension’s Grand Ideas Garden is receiving national recognition! The garden on Ball St. was recently featured on PBS’s GardenSMART™, a program highlighting inspiring gardens, gardening techniques, and ideas for gardeners.
The feature showcases the Grand Ideas Garden as a place to explore creative gardening concepts, discover new plants, and find inspiration for home landscapes. This national exposure highlights MSU Extension’s commitment to sharing gardening knowledge and inspiring gardeners of all experience levels.
We are proud to see this MSU Extension resource in the spotlight and invite everyone to visit the Grand Ideas Garden for inspiration and ideas to bring home to their own gardens!
|
Protecting Red Pandas, People and Dogs in Nepal
John Ball Zoo has partnered with the Red Panda Network for more than 10 years to support red panda habitat restoration. Recently, the zoo's Conservation Manager, Bill Flanagen, traveled to Nepal to observe and support a workshop by Human Innovations on the humane handling of free ranging dogs.
The workshop was supported by SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) Red Panda to increase Red Panda Network's capacity to assist community clinics vaccinating free-roaming dogs against diseases such as rabies and distemper. The health of human communities, domestic animals, and wildlife are closely connected, and efforts like this will help to protect local communities, dogs, and red pandas.
|
Kent County Offices and Health Department Clinics Will Be Closed On November 11 For Veteran's Day
Explore Rewarding Careers At Kent County Today
 A career with Kent County offers the chance to make a meaningful impact in the community through a wide range of roles in public service, including health, public safety, parks, courts, administration, and many other areas that support residents every day. To view our open positions and apply, visit kentcountymi.gov/jobs.
|
