WGRD 97.9 » Grand Rapids News

King Of The Wing — Shaffee Tries Wings From Brann's Steakhouse and Sports Grille

Shaffee — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:37:25 +0000

97.9 WGRD and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy present King of the Wing, Saturday, May 18th at John Ball Park beginning at 1pm. Sample wings from local restaurants and bars and then vote for the one you think deserves the crown! Click here for more info.

How To Properly Eat A Chicken Wing Because You're Doing It Wrong

Steven Bohner — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:29:06 +0000

Eating a chicken wing seems simple enough, right? Grab the chicken wing, bite the chicken wing, tear the flesh and meat from the bone, chew it, swallow, repeat... Wrong! Sure, maybe that's how you eat a drumstick, but if you eat the wing like that... You, sir, are a savage! Or just hungry. Whatever's clever.

Help Wanted: Kid Rock Bartender [VIDEO]

JT — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:35:12 +0000

In a horrible down economy one man dares to defy the state of Michigan’s high unemployment rates. Kid Rock is ready to make you the official bartender for his upcoming tour. Imagine impressing Kid and members of the Twisted Brown Trucker Band by popping off Bad Ass Beer bottle tops with just your teeth. Or [...]

King Of The Wing — Shaffee Tries Wings From Quick Wings

Shaffee — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:04:34 +0000

Grand Rapids Holds On To 'Beer City, USA' Title

Wendy Reed — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:50:02 +0000

Last year, Grand Rapids had to share the title of Beer City, USA with Asheville, North Carolina. This year, we didn't feel like sharing and after all 50,000 votes were tallied by the folks at Examiner.com, Grand Rapids came out on top. We are, once again (and this time without having to share), Beer City, USA!

Comet — The Oklahoman Wonder Dog

Steven Bohner — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:33:56 +0000

Comet is a 7-year-old golden retriever who stumbled into my girlfriend and I's lives. Yesterday my girlfriend, Brittainy, found Comet wondering around the parking lot of the Goodwill she works at. Dehydrated and tired, Comet sauntered into "The Will's" parking lot around noon. Brittainy brought the lonely dog some water, which he lapped up very quickly, and took him inside the store to get out of the heat. This is where the story starts to get a little odd...

Watch Live Streaming Video Of TEDxGrandRapids

Matt Milhouse — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:00:37 +0000

TEDxGrandRapids is Thursday, May 9. TEDxGrandRapids is sold out, but you can still take part through social media and streaming video. TEDxGrandRapids is an independently organized annual event. It’s goal is to promote “ideas worth spreading”. TED started as a 4-day conference in California over 20 years ago. There are now multiple TEDx locations across the [...]

Plaza Towers Residents Can Move Back In Starting Wednesday Afternoon

Wendy Reed — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:01:32 +0000

Residents of Plaza Towers in downtown Grand Rapids who have been displaced from their apartments since the early morning on April 20 will be able to move back into their homes starting at 3pm today. According to a post on Plaza Towers’ Facebook page, residents will be given welcome packets, new parking passes, and more [...]

$250,000 For The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans!

Andy + Dave — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:52:33 +0000

Hey Gang – how bout an update on the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans project where the Home Depot is offering a chance at $250,000 for improvements to the facility on Monroe Street down by Riverside Park. Grand Rapids is a little behind in the voting and we still really need your help. You can [...]

Grand Rapids' Marijuana Ordinance Takes Effect May 1st

Steven Bohner — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:47:20 +0000

After being approved by voters in November of 2012, the Grand Rapids marijuana ordinance goes into effect tomorrow, May 1st. When the ordinance takes effect, a person with marijuana will be given a civil infraction ticket instead of receiving jail time. On Tuesday, April 30th, the City Manager’s office issued the following statement: The Grand [...]

Vote For The Best Coney Dog In West Michigan

Joe Knight — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:20:24 +0000

A few months ago we asked everyone here in West Michigan to vote for their favorite pizza. After over 24,000 votes being recorded, you decided that Three Brothers Pizza was the best of the best.

Now we want you to tell us who has the best Coney Dog in West Michigan!

Norton Shores Police Searching For Woman Abducted From Gas Station

Wendy Reed — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:26:27 +0000

Police in Norton Shores are asking for the public’s help in finding Jessica Heeringa, 25, of Norton Shores who police now believe was abducted. Heeringa disappeared from work at the Sternberg Borad Exxon Mobile gas station on Friday, sometime between 11p.m. and 11:15pm, according to police. On Sunday, Norton Shores Police Chief Daniel Shaw announced [...]

Is Film About To Become A Much Bigger Part Of ArtPrize?

Matt Milhouse — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:30:32 +0000

ArtPrize begins September 18, but it's been a busy couple of weeks for the art competition.

Venue registration closed, artist registration began, and a new executive director was named.

Christian Gaines, the new executive director of ArtPrize, has a strong background working with films.

Is his hiring an indication that film is about to become a much bigger part of ArtPrize?

Fox Power Sports' Triumph Riding Event — April 27th

Steven Bohner — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:29:27 +0000

Fox Power Sports is hosting thee Triumph Riding Event on April 24th. The crew down at Fox Power Sports will be giving professional instruction on the unique aspects of riding a Triumph as well as personal fitting assessments. In addition to the demonstrations and instruction, you can also enjoy free BBQ all day long!

Grand Rapids Flooding Photos

Steven Bohner — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:33:22 +0000

Widespread flooding has hit almost every area of West Michigan. Roads and bridges are being shut down all over the region. We have gathered pictures of the flooding from all over, check out several galleries after the break.

Who Has The Best Coney Dog In West Michigan?

Joe Knight — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:15:18 +0000

We are constantly trying to figure out where to get the best grub in West Michigan. A few months ago we had a poll that asked where you could find the best pizza on this side of the state. Now we want to know who has the best Coney Dog in West Michigan… Source: Who [...]

Grand Rapids Flood Jet Ski Tour [VIDEO]

JT — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:27:44 +0000

For most of us the Grand Rapids flood of 2013 will be remembered as a pain in the a** with road closures, basement floods, and the constant threat of bad weather lingering for what seemed like forever. But for one group of jet Skiers it will be remembered as a great time to explore and [...]

USA Today Names Michigan One Of 'The Top 10 Best Craft Brew States In America'

Wendy Reed — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:11:01 +0000

We Michiganders know that we have some amazing breweries right here in the Mitten State. Heck, everyone in West Michigan knows that we have the best breweries, hands down (suck it, Asheville). And now, USA Today has bestowed us with another title, honoring our awesome beer.

Interactive Map Of Grand Rapids Road Closures

Matt Milhouse — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:47:57 +0000

As water levels begin to recede in West Michigan, more roads and bridges are opening to traffic. View an interactive map of road closures in Grand Rapids and make your commute as quick and safe as possible. At one point there was about 80 road closures in Kent County due to flooding. Muskegon County had [...]

Flooding Causes Bridge Collapse Upends Car [VIDEO]

JT — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:32:20 +0000

From our partners over at WZZM comes this story of a scary drive over a bridge. It happened on Lincoln Ave in Ionia. One minute the driver is crossing over what appears to be a normal bridge, the next minute the bridge is collapsing and nearly sends his vehicle plunging over the side