Tom Cook

Hey, I’m the “new guy” here at 100.5 The River. We’ll get to hang out for part of your workday and the drive home while you’re listening to Today’s Best Mix without the rap. Some people asked “why would you move HERE?” when I started. I answer that question with disbelief and realize that people in GR simply don’t realize what a great city they have. Grand Rapids is just a fantastic city. The people, the downtown, the festivals, the philanthropy of our ‘famous families’ … the list goes on and on. The VIBE of this city is just incredible. Those who say “why would you move HERE?” clearly don’t realize how crappy most other similar sized cities are compared to GR. We moved here from the vibrant and clean city (#sarcasm) of Toledo, OH where I was the Operations Manager for six radio stations. Before that, I was on-air or programming stations in Philadelphia, New York City, Milwaukee, Madison, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) and Waterloo (Iowa). My wife and I met in Madison and were married four days after 9/11. We have two “furry kids” named Ollie (yellow lab/bassett/corgi) and Chester (bassett). I’m also the Program Director for Channel 95-7 and 100.5 The River, so if you have any comments, suggestions or complaints (I welcome compliments, too), just email or call me!

Serving Thanksgiving For 10 People Should Cost Just Over $50?

Every year, the American Farm Bureau Federation releases a study on how much it should cost the average family to serve Thanksgiving dinner for the year. And every year, I'm like, "Which grocery stores are these people shopping at?" So how much should it cost to serve 10 people a full Thanksgiving dinner in 2015 according to the experts? Only $50.11, or just over than $5 per person. That

Police Searching for Suspect Following Wyoming Credit Union Robbery

Wyoming police are searching for a man who they say robbed the ATL Credit Union, 841 36th St. SW in Wyoming, at gunpoint late Friday morning. The robbery was reported around 11:45 a.m. EST. In a news release, police said the man entered the credit union with a handgun and then fled the scene on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.

Paul Medawar Jewelry on Plainfield Ave. Robbed

UPDATE (12:35 p.m.): WZZM-13's investigative reporter John Hogan is reporting that as of 12:35 p.m. the Kent County Sheriff's Department has three suspects in custody following a traffic stop on eastbound I-96 near M-6. (12:30 p.m.) Kent County Sheriff’s deputies are on the scene of a robbery at Paul Medawar Fine Jewelry. The robbery happened just after noon at the jewelry store, which is located

Husband Wanted in Allegan County Slaying Seen in Maine

The husband of Sara Lee Knight, the woman whose body was found Jan. 13, is wanted for her alleged slaying and has been spotted in Maine, according to WZZM-13. Allegan County sheriff's deputies are investigating the case as an apparent homicide.

Flu Shots Are Only 23 Percent Effective This Season, CDC Reports

On Thursday, health officials announced that flu shots are only 23 percent effective against this season's strain. This is not a good sign in a season where it seems more and more people are being stricken down with the flu.

New Hampshire Considers Changing Law to Allow Founders Beer Label

A lot of states have weird laws, and New Hampshire, it turns out, is no exception. Currently, bottles of Breakfast Stout by Founders Brewery Co. in Grand Rapids is illegal to be sold in the state of New Hampshire.

Survey Shows Nearly Half of Americans Are Late Christmas Gift Shoppers

Aren't done with your Christmas shopping yet? Well, join the crowd. According to a just-released Harris Poll survey, millions of Americans are waiting until the last minute to complete their holiday shopping.

Device Addiction Grows with Mobile Internet of Things [Video]

Well, this is interesting. Maybe not the reality of it, but its depth, breadth and reach. According to a new Deloitte survey on mobile consumer trends, we -- as in us U.S. consumers -- are becoming more and more obsessed with our electronic devices. Just call it device addiction. Some of the facts: Nearly 90 percent check their phones in the first hour of being awake and 23 percent look at their d

NASA Awakens New Horizons Spacecraft Ahead of Pluto Encounter [Video]

NASA's doing some crazy things this month. First, it launched its first spacecraft in three years since the space shuttle. Now, the U.S. space agency has awakened its New Horizons spacecraft for an encounter with Pluto -- which is still a planet to me.

And the Survey Says: Wine Beats Beer for Christmas

Much has been written about pairing wines with whatever you are serving up for dinner, or whether a stout or an IPA would best accompany that stew on your stove. But when it comes to alcoholic beverage choices for American adults, how much does when factor into the type of drink one chooses? Apparently, quite a bit, according to a recent Harris Poll.

NASA’s Back in Space Flight Game with Orion [Video]

NASA reached a major milestone Friday as the Orion spacecraft completed its first voyage to space, traveling farther than any spacecraft designed for astronauts has been in more than 40 years. Bottom line: NASA's back in the spaceflight game for the first time since the space shuttle program ended three years ago.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Brings Holiday Spectacle to Grand Rapids on Sunday [Video]

If you've never seen the Trans-Siberian Orchestra perform, don't even bother imagining what might unfold. It is something seemingly slightly beyond the realm of reality being brought to Grand Rapids for Trans-Siberian Orchestra's performances at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Van Andel Arena.