West Michigan Weekend (A Public Affairs Program from iHeartradio)
"The West Michigan Weekend Podcast with Phil Tower is a production of WOOD Radio and iHeartRadio in West Michigan. Stay connected with the people, places, and events shaping our community and our great state by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love your feedback as well, so please consider leaving us a review! For more of our episodes, find us here, or find us on the iHeartRadio app. Thanks for listening!"
Episodes
Detective Fisher joined us on the program to talk about the recent launch of an awareness campaign by his task force and the Michigan State police to inform parents about the growing dangers of online sexual predators, as well as sextortion, grooming, and other pred...
Dawn joined us for a preview of Midwest’s premier culinary celebration – the Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival – returns to DeVos Place, November 21-22, just in time for the holid...
This year marks the 90th anniversary of Social Security, which has helped generations of Michiganders retire with dignity after a lifetime of hard work. It’s one of the most successful initiatives in American history, and a new AARP survey shows it’s still doing exactly what it was built to do. AARP is proudly honoring the leg...
In this episode, host Phil Tower chats with Brian Smith, Food & Beverage Director, Treetops Resort.
Brian spoke with us about Color tour getaways in the region, including Treetops' new Fall Color Tour and Progressive Dinner.
Treetops Resort is offering its first Fall Color Tour and Progressive Dinner. Experience Fall with creative cuisine, paired with tastings of Michigan beer and wine, all atop the spectacular views only offere...
This year marks the first Michigan College Savings Month since MET lowered its minimum contribution to just $25 to support more Michigan families in starting to save for their child’s future education. The change opens the door for more families to take ad...
This episode was recorded on location in Traverse City, Michigan—home to one of the region’s most celebrated wineries, Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery.
Patrick Brys is the creative force behind the estate’s operations and guest experiences.
Since joining the family business, Patrick has helped transform Brys Estate into n...
Sierra joined us to talk about Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids sponsoring their 11th annual West Side Walk for Gilda’s Club on Saturday, Sept. 27.
The walk is all about celebrating and supporting the thousands of lives touched by Gilda’s free emotional health programs for individuals and families navigati...
HELP’s goal is to promote the healthy development of babies from conception through age three – the most crucial years of life. Additionally, it strives to ensure that every client will leave HELP feeling more empowered to make informed decisions.
Under Paula's leadership, HELP has developed a number of programs to...
Melissa's book is Beyond the 45th Parallel: The Beginner's Guide to Chasing Aurora. Melissa's also the co-founder of the Aurora Summit.
In this full episode, Melissa gave us an update on the latest in Aurora, chasing here in the state of Michigan, plus a preview of the inaugural Gre...
For those who don't know Kevin as well, he is a radio icon, and a three-time Radio Hall of Fame Nominee, and author of: Broken Mary: A Journey of Hope(2017).
This was Kevin's first book, and it tells the story of his battle with multiple sclerosis and his discovery of a broken statue of the Virgin Mar...
Whitney joined us in this segment for a preview of the all-new Traverse City Food & Wine (TCF&W), a five-day farm-to-table celebration that takes place August 20 – 24.
The event sponsors "A Grand Tasting" on Saturday afternoon, August 23, which will offer guests a chance to sample many of the area’s favorite flavors in one...
Dr. Doud joined us to help debunk some common skin safety myths, such as the notion that a "base tan" is protective or that sunscreen is unnecessary on cloudy days.
Some of the questions we discussed included:
Do I need to apply sunscreen on Cloudy Days?
If I have naturally darker brown skin, do I need ...
Kegan, who currently resides in Michigan, is a decorated U.S. Navy fighter pilot, an ultra-endurance athlete, motivational speaker, and author of the compelling new book released earlier this year, “Phoenix Revival: The Aftermath of Naval Aviation's Fastest Ejection” (Paperback). It's his powerful story.
Kegan recently headlined an evening with the internatio...
Michael's new book is We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate, from Simon & Schuster Publishing
Michael told us that humanity has cleared a land mass the size of Asia plus Europe to grow food, and our food system generates a third of our carbon emissions.
By 2050, we’re going to need a ...
From July 11-17, 2025, Grand Rapids is hosting, for the first time, The Hartford Nationals.
This competition is hosted by Move United, the largest and longest-running national sports championship event for athletes with a physical disability, visual impairment, and/or intellectual disability.
This is a major first for the city of Grand Rapids and only t...
Monique joined the program to discuss how Medicaid cuts are expected to affect not only the hundreds of thousands of Michiganders at risk of losing health insurance, but also the broader health care system.
State and health industry leaders recently said in a press conference on Tuesday 8, that the cuts in the spendi...
Alicia, you're joining us to talk about the state's ever to crack down on speeding during the busy summer driving season.
The good news: In Michigan, speeding-related crashes and fatalities have been decreasing. There was a 20% drop in speed-involved crashes in 2023 compared to 2022, and a 32% decrease since 201...
In mid-June of this year(2025), a record high 68 local governments across Michigan were recognized for their sustainability efforts and environmental leadership through their participation in the Michigan Green Communities (MGC) Challenge.
Communities were awarded bronze, silver, gold, or platinum seals of achieveme...
Michigan currently has 15 confirmed measles cases, with 7 cases considered part of an ongoing outbreak, according to the State of Michigan. This outbreak is the first in Michigan since 2019.
Without any doubt, m...
Kim joined us to talk about a growing type of divorce. A collaborative divorce is a process designed as an alternative to traditional litigation to end a marriage. It is sometimes referred to as “divorce with dignity,” “peaceful divorce,” or the “gentler divorce. It is intended to offer you and your spouse the suppor...
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