West Michigan Weekend (A Local Public Affairs Program from iHeartradio)
Host Phil Tower brings you the latest news from area non-profit organizations and their leaders.
Episodes
April 28, 2024 • 28 mins
In this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes back Chad Livengood, politics editor and columnist at The Detroit News. Chad joined us in this program to discuss a broad range of political topics, focusing first on Michigan politics and the recent criminal charges brought against former speaker of the house, Lee Chatfield, by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. In mid-April, Nessel unveiled 13 criminal charges against former...
Mark as Played
On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Michigan Civil Rights Commission Chair Gloria Lara. The Michigan Civil Rights Commission is sponsoring the final of four statewide public hearings on housing discrimination right here in Grand Rapids at the Community Center for Transformation on Sunday, April 28, 2024. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights will be hosting this special gathering for individuals to voice their hopes...
Mark as Played
On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Dr. Meg Jay, Ph.D. Meg Jay. Meg is a developmental clinical psychologist who specializes in twentysomethings. She is also the author of a brand new book…..The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age, and the author of “The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now” and “Supernormal: The Secret World of the Family H...
Mark as Played
On this week's episode, host Phil Tower welcomes Taylor Olson, the Director of Marketing for The Detroit Tigers. We hit the road for this special segment and recorded live on location from Comerica Park as the Tigers rolled out the red carpet for the media to discuss “What’s New” at Comerica Park for the 2024 Detroit Tigers season.
Taylor shared many exciting details about the upcoming Tigers season, including new food items, fan g...
Taylor shared many exciting details about the upcoming Tigers season, including new food items, fan g...
Mark as Played
On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Ava “Attari,” Higher Education Partnerships Director with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The State of Michigan has launched a new incentive program to retain and attract more college students to live here in the Great Lakes State after graduation. The new program promotes semiconductor, electric vehicle, and mobility careers. It’s called The Michigander Scholars Pro...
Mark as Played
March 24, 2024 • 28 mins
On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Gary Schuler, the founder and president of GTF Technologies. Gary was recently featured on iHeartRadio's CEOs You Should Know Podcast Series. GTF Technologies was founded in 2014 and specializes in creating secondary applications for unused plant-based materials such as fruit and vegetable side streams and brewer's spent grain from larger juice food processors. GTF Technologies us...
Mark as Played
On this week's program, host Phil Tower speaks with Chad Somerville, Outreach Manager with MI Student Aid with MiLEAP — Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. For parents and students preparing for college, after a long delay and some mistakes on the newly released FAFSA form, the federal government has just released a new and revised FAFSA — Free Application for Federal Student Aid form at fafsa.gov...
Mark as Played
On the program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Noelle Riley, Marketing and Communications Director with the National Writers Series, Traverse City, Michigan. The National Writers Series is a nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging world-renowned authors in meaningful conversations in the Traverse City area. Since 2010, the National Writers Series has hosted more than 230 authors––including Alice Walker, Margaret Atwood, Da...
Mark as Played
On the program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Dr. Sandra Upton, Founder and Chief DEI Strategist with Upton Consulting Group (UCG), author of the new book, "Make It Last: A Roadmap and Practical Strategies for How to Do DEI," available on Amazon. Dr Upton and UCG work with DEI professionals and organizations around the globe. Before launching UCG, Dr. Upton was vice president of the Global Diversity Practice with the Cultural ...
Mark as Played
On the program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Zack Berends, Festival and Events manager, LaughFest, and Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids proudly sponsors the 14th annual LaughFest on March 6-10. This year's event features headliners Tammy Pescatelli, Josh Johnson, Piff the Magic Dragon, and Demetri Martin. Comedian, actor, and author Tom Papa is set to headline the Gilda’s Club annual Red Door Gala on Marc...
Mark as Played
On this week's program, host, Phil Tower, welcomes Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young . Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young joined us for an in-depth conversation on the two-year anniversary of the Human Trafficking Task Force created in 2021 by the Kent County Sheriff's Office. Over the last several years, many non-profit organizations in Kent County developed programs to assist individuals who had been the victims of human traff...
Mark as Played
On this week's program host, Phil Tower, welcomes Eric Hultgren, Director of Brand Strategy and Social Media, M-Live. Eric joined Phil for the full program for a review of some of the biggest media stories of 2023, and many of them are still making news on a regular basis in 2024. Among the topics we discussed was the state of "X" after the sale and rebranding of Twitter by Elon Musk. Musk changed the name of the social media site...
Mark as Played
In this week's program, host Phil Tower dedicates the full program to a conversation on a topic on everyone's mind: the weather! Phil welcomed Storm Team 8 Chief Meteorologist Ellen Bacca, and Blake Harms, Storm Team 8 weekend evening meteorologist for a look back at the biggest weather stories of 2023 and look ahead at the last weeks of winter impacted by the El Niño effect for 2024. 2023 was filled with many significant weather ...
Mark as Played
On the program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Dawn Baker, show manager for the Michigan International Auto Show. The 26th Annual Michigan International Auto Show is at Devos Place February 1-4, 2024 (Thursday & Friday, 11am-9:00pm | Saturday 10am-9:00pm | Sunday 10am-5pm) Auto Show week begins with the Charity Spectacular on Wednesday, January 31. Through a long-standing partnership, more than $2 million has been raised to...
Mark as Played
January 22, 2024 • 28 mins
On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes the undisputed king of sports talk radio in West Michigan, Bill Simonson, for a candid conversation on his personal life, what caused his love for radio, and his long-running success as a sports talk personality. Simonson is known and respected across the state of Michigan as host of the "Huge Show." His program originates from iHeartradio's 96-1 The Game in Grand Rapids and is distr...
Mark as Played
On this week's program, host Phil Tower speaks with Dr. Robert Sterner, Director of The Large Lakes Observatory and a Biology Professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Dr. Sterner is also president of The Northeastern Association of Marine and Great Lakes Laboratories. Despite its pristine and cold waters, Lake Superior….the largest freshwater lake in the world, is warming. In fact, as we learn in this conversation with g...
Mark as Played
On this week's program, host Phil Tower is joined by Jocelyn Detloff, author of It Rained in the Desert: One Woman's Story of Spirit and Resilience.
Jocelyn is the Major Gifts Director at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids.
Jocelyn shares with host Phil Tower the story of how her life changed dramatically while on an adventure in southern Africa in the late 90s. The specific date is actually Sunday, April 13, 1997....
Jocelyn is the Major Gifts Director at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids.
Jocelyn shares with host Phil Tower the story of how her life changed dramatically while on an adventure in southern Africa in the late 90s. The specific date is actually Sunday, April 13, 1997....
Mark as Played
December 29, 2023 • 28 mins
In this week's episode, host Phil Tower welcomes the hosts of Soundings: Rev. Mike Wernick, Rector, Pastor, and Priest-in-Charge, Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Kentwood, Ascension Lutheran Church Kentwood(ELCA), Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Wyoming, MI.; Fr. Mark Przybysz, Retired Priest Diocese of Grand Rapids; Pastor Shannon Jammal-Hollemans, First Congregational-United Church of Christ, Lowell; Pastor Jessica Rivera-Walker, Goo...
Mark as Played
In this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Jill Schlesinger. Business Analyst for CBS News. Jill is an Emmy and Gracie Award-winning host who appears nationwide on CBS radio and television stations, covering the economy, markets, investing, and anything else with a dollar sign. We spoke with Jill about the anticipated end of high-interest rates. The Fed has had investors on a rickety and wild roller coaster ride this and last...
Mark as Played
In this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Randy Thelen, President and CEO of The Right Place Inc. Randy recently presented his annual report in early December at the 2024 Economic Outlook event sponsored by The Right Place. A big part of the presentation was Randy's overview of the organization's important 10-year tech strategy, which has been a focus of Thelen's since taking over as president and CEO of The Right Place roug...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
A straightforward look at the day's top news in 20 minutes. Powered by ABC News. Hosted by Brad Mielke.