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Morning Buzz: Fireworks safety, American Pickers visiting Michigan, and more

Posted at 12:26 PM, Jun 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-29 12:07:45-04

1. Our city is bustling with growth but with that growth comes the lack of affordable housing in and around Grand Rapids. Plans are surfacing to put options back in local control as the Inner City Christian Federation, the oldest non-profit affordable housing provider in the state, is moving forward with plans to purchase 177 homes in Grand Rapids, Wyoming, and Eaton Rapids.

2.  The stars of American Pickers, a popular show on the History Channel, are coming to West Michigan. Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz will be in Fremont will be getting a visit. While the duo have visited Michigan before, this will be their first trip to Newaygo County.

3. The annual Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival starts today in Battle Creek. The festival will feature air shows, hot air balloon launches and much more including live music, a carnival, and pyrotechnics in a reenactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The festival runs until July 4 at the WK Kellogg Airport.

4. If the stats hold steady, over 7,000 Americans will be spending their holiday in the emergency room with fireworks injuries. The Consumer Products Safety Commission is reminding you to stay safe if you're planning on lighting any fuses over the next couple of weeks. The commission held its annual safety demonstration in Washington, D.C. yesterday and the videos show how much damage they can do to the human body. More than 11,000 people were sent to the emergency room last year with injuries pertaining to fireworks with 7,000 of them during the week before and after the holiday.

5.  Know someone who needs a ride? The popular ride app Uber is now allowing for users to send a ride for a friend who may not be a familiar with the service. Users can now select whether the requested ride is for themselves or a friend. The app will send a text message to the rider with the driver's details and a link to track the route. Uber hopes this will provide safe and reliable transportation to more people.