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Morning Buzz: 5 things to know for October 5

Posted at 11:06 AM, Oct 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-05 11:06:32-04

1. Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park is about to get even bigger!

On Wednesday they held a groundbreaking ceremony for their new welcome and learning centers, upgrades to the amphitheater and expanded parking lots.

The work will cost $115 million, and officials say the funding came from gifts and pledges.

Lena Meijer was on hand for the ceremony, as well as Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and the architects behind the project.

Construction is expected to last four years and the park will be open during that time. They say they have no plans to increase admission coasts after the expansion.

2. Cole's, the company that credit themselves with inventing frozen garlic bread, is introducing a new bread snack called "Middles."

They've combined several flavors into "one revolutionary snack concept." The product will go on sale nationwide later this month.

3. Ryke's Bakery in Muskegon is in the middle of its annual U of M versus MSU Cookie Poll.

The poll started on Saturday, ahead of the big rivalry game coming up on October 7. All people have to do is go to the bakery, or call in orders ahead of time, and pick which team they want on their cookie. One cookie equals one vote.

Sugar cookies cost $2 each, and proceeds go to the Mercy Health Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center in Muskegon.

Voting runs through Saturday at 3 p.m., when the bakery closes. Kick off for the game is at 7:30 p.m.

4.  Today's the last day to vote for the top 20 finalists in ArtPrize Nine!

Earlier this week, the top 20 public vote finalists were announced, along with the 20 juried selections which were chosen by experts.

Those 40 pieces are now in the running for $500,000 in grand prizes.

More than 327,000 votes were cast in the first round. The current round, round two of public voting, will run through 11:59 p.m. tonight and the winners will be announced Friday.

5. Google unveiled a whole line of new products this week. The Internet giant unveiled the second generation of its pixel smartphone on Wednesday, along with some new voice-enabled home speakers.

There's also a pixel book laptop, wireless earbuds, and a small camera that's similar to a Go Pro.

It's all in an effort to compete with Apple and Amazon. The smartphone goes on sale later this month, along with the laptop which will cost $999.