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Morning Buzz: 5 things to know for Jan. 16

Posted at 10:35 AM, Jan 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-16 10:35:46-05

1. Beer City and the beaches will soon be connected in a very scenic way.

The Ottawa County Park Foundation wants to build 27 miles of new trails, and connect the lakeshore to the Greater Grand Rapids area.

The trails would stretch from Millenium Park in Kent County, to the public beaches in Grand Haven and Holland.

Most of the planned trails would follow the Grand River through Ottawa County. The effort is called the Grand River Greenway Campaign.

The foundation wants to buy nearly 700 acres of land, but to do that, officials need to raise $21 million.

As a campaign kick-off, the group announced two donations they've already received, totaling almost $900,000.

2. People across the county and here in West Michigan are paying tribute to Martin Luther King Junior.

On Monday, Martin Luther King Junior Day fell on his actual birthday.

People at Calvin College in Grand Rapids celebrated Dr. King's legacy with a special march, and lectures dedicated to him.

A research associate who gave a presentation on Dr. King says that, thanks to the civil rights leader, people of all races have a voice.

Dr. King would have been 89-years-old.

3. The winning streak continues for Michigan Basketball, and it was a close one at last night's game.

The Michigan Wolverines coming off a big win over MSU on Saturday, they hosted Maryland in Ann Arbor.

Michigan was down by 10 at the half, but started the second half with a string of threes to get back in it, and the game would come down to the final seconds. Maryland taking the one point lead with three seconds left on the clock. Thanks to a shooting foul, Michigan gets the ball back and makes both shots.

The Wolverines with quite the second half, they top Maryland 68-67,

4. Ford Motor company says it will significantly increase its planned investments in electric vehicles.

Chairman Bill Ford says that instead of the original $4.5 billion investment, the company will spend $11 billiion, and have 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles in its lineup by 2022.

The automaker plans to slash $14 billion in costs over the next five years by shifting capital investments away from Sedans and internal combustion engines, to develop more trucks and electric and hybrid cars.

5. Ever hear the term "baby brain?" That's what pregnant women say when they become forgetful during pregnancy, and it's a real thing!

A new study shows that "baby brain," a term used for absent-mindedness and memory decline in pregnant women, is a genuine ailment.

Researchers in Australia found pregnant women performed worse on tasks measuring attention, memory, decision making, inhibition and planning, as opposed to their non-expecting counterparts.

The results showed heightened episodes of forgetfulness, particularly in the third trimester.