1. Students in West Michigan and across the country walked out of their classes in memory of the 17 victims in the Florida school shooting.
Almost 1,800 students at Kalamazoo Central took part in the demonstration on Wednesday, filing out of the building and into their football stadium. They also held a 17 second moment of silence for the victims, and released balloons with each victim's name written on them.
Several schools in Grand Rapids also took part in the walkout. Muskegon Public Schools offered an alternative to the protest, called "What Is Your 17?" The goal was for students to do 17 nice things throughout the day, to pay tribute to the victims.
2. Governor Snyder signed a new bill into law, giving drivers a 30 day grace period to get license plate tabs on their cars.
Under the new law, drivers have 30 days from the time of vehicle registration or renewal, to stick the tab on their plate.
During the 30 day buffer, drivers will be required to show paper or electronic verification, through the law enforcement information network, when asked for proof of registration.
3. Toys "R" Us, the iconic toy retailer, will shut or sell all of its 735 stores in the United States, which means about 31,000 jobs in the U.S. are at risk.
The announcement marks the end for a company that sold toys to millions of American kids for half a century.
In September, Toys "R" Us filed for bankruptcy, hoping to shed debt and reinvest in its stores, but the turnaround didn't work.
They blame the demise on big=box retailers such as Target and Walmart that sell aisles of toys and then the emergence of Amazon.
4. Apple wants to ease concerns with a new web page dedicated to parental control tips and tricks. The tech-giant recently debuted a "Families" page on its website.
The move comes as several tech companies face questions over whether or not their products are addictive for children.
Apple's new web page details the company's efforts to make its products family friendly, and Apple hopes the resource will help parents understand and use all the features that are already available on its devices.
The company is expected to roll out new parental control features in the near future.
5. IHOP has amazing new pancake flavors created to celebrate their 60th year of serving up flapjacks.
The new menu is also a nod to the breakfast joint's namesake with three internationally inspired pancakes.
First up is English Sticky Toffee: A classic buttermilk stack filled with crunchy English toffee and layered with salted toffee mousse.
Next up is Mexican Tres Leches, and the last new flavor is Belgian Dark Chocolate Mousse: four chocolate pancakes stuffed with chocolate chips and layered with a Belgian dark chocolate mousse, then topped with more mousse and chocolate chips.
