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Morning Buzz: 5 things to know for April 4

Posted at 10:33 AM, Apr 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-04 10:33:56-04

1. 50 years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Tennessee.

To honor his legacy, people are encouraged to attend a ceremony at the Calder Plaza in Grand Rapids starting at noon. There will be a prayer service and music, as well as people reading poems as a nod to Dr. King's love of writing.

The Kent County Board of Commissioners hosts the event, along with the Cultural Insight Council, and the Administrator's Office.

The event is open to the public.

2. An annual charitable event at one of Grand Rapids' oldest bars is no more, and organizers are blaming the city.

On Tuesday, officials with the Cottage Bar said is just costs too much to hold their Chili Cook Off, so they won't be doing it anymore.

The event has been going on for 36 years, and the bar's owner said that over that time, they've raised about $400,000 for local charities like Gilda's Club.

He said recently, the city made it harder and more expensive to run these types of events, something city officials dispute.

On Tuesday city officials said they plan to meet with the owner of the Cottage Bar to talk things over.

3. Getting to Tulip Time from out-of-state festival goers just got easier. Amtrak will now  be offering a number of special stops during the festival.

Amtrak now has more options out of Chicago and Indiana, getting people in and out of Holland on the same day.

For Michiganders, some of these trains will also make stops in St. Joseph and Bangor.

Tulip Time runs from May 5-13.

4. Secondhand shopping is on the rise, so much so that in the next decade, a new study from Thred-Up says consignment and thrift stores could outpace "fast fashion."

The annual report suggests the market will grow from $20 billion to $41 billion by 2022, and it could account for 11 percent of people's wardrobes.

Last year, resale accounted for 6 percent of the market, while fast fashion was 9 percent.

By 2027, that's projected to shift to 11 percent resale and 10 percent fast fashion.

Fashionista reported 77 percent of millennials are more likely to switch to thrift for environmental reasons.

5. Taco Bell is expanding the number of one dollar items on its Dollar Menu.

The latest additions include a triple melt burrito and triple melt nachos. Taco Bell is closing in on having 20 new items for only a dollar.

Both of the dishes contain Taco Bell's standard seasoned beef, a shredded three-cheese blend, and nacho cheese.

The nationwide rollout comes while the chain is testing a one dollar crispy chicken taco in Oklahoma City, and a one dollar beefy crunch burrito in Chattanooga, Tennessee.