1. People can now surf the web while enjoying a beautiful day in the park. 10 Grand Rapids parks now have free public wi-fi access thanks to a pilot program supported by CARES Act funding.
The program- The Network In a Box- aims to bridge the digital divide in Grand Rapids that widened during the pandemic by providing year-round outdoor internet access.
The parks were selected based on heavy event use, community needs, and existing infrastructure like pavilions and community gyms that NIB devices could easily attach to.
The NIB Hotspots have a range of approximately 900 feet and can support between 30 and 50 devices at one time depending on usage.
Learn more about what locations they support here.
2. Wednesday marks the start of West Michigan's largest consignment sale, but today early shopping begins at the Just Between Friends Sale in Grand Rapids.
It's being held at the DeltaPlex Arena. They'll be following COVID guidelines and are requiring people to register in order to manage the number of people in the building and wait times to get in.
It's running all weekend long and the details can be found at grandrapids.jbfsale.com.
3. Looking for work in southwest Michigan? The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety is hiring, and officers are doing their part to get the word out.
The KDPS Recruitment Tour will be making stops at seven locations throughout the city today.
Officers can talk to you through the hiring process and answer questions you might have.
Check out all of today's stops on the department's website. The current application period is open through March 28.
4. Does your taste in wine depend more on price than palate? There's a good chance it does!
A new study published in the journal Food Quality and Preference suggests people are more likely to say they enjoy wine if they're told it's expensive, no matter what the real price tag is.
140 blind tasters were given three versions of Italian wine labeled at different price points. When asked to rate the intensity of each, as well as how much they enjoyed the wines, the more expensive wines were considered better tasting.
When they were given cheaper wine that was actually four times more expensive, they rated it "pleasant."
5. Childhood memories often include Pizza Hut and Pac-Man, now the two worlds have collided!
Pizza Hut is going back to the classics with a modern twist. The pizza chain has launched new limited edition boxes that come with a Pac-Man game.
Each box has a QR code to scan, which opens an augmented reality game of Pac-Man right on the box through a smartphone.
If you share your score with Pizza Hut, you could win a custom arcade Pac-Man game cabinet for your home.
