1. The City Of Grand Rapids is asking for the public's help to fight spongy moth caterpillars.
Now through late April, people can look for the light brown, spongy-looking egg masses on tree trunks. Gently scrape them off using a plastic putty knife or another dull tool into a bucket of soapy water.
Spongy moths, formerly called gypsy moths, are invasive in Michigan. They can defoliate trees, which makes the trees more vulnerable to diseases that could kill them.
You can find more information about the city's efforts to combat spongy moths on its website.
2. A well-known name in Grand Rapids groceries is returning after a four-year hiatus with a new store at Tanger Outlets.
According to Tanger’s Facebook page, Russo’s Italian Market and Wine Bar is set to open in late spring or early summer.
The family-owned and operated eatery will boast a full-service restaurant, deli, wine bar, market, and more for guests to indulge in freshly prepared Italian and Mediterranean fare.
3. Shout out this morning to first grader Noah Sanders from Kalamazoo. Noah won the National title in the 1500-meter run at the USA Track And Field Youth National Championships over the weekend.
He faced eight kids from all over the country in the youngest, 8 and under division. This year's championships were held in Louisville.
Noah's winning time for the gold medal was 5:57.7. Congratulations Noah!
4. Kent District Library is inviting families with kids up to age 6 to take part in the Find Your Knook Challenge, taking place from March 27 through April 12.
Visit one of the new Wonderknook play spaces at any of KDL's 20 branches, take a photo or video, and post it to Facebook or Instagram with the #Wonderknook.
One lucky winner will receive an amazing prize pack that includes a kindle paperwhite, umbrella, Wonderknook t-shirt, wooden toys, and more.
5. Do you remember when CDs first hit the scene? Today they turn 40 years old in the United States.
The first commercial 'compact disc' was released in Japan back in 1982, but they didn't make it over to the U.S. until the next year. When the first CD came out, it could hold up to 74 minutes of music and overtook cassette tape sales by the late eighties.
They have since lost a lot of ground, first due to MP3 players, and now streaming music. They did see a slight uptick in sales in 2021 during the pandemic shutdown.
