Marking Black history month, the News Channel 3 team organized two town hall conversations as part of our Black Voices coverage. Listen in to the first town hall, when the conversation focuses on systemic racism: What is it, and how can we change it? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Newschannel 3’s Community Conversations

Black Voices Town Hall: What is Systemic Racism?

Just days from the start of a new school term, parents across West Michigan are facing choices: Send their children to the classroom for a couple days a week, all five days or not at all due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.  Newschannel 3 anchor Andy Dominianni, a parent himself, talks to others making those decisions in this debut "Parent to Parent" podcast. Dominianni talks with two parents of Kalamazoo public school students who have very different views when it comes to the district's back to school plans. Carrie Linter is a local dentist and mother of a Loy Norrix High School student. James Liggins is a local attorney and father of a Maple Street Middle School student and two Winchell Elementary School students. Dominianni also speaks with Rita Raichoudhuri, the new superintendent of schools for Kalamazoo. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Parent to Parent: A Community Conversation on returning to the classroom

Ron Kramer, a professor of sociology at Western Michigan University, studies the intersections of corporate crime, state crime, environmental racism and climate change.  Dr. Kramer holds a doctorate degree in sociology from Ohio State University, and served for 25 years as the directer of the criminal justice program at Western Michigan. He has written a number of books on the subject now termed green criminology. Among those volumes is the recently published, "Carbon Criminals, Climate Crimes," Rutgers University Press, 2020.  Recently, Kramer sat down with Newschannel 3 Chief Meteorologist Keith Thompson to discuss how weather and government response to climate extremes such as heat waves plays a role in green criminology. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

A Community Conversation on Climate Crime

Newschannel 3 meteorologists Jeff Porter and Will Haenni are working from home, as so many are due to restrictions designed to curb the infection rate for COVID-19. Forecasting, and broadcasting live, from home has presented its challenges. Listen in as Jeff and Will talk about how they made it work. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Weather forecasting from home

Newschannel 3's anchor Kate Siefert sits down with Margaret Strzelecki of the Irish America Club of Kalamazoo as the city approaches its 20th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade! The parade steps off at 11 a.m. Saturday March 14, 2020, on the Burdick Street Mall at Michigan Avenue and will march south down Burdick Street, turning right on to Cedar Street and ending at Rose Street. This year’s grand marshal is Julie Rogers. She is a board chair for the Irish American Club of Kalamazoo. Following the parade is the 9th annual Hooley for Healing, which will be held at Bell’s Brewery in downtown Kalamazoo. The event will include Irish Step Dancers, music and, a silent auction. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Kalamazoo St. Patrick's Day Parade

Sinclair Broadcast Group's Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost stalks with House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, about the new effort he's backing in the House to fund repairs for Michigan's crumbling infrastructure. Last year, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveiled her 45-cent gas tax increase, poised to generate at least $2 billion in new revenue to fix potholes and bridges falling apart. That plan didn't go anywhere, with little support on either side. Now, Chatfield is putting forward a similar plan to his caucus' last year.  Plus, Mikenzie asks about the latest development in Michigan's Medicaid work requirements that got struck down by a federal judge Wednesday. There's a lot happening in Lansing and the two briefly talk about it all. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Road funding and Medicaid work requirements

During the fall of 2019, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts welcomed nearly 9,000 visitors, a 151 percent increase over the previous year. Museum leaders point to a focus on diversity, including the "Black Refractions" exhibit and an upcoming focus on women artists, as one of the reasons for that growth. In this week's Community Conversation, Newschannel 3 anchor Lora Painter talks with KIA Executive Director Belinda Tate and the museum's chief curator, Rehema Barber, about the exhibits, women artists and the future of art in the region. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Women at the KIA

Join Newschannel 3 Chief Meteorologist Kieth Thompson in a conversation with the conductor of the Kalamazoo Concert Band in advance of its winter concert. Dr. Thomas Evans has been leading the concert band for 18 years. For 12 of those years, Keith Thompson has emceed the concert band events. Listen in as they discuss the band's history, and its future. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

A conversation with Dr. Thomas Evans, conductor of the Kalamazoo Concert Band

In the wake of projection reports on spring rain and flooding, Newschannel 3 meteorologists Jeff Porter, Will Haenni and Randi Burns discuss the forecast, the numbers and what you need to know as the waters rise. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Spring weather outlook with Newschannel 3's meteorologists

As an unusual winter leaves West Michigan's lakeshore battered by high water and wind-driven waves, Newschannel 3 Chief Meteorologist Keith Thompson talks to a water policy expert from Western Michigan University. Dr. Daniel Macfarlane is an associate professor at the university's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Understanding lakeshore erosion policy

Newschannel 3 meteorologists Randi Burns, Will Haenni, Jeff Porter and Keith Thompson celebrate National Weatherperson's Day with a conversation about forecasting the weather and why they do it - as well how their jobs have changed over the years. Yes, Keith has more than three decades on the job.  Listen in, and then message the Newschannel 3 weather team on any topics you'd like them to talk about in upcoming conversations. National Weatherperson's Day is Feb. 5 each year, marking the birth date of one America's first weather observers, John Jeffries, in 1744. Jeffries was born in Boston, and did much of his weather observation there, but he also made notes of the weather from a balloon over London in 1784. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

4 meteorologists, decades of forecasting and National Weatherperson's Day

Newschannel 3 anchor Kirk Mason, I-Team reporter Andrew Feather and I-Team producer Matt Loughrin discuss bus safety issues from a dad's perspective.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Dads and the First Days on School Buses

So, you're dropping off your son or daughter at college for the first time. What advice should you give them before you head home? Newschannel 3 Chief Meteorologist Keith Thompson, who will dropping his oldest son off at college for the first time next year, talks with Michelle Davis, who is the family liaison in the student services office at Western Michigan University, and Scott Merlo, the Chief of Western Michigan University's police department.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Dads and the First Days of School with Keith Thompson

We’re kicking off our Community Conversations podcast with some real talk about Dads and those first days of school. With us today are Katie MacDonnell, from Schoolcraft High School, and Courtney Shorter from Northwestern Middle School. Our host is Newschannel 3 Sports Director Andy Pepper, whose oldest child is headed to kindergarten in a few days. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wwmt/message

Dads and the First Days of School

Community leaders and news makers discuss what's happening in West Michigan, with anchors, reporters and staff from Newschannel 3 WWMT.

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Newschannel 3’s Community Conversations

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