West Side

Non-profits can apply for loans from the Bay Area Community Foundation.

Bay Area Community Foundation to honor three people for their legacy of giving and leadership

In September, Bob and Joyce Hetzler and Cathy Washabaugh will be awarded the Peggy Rowley Community Enrichment Award. The honor recognizes their volunteer efforts to uplift Bay County.  

The Historic Sage Branch of the Bay County Library System will host a 50th anniversary celebration on Thurs., Sept. 19.
Happy Birthday! This month the Bay County Library System celebrates 50 years

Fifty years ago, five separate libraries in Bay County united to form one county-wide system. This month, the Bay County Library System celebrates its 50th anniversary with a series of events.

While fishing isn't necessarily a spectator sport, fans do gather to see the boats launch and come in. They also take advantage of the opportunity to talk to the professionals.
Fishing tournaments reel in dollars, tourism, and community engagement for the region

Smallmouth and largemouth bass aren’t the only things national fishing tournaments are reeling into the Great Lakes Bay Region. Bay City, Midland, and Saginaw also saw hundreds of people and nearly a million dollars come into the area from direct spending of participants and tourists from these annual events.

Hundreds of pieces of public art in region give our communities cultural, social, and economic value.
Public Art Passport highlights hidden art in open spaces

Explore the region with a new perspective with the help of the Public Art Passport. The passport guides visitors and residents to where they can find local art. It also shares the stories behind the pieces.  

The Bay Area Women's Center is creating and distributing educational coloring books throughout the community. The hope is the coloring books will help families talk about tough topics.
Grant helps the Bay Area Women’s Center shelter continue serving families

The Bay Area Women's Center is celebrating a $75,000 grant from Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation in Midland. The money is for operations.  

From left, Monitor Township Supervisor Terry Spencer and Bay Future President Jim Reaume sit with Michigan Sugar President Neil Juhnke, Director of Communications Rob Clark, and Co-Op Board Chairman Jim Roggenbuck.
New facility sweetens the future for Michigan sugar beet farmers

Michigan Sugar invests $109 million in a plant that extracts more sugar from beets and secures the future for farmers in the region.

Filling out the FAFSA can be intimidating, so Delta College is offering a series of workshops. Financial aid experts will be on hand to help families.
Under the stars: Experts offer help with FAFSA forms in a fun atmosphere at the Delta Planetarium

Graduates of Bay and Arenac high schools are invited to the FAFSA night at the Delta College Planetarium, 100 Center Ave., from 4 to 7 p.m. Wed., Aug. 7. 

The Bay Area Women's Center is creating and distributing educational coloring books throughout the community. The hope is the coloring books will help families talk about tough topics.
Bay Area Women’s Center hopes coloring books provide the tools to open tough conversations

The Bay Area Women's Center is creating and distributing educational coloring books throughout the community. The hope is the coloring books will help families talk about tough topics.  

Michigan Sugar Company President and CEO Neil Juhnke addresses grower-owners from the cooperative's East District during a Tool Shed meeting held in April 2023 at Maple Grove Acres in Ruth. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Sugar)
Bay Future and MSBDC offer programs to help start-up and established businesses

Bay Future and the Michigan Small Business Development Center offer several different programs to help entrepreneurs start up and grow businesses in Bay County.

Rylee Nemode starts an apprenticeship at Dow Chemical this fall, joining a growing number of women headed into the trades.
Success Story: John Glenn graduate lands a precision machining apprenticeship at Dow and Delta

Rylee Nemode, a graduate of John Glenn High School and the Bay-Arenac ISD Career Center, is one of a growing number of people taking advantage of apprenticeship opportunities. This fall, she'll begin a precision machining apprenticeship at Dow Chemical and Delta College.

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