🌱 Man Sentenced For 2008 Murder + Tiger Recovers From COVID-19

Rise and shine, Grand Rapids! It's Saturday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on around town today.

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First, today's weather:

Some sun, then clouds; breezy. High: 31 Low: 30.

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Here are the top 3 stories in Grand Rapids today:

1. Derrick Brown, 34, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2008 murder of 19-year-old Richard Dannah. Police say Dannah was shot to death on Adams Street SE near Madison Avenue on May 31, 2008. Brown was charged with the murder in October 2019 after admitting to it to a prison cellmate, police say. (WOODTV.com)
2. The Amur Tiger at John Ball Zoom has recovered from COVID-19. Zoo officials say the 16-year-old tiger tested positive in December but is now free of symptoms. No other animals have shown signs of COVID. (MLive.com)
3. Multiple vehicles were involved in a crash on US-131 in Grand Rapids on Friday Morning. Police say the crash happened at about 8:30 a.m. and between 10 to 15 vehicles on both the northbound and southbound lanes were involved. It's not clear what led to the crash, and there were no life-threatening injuries. (WOODTV.com)

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Today in Grand Rapids:

• Second Saturday Workday At Lamberton Lake Fen (9:00 AM)
• Husky Sledding Day At Northern High School (12:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• The Battle Creek Public Schools shared that food service will be available to all students during the remote learning pause. Pickup is available at all buildings twice per day Monday, Jan. 10 through Thursday, Jan. 13. (Facebook)
• City of Battle Creek, MI Government announced the launch of Textedly, an opt-in texting notification tool. It will provide text updates, including emergency alerts, general news, and COVID-19 notifications.
• The Grand Rapids Symphony shared they're having Anthony McGill join them onstage this weekend for Bolcom's Concerto for Clarinet. (Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today! See you all tomorrow for another update.

— Erica Zenn

About me: Erica Zenn is a Masters Student in Applied Psychology at the University of Southern California who originally hails from Chapel Hill, NC. With a bachelors degree from Cornell University, Erica is an expert verbal and written communicator who brings extensive experience in employee engagement and customer experience of companies. Erica is passionate about community building, and loves using her writing and communication skills to bring people together.