GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.— Grand Rapids is getting another tribute to the men behind Meijer Stores.

On May 8, the Michigan Historical Commission approved a marker to honor Hendrik and Fred Meijer, who in 1962 became the first grocers to combine two popular retail models—discount department stores and supermarkets—into a single store on 28th Street, called “Thrifty Acres.”  The Meijers then took their model to Holland and Muskegon. 

Meijer now has nearly 200 stores across the Midwest, including Kalamazoo, Walker, Wyoming, Jenison, Rockford, Plainfield Township, Forest Hills, Lowell, Grandville, Kentwood, Grand Haven and Greenville, where Hendrik Meijer opened his very first store in the 1930s.

The new historical marker will be added to more than 1,700 green and gold signs found across the state, that chronicle the people, places and events that make Michigan’s heritage unique and unforgettable.  The historical markers are nominated by spons

ROCKFORD, Mich. (WZZM) - It's been a month since Michigan State Police started helicopter patrols in West Michigan, but troopers are not getting the positive feedback they hoped for from the community.

Troopers are hearing some negative comments, and WZZM is hearing them too. The WZZM 13 Information Center has taken many calls from people complaining about the noise, many saying they don't like how close they are getting to their homes.

F/Lt. Chris McIntire is addressing those concerns: "It's going to become a little more normal for those that don't like it here right now."

The schedule has been tight for Michigan State Police helicopters in their first month in the area. "It's been in the downtown Grand Rapids area so much lately because of the flooding primarily, and it's caused us to fly a lot lower than we normally would fly."

GRAND RAPIDS (Detroit Free Press) -- Greg Brown "can't claim to be a super connoisseur" of craft beers, but he does like to think he knows more than a little about the subject, and he has been a fan of Michigan brewers such as Founders Brewing and New Holland Brewing for a while now.

Still, the 26-year-old Ferndale resident was taken aback in February when he made his first trip to Grand Rapids since he was a child. The purpose was to spend the weekend with his girlfriend, exploring the city's beer culture and taking in the annual Winter Beer Festival, an outdoor event featuring dozens of Michigan brewers that draws thousands to Fifth Third Ballpark in nearby Comstock Park.

"I knew it was a strong scene. But getting out there, it really gave me a sense of the importance and magnitude," said the community manager at Ignite Social Media in Birmingham. "Everyone is super passionate about it, from the casual drinkers to the diehards to the brewers."