Dreams of hearing his named called on draft day will wait until at least the second round for Marshawn Kneeland, as the star defensive end from Western Michigan University was not among the first 32 picks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Godwin Heights High School graduate compiled a career-high 57 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in nine games during his redshirt junior season, earning him Second Team All-Mac honors. In his five seasons with the Broncos, Kneeland played in 37 games, amassing 13 career sacks and 28 tackles for loss. Marshawn Kneeland Draft Party "You're going to g ..read more

Imagine this: years of health problems leave you struggling to stand, nearly unable to move. The pain and discomfort is constant, and it's getting harder to hide from the people around you. This was the reality for Jeff Brown, a 45-year-old man from Wyoming, Michigan. His problems began with a fractured tibia in 2017. Complications arose, leading to multiple infections and hospital stays. By 2023, his circulation had become severely compromised, making even short walks difficult. "Even a year ago," Jeff told FOX 17 Thursday morning, "I would have to sit down within a minute." In September 2023 ..read more

Hope Networks Bridge Walk for Autism is back, followed by a sensory-friendly event at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Gather at the Blue Bridge at 5 p.m. to join thousands of people who love and care for someone with autism. The free events are open to the public, and registration takes a few moments. This annual event continues conversations on inclusion for autism families putting a spotlight on current resources and the need for more! Check-in starts at 4:30 p.m., the walk starts at 5 and the Sensory Night event is at 5:30 p.m. Join for one or both but wear blue to support no matter what ..read more

If you were sucked back in time, would you stand out like a sore thumb or would your funky style meet its match? Would you rather surround yourself with unique pieces than something made in bulk with no heart put into it? Thankfully, theres no need for risking the time-space continuum, or go searching high and low the Grand Rapids Downtown Market joined up with Vintage in the Zoo to host the first Vintage and Handmade Marketplace of the year! Sunday, April 28, over 40 vendors and 60s artisans will fill the parking lot and Market Shed with everything you could ever think ofclothes, artwork, a ..read more

What the heck is a bioblitz? Remember that popular augmented reality game that came out a few years ago that was based on an animated TV show and a card game from the 90s/00s? You know the one with the copyright-protected name ? Want to do that, but with real things in your neighborhood and for science? The City Nature Challenge starts tomorrow Friday, April 26 and John Ball Zoo is asking everyone in Kent, Allegan, Barry, and Ottawa Counties with a smart device to stop and smell the roses and look at the bugs and check out that tree with the pretty flowers and ooh what kind of bird is that ..read more

US-131 northbound, closed at 28th Street for several weeks, is back open early. The Michigan Department of Transportation pushed out word of the reopening late Thursday night. They noted that the planned closure of southbound US-131 at Burton Street, planned to begin after the northbound side reopened, will not be closed until this weekend as previously announced. The southbound closure is expected to be in place Sunday, April 28. The stretch of US-131 between 28th Street and downtown Grand Rapids is the busiest highway in West Michigan, averaging more than 120,000 vehicles a day. But the brid ..read more

One in four girls, and one in 20 boys experience child sexual abuse in the United States, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Law enforcement works to lower those stats everyday, but one of the biggest challenges is many victims either wait or never report what happened. In 91% of cases, someone known and trusted by the child or child's family cause the abuse, according to the CDC. One West Michigan woman was abused by her father and other men over a 12-year span. She didn't speak up about it until several decades later. "My grooming started at t ..read more

Creating lasting change through news coverage has always been the goal on FOX 17. That's why we launched our A Path Forward initiative to help combat youth crime in West Michigan. Perhaps the biggest driving force behind that effort was the rise in car thefts. In fact, that's contributed to a common narrative in Grand Rapids as of late crime is on the rise. It certainly was for a bit. As you can see in the graph below, the City of Grand Rapids highlighted a peak of 1,402 reported car thefts in 2022. Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom called it "chaos." Kias and Hyundais, which have made h ..read more

A candlelight vigil took place Wednesday evening to remember and honor those who have lost their lives to violence. The vigil, hosted by Silent Observer and the Kent County Prosecutors Victim Witness Unit, aimed to wrap the surviving family members in community healing, while bringing hope for a more peaceful future. This event, which was open to the public, included remarks from Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young, Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom and Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker. This time during Crime Victims Rights Week, when we get to be with community and those we ser ..read more

The city of Grand Rapids released the 911 call made by a murder suspect earlier this month. Brandon Clark, 39, was shot dead near Highland Street and Lafayette Avenue on the morning of Saturday, April 13. Police later identified the suspect as 24-year-old Dayshaun Catledge. He was charged with open murder and felony firearm days later. Catledge dialed 911 at 10:53 a.m. that Saturday. An edited version of the call was obtained by FOX 17 through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. A situation just happened, Catledge is heard saying about two and a half minutes into the call. I panicked ..read more