Midday West Michigan

Advance Care Planning takes the guesswork out of "end of life" decisions. Advocates note that a plan lets family and friends know your wishes in the event of an accident or illness that is considered life threatening. What role does faith play in the process of Advance Care Planning?

America’s Tallest Singing Christmas Tree calls West Michigan home. Muskegon’s Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts hosted Mona Shores High School’s 33rd annual America's Tallest Singing Christmas Tree concert this year.

WGVU visited with the choir for a behind-the-scenes tour of a lakeshore holiday tradition.

Grand Valley State University’s New Music Ensemble cracked NPR’s list of Top 100 Songs of 2017 with its song Glass Surface composed by Daniel Rhode.

What is it about the music drawing national praise?

We talk with Bill Ryan who is director of GVSU's New Music Ensemble.

Today on Gifts for the Greater Good: Philanthropy in West Michigan the holiday season is upon us. It’s a time for religious celebrations. It’s a time to be with family and to remember those who are no longer with us.

Remembering the nation’s fallen heroes this time of year is the mission of local Blue Star Mothers who are presenting wreaths at their grave sites.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in theaters.  WGVU's Scott Vander Werf talks with Ron Van Timmeran from Celebration Cinema, who has seen the movie.  They also hash it out on Ferdinand and Wonder Wheel the latest from Woody Allen

Attorneys general from three states say a $275 million federal plan for keeping Asian carp from migrating into the Great Lakes is too pricey and rejects the most effective solution.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is recommending technologies such as electric barriers and water cannons at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, which stands between the carp-infested Illinois River and Lake Michigan.

During a recent Grand Rapids Rotary Club luncheon, Dr. Thomas Haas, Chair of Michigan’s 21st Century Education Commission and President of Grand Valley State University explained Michigan students are underperforming.

Haas spoke with WGVU about the report and the commission tasked with making recommendations for revamping the state’s education delivery system.

Despite gains made by early-stage startups, MiBiz senior writer Mark Sanchez takes a closer look at funding gaps making it difficult for these startups to find capital.

Disney/PIXAR's Coco opens, celebrating Mexican mythology and music in a critically acclaimed family picture.  Denzel Washington returns as Roman J. Israel, ESQ.  And Lady Bird opens in western Michigan, one of the most anticipated directorial debuts in cinema by Greta Gerwig.  Plus, Dickens Christmas Carol is celebrated in The Man Who Invented Christmas.  WGVU talks with Ron Van Timmeran from Celebration Cinema.

State and local governments debate who should regulate short-term rental properties. Also, a new survey indicates a strong M&A market.

Christian McBride brings his new trio Tip City to Grand Rapids, for a performance at St. Cecilia Music Center.  WGVU's Scott Vander Werf spoke with the jazz master and has this feature interview.

WGVU honors our nation’s veterans this weekend paying tribute to South Haven’s Specialist Five James C. McCloughan. Specialist Five McCloughan served as a medic in the Vietnam War, saving 10 American lives over a 48 hour period and tending to countless others. He is the first Medal of Honor recipient under President Donald Trump. Sunday, November 12th at 10 AM WGVU Public Television airs Veterans Stories: West Michigan Medal of Honor Recipient Specialist Five James C. McCloughan.

Ron Van Timmeren from Celebration! Cinama previews movies opening across west Michigan this weekend including Thank You for Your Service, Daddy's Home 2 and Murder on the Orient Express.

In his new book Arthur Vandenberg: The Man in the Middle of the American Century, author Hank Meijer explores the life of the Grand Rapids republican who passed away nearly 70 years ago.

Meijer shares with readers Vandenberg's political savvy and his ability to forge foreign policy with democrats creating NATO and the United Nations.

What can today's political leaders learn from Senator Vandenberg? Meijer explains it's about bipartisan engagement and an openness to a large number of groups.

Today on Gifts for the Greater Good: Philanthropy in West Michigan the story of a new approach for hope and healing individuals facing mental health challenges. Nonprofit Journey’s Dream hosted a fundraising event this past weekend at Chicago’s Soldier Field is raising awareness and dollars funding what it calls “a portal to a world of mental health solutions.” 

Journey’s Dream co-founders are Illinois resident and businessman Mark Hattas diagnosed with a mental illness and Mitzi Montague-Bauer, the mother of Journey Montague-Bauer.