Midday West Michigan

Muskegon County is experiencing an increase in its hotel occupancy rate. What's driving more visitors to the county and how is it impacting tax revenue? WGVU talks with Bob Luken, Muskegon County Community Development Director.    

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is in theaters, the first in a new series in the Harry Potter universe.  That film plus the critically acclaimed Moonlight and The Edge of Seventeen, two coming of age movies, and the Iraq war drama Billy Flynn's Long Halftime Walk are opening today.  WGVU talks with Ron Van Timmeran from Celebration Cinema for our weekly movie segment, after the trailer for Fantastic Beasts.

A discussion focused on the post-election impacts on the West Michigan economy and business climate. We also talk about a Michigan Mergers & Acquisitions outlook survey.    

Former Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees member and entrepreneurial success, Dr. William Pickard recently paid a visit to both the Grand Rapids and Allendale campuses. His message was to encourage students and adults alike, about success and business. Pickard, who spoke at two seperate campus events, is the founder and chairman of Global Automotive Alliance in Detroit and is considered one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the state.

If you enjoy long walks through the mud, scaling fences, and doing paperwork under the hot sun - you’d love working for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s first ever wetland monitoring program. It’s a dirty job, but t’s the only way to find out if the state’s wetlands are healthy.

Arrival opens in theaters today along with two other films.  WGVU talks with Ron Van Timmeran of Celebration Cinema about what's happening on the big screen.

Francis Max Smith was born January 27th, 1924. He passed away last year on October 17.

The Scotts, Michigan farm boy was a WWII Navy Veteran. He served in the Pacific theater. A radioman, he was the last person to communicate with the U.S. Indianapolis. The ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and as you’ll hear from Smith’s daughter and the words Smith penned before his death, he carried tremendous guilt because as he, and others believe, there was more to the story of the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and Smith wants the truth to someday be brought to light.    

Defensive linemen are one of the toughest positions to recruit for in college football.  The Grand Valley State Lakers have come up with a good one in Mark Rosenquist who hails from Sweden.  Tom Cleary has the story on how Mark ended up in Allendale.

Watch the Grand Valley State Sports Report Mondays at 6pm on WGVU HD.  Like Grand Valley State Sports REport on Facebook and get links to every program.     

Ron VanTimmeren from Celebration Cinemas! previews Ron Howard's Inferno starring Tom Hanks. We'll also preview Newtown Live, Desierto and Rush: Time Stand Still.

A cider maker in Allegan County is using pigs to help fight pests in its orchard. Virtue Cider in Fennville bought 18 Glouchestershire Old Spot pigs - also called “orchard pigs.”

They’re known for eating bug-ridden apples that fall on the ground. The practice of using pigs to control farm pests goes back to the 1900’s. Today, some question whether if it’s effective - or even safe.