Kalamazoo Michigan MI Warrant Search

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo (pronounced /ˌkæləməˈzuː/) is the largest city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 77,145. It is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 326,634 as of 2009.Kalamazoo is home to Western Michigan University (often abbreviated as 'WMU'), a large public university, and Kalamazoo College (often referred to as 'K College'), a liberal arts school whose campus abuts WMU's. Another local school, Nazareth College, closed in 1991. Name origin The city is named after the Kalamazoo River, but there is uncertainty concerning the origin of the river's name. A number of etymologies (some of them folk etymologies) have been proposed, all of which suggest that the name was derived from the languages of indigenous peoples.The name, which sounds unusual to English-speaking ears, has become a metonym for exotic places, as in the phrase 'from Timbuktu to Kalamazoo'. Today, t-shirts are sold in Kalamazoo with the phrase 'Yes, there really is a Kalamazoo'. History The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to decline after the 8th century and was replaced by other groups. The Potawatomi culture lived in the area when the first European explorers arrived.René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, passed just southeast of the present city in late March 1680. The first Europeans to reside in the area were itinerant fur traders in the late 18th and early 19th century. There are records of several traders wintering in the area, and by the 1820s at least one trading post had been established.During the War of 1812, the British established a smithy and a prison camp in the area.The 1821 Treaty of Chicago ceded the territory south of the Grand River to the United States federal government. However, the area around present-day Kalamazoo was reserved as the village of Potawatomi Chief Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish. Six years later, as a result of the 1827 Treaty of St. Joseph, the tract that became the city was also ceded.In 1829, Titus Bronson, originally from Connecticut, became the first white settler to build a cabin within the present city limits. He platted the town in 1831 and named it the village of Bronson — not to be confused with the much-smaller Bronson, Michigan, about fifty miles (80 km) to the south-southeast.Bronson, frequently described as 'eccentric' and argumentative, was later run out of town. The village was renamed Kalamazoo in 1836, due in part to Bronson's being fined for stealing a cherry tree. Today, a hospital and a downtown park, among other things, are named for Bronson.Kalamazoo was legally incorporated as a village in 1838 and as a city in 1883.On August 27, 1856, Abraham Lincoln spoke at a rally in Bronson Park, promoting the presidential candidacy of John C. Fremont, who was running on the ticket of the new Republican Party. It was Lincoln's only public speech during his only visit to Michigan.In 1959, the city created the Kalamazoo Mall, the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States, by closing part of Burdick Street to auto traffic. The Mall was designed by Victor Gruen, who also designed the country's first enclosed shopping mall, which had opened three years earlier. Two of the mall's four blocks were reopened to auto traffic in 1999 after much debate. Kalamazoo is nicknamed 'Mall City.'In fall 1971, a federal judge ordered the Kalamazoo Public Schools system integrated after he found the school system to be unlawfully segregated. The judge's determination was the culmination of nearly a decade of racially charged incidents and protests, included several city-wide school closures. A program of two-way busing was implemented in September 1971, in which students were transported from the largely black north and east sections of the city to predominantly white neighborhoods on the west side, and vice versa. The program was closely watched by education experts, as the city's population closely mirrored the demographic makeup of the United States as a whole. The busing program continued through the late 1990s.Also beginning in 1971, numerous white families moved from the Kalamazoo Public Schools catchment area to adjacent districts, particularly Portage Public Schools to the south and Mattawan Consolidated School to the west. The city lost nearly 10 percent of its population over the next two decades. Still, the integration plan was more successful than in other large Michigan districts where 'white flight' was more severe.[citation needed]An F3 tornado struck downtown Kalamazoo on May 13, 1980, killing five and injuring 79. Geography Most of the city is on the southwest bank of a major bend in the Kalamazoo River, with a small portion, about 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), on the opposite bank. Several small tributaries of the river, including Arcadia Creek and Portage Creek, wind through the city. The northeastern portion of the city sits in the broad, flat Kalamazoo Valley, while the western portions climb into low hills to the west and south. Several small lakes are found throughout the area.The city covers 25.2 square miles (65 km2), of which 24.7 square miles (64 km2) is land and 0.5 sq miles (2%) is water, according to the United States Census Bureau.The city's suburban population is located primarily to the south, in the city of Portage, and to the west in Oshtemo Township and Texas Township, Michigan.At least part of the municipal water supply for Kalamazoo is provided by the watershed contained within the Al Sabo Preserve in Texas Charter Township, Michigan, immediately southwest of Kalamazoo.Another watershed, Kleinstuck Marsh, is popular with hikers and birdwatchers. Kleinstuck Marsh is south of Maple Street, between Oakland Drive and Westnedge Avenue, Kalamazoo's major north-south artery. Demographics As of the census of 2008, there were 76,145 people, 29,413 households, and 14,353 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,125.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,206.7 /km2). There were 31,798 housing units at an average density of 1,288.2/sq mi (497.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.77% White, 20.64% Black or African American, , 0.58% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.38% from other races, and 3.18% from two or more races. 4.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 29,413 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.6% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.2% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 27.6% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 15.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.The median income for a household in the city was $31,189, and the median income for a family was $42,438. Males had a median income of $32,160 versus $25,532 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,897. About 13.6% of families and 24.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over. Government Kalamazoo government is administered under a Commission-Manager style of government. The City Commission is the representative body of the city, and consists of seven members, elected on a non-partisan basis every two years. Whoever receives the most votes during an election becomes the council president and ceremonial mayor of the city. The member that receives the second highest number of votes becomes vice mayor. The current mayor, Bobby J. Hopewell, was elected November 13, 2007, beating Hannah McKinney, who automatically became vice mayor.In the November 3, 2009, election voters returned Hopewell as mayor and McKinney as vice-mayor.The City Manager is the city's chief administrative officer. The manager is hired by, and answers to, the City Commission. Neighborhoods The city of Kalamazoo is commonly divided into twenty-two neighborhoods, many of which are served by a neighborhood association. The Neighborhood Development Division of the city's government works with these associations to invest federal, state, and local funds, including those from the Community Development Block Grant program, in community improvements and economic growth.There is a great diversity in the character of the neighborhoods. Closer to the city center are historical residential areas such as Stuart, full of Victorian and Queen Anne homes. Neighborhoods in the south west corner of the city are home to the wealthier inhabitants and contain modern developments with more open spaces. The Central Business District and the neighborhoods to the south along Westnedge Avenue (Westnedge Hill, Southside, Vine, and South Westnedge) contain much of the area's retail shopping, mixed with a residential populace. Just west of downtown are the campuses of Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University, surrounded by several blocks of student housing. Neighborhoods north and east of the city center tend to be lower income. The city's Hispanic population is concentrated on the south and east side, in the Edison neighborhood. The Edison neighborhood is also becoming a center for the city's gay and lesbian community. Education Kalamazoo is home to Western Michigan University. The college has four campuses in Kalamazoo, (West Campus, East Campus, Parkview Campus and Oakland Drive Campus) as well as several satellite campuses throughout Michigan. West Campus, located just west of downtown, has by far the largest concentration of university students, programs and school services. The school is one of the 50 largest universities in the nation, and one of the top 100 public universities in the country. In 2005, the university had over 26,000 students and employed over 1,200 faculty. Also in 2005, Western Michigan ranked #2 Wireless Campus in the U.S. in a national survey done by the Intel Corporation.Each May, WMU hosts the International Congress on Medieval Studies. Organized by the Medieval Institute's faculty and graduate students, the Congress brings some 3,000 professors and students from around the globe to present and discuss a variety of topics related to the Middle Ages.Kalamazoo College, one of the first educational institutions in the state of Michigan and a pioneer in the field of coeducation, is next door to WMU. The school was ranked #1 in Study Abroad programs by US News & World Report 2003 Edition America's Best Colleges, with 80% of students spending at least one term abroad. In 2005, it sent more students per capita to the Peace Corps than any other school.Kalamazoo is home to Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Davenport University, and Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC). It had also been the home of Nazareth College, which closed in 1992.The public schools are managed by Kalamazoo Public Schools. Every resident graduate of the Kalamazoo Public Schools is provided with a scholarship for up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fee costs for four years at any public university or community college in Michigan, starting with the class of 2006. This program is known as the Kalamazoo Promise. Books and room and board are not included. Breweries Kalamazoo has three popular local breweries and brewpubs that produce a variety of beer styles, from light-bodied wheat ales to stouts and barley wines.The best-known is Bell's, established as the Kalamazoo Brewing Company in 1985 by Larry Bell. The brewery has expanded from its original Kalamazoo location, which houses the Eccentric Cafe, to a state-of–the-art brewery in nearby Comstock. Bell's beer is sold by retailers in many parts of the country. Flavorings The A.M. Todd Company, one of the lead producers of peppermint oil and other flavorings, is headquartered in Kalamazoo. At one point it supplied 90% of the world's peppermint oil. Many mint plantations once littered the County as part of its operations. Its founder, Albert M. Todd, was elected to the United States House of Representatives for the 55th Congress.Kalamazoo is also home to Kalsec, another flavorings company, which was founded by Paul H. Todd, Jr., Albert Todd's grandson and U.S. Representative in the 89th Congress. Founded as the Kalamazoo Spice Extraction Company, Kalsec is owned and managed by Todd family descendants. Historical In the past, Kalamazoo was known for its production of windmills, mandolins, buggies, automobiles, cigars, stoves, paper, and paper products. Agriculturally, it once was noted for celery and bedding plants. Although much has become suburbanized, the surrounding area still produces farm crops.Kalamazoo was the original home of Gibson Guitar Corporation, which spawned the still-local Heritage Guitars. The company was incorporated as 'Gibson Mandolin - Guitar Co., Ltd' on October 11, 1902, by the craftsman Orville Gibson. Known originally for his fine mandolins, Gibson later introduced guitars that became widely known and collected for their quality. One budget model was named the Gibson Kalamazoo Electric Guitar. Operations were moved gradually from Kalamazoo to Nashville, Tennessee, (Electric Division) and Bozeman, Montana, (Acoustic Division) in the 1980s. Some workers from the original factory stayed in Kalamazoo to create the Heritage Guitar company.Kalamazoo was once known as the 'Paper City' because of the paper mills in and near the city. The Allied Paper Corporation operated several mills and employed 1,300 people in Kalamazoo during the late 1960s. As the forests of West Michigan were logged out, paper mills closed.Other notable businesses founded in the city include the Shakespeare Company, a fishing and tackle manufacturer. Early in the 20th century, Kalamazoo was home to the pioneering brass era automobile company Barley.Ihling Brothers Everard Company is a still-local costuming company that has operated in Kalamazoo for over one and a quarter centuries. Operating as Kalamazoo Regalia, skilled artisans continue the tradition of creating beautifully embroidered costumes made from the finest materials, using the old traditional pattens for all of Masonry. Samples including intricate Masonic apron embroidery are featured in the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.[citation needed]Kalamazoo was also headquarters of the Checker Motors Company, the former manufacturer of the Checker Cab, which also stamped sheet metal parts for other auto manufacturers. Checker closed on June 25, 2009, a victim of the Late-2000s recession. Life Sciences The Upjohn Company was a pharmaceutical manufacturing firm founded in 1886 in Kalamazoo that is now part of the Pfizer Corporation. Most of Upjohn's original facilities remain, many have been renovated and some new buildings have been constructed. The presence of these corporations has helped the diversification of the chemistry and biotechnology sector of the area's economy. The bulk of the facilities exist in Portage, Michigan, but many also exist in Downtown Kalamazoo.Among others, Kalamazoo is home to Kalexsyn, PharmOptima, Ceetox, Metabolic Solutions Development, KAR Labs, Jasper Clinical Research and Development, Innovative Analytics and NephRx corporation. Other related businesses within the Kalamazoo metropolitan area include Eurofins AvTech Laboratories (Portage, Michigan), Bridge Organics (Vicksburg, Michigan), AureoGen Biosciences (Oshtemo Township, Michigan), and MPI Research (Mattawan, Michigan). These firms primarily focus on drug discovery and synthesis, clinical support, and finished pharmaceutical testing. KAR Labs also specializes in environmental testing, in addition to bioanalysis. Many of these companies were founded by alumni of Upjohn and its successors, especially after Pfizer eliminated thousands of jobs at its Kalamazoo and Portage facilities. The presence of these smaller biotechnology firms has helped mitigate the economic effects of Pfizer's downsizing. Several have received startup support from Southwest Michigan First's Innovation Center and grants from the State of Michigan through its Technology Tri-Corridor program.Michigan State University has a branch of its medical school and several post-doctoral residency training programs in Kalamazoo. Resident training programs in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, General Surgery, Family Medicine, Orthopedic surgery, Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, and a fellowship in sports medicine are centered at The Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies (KCMS) founded by Michigan State University.The city is also home to the Stryker Corporation, a surgical and medical devices manufacturer.Kalamazoo has two hospitals, Bronson Methodist Hospital, and Borgess Medical Center. Research The W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit research organization, has operated in Kalamazoo since its establishment in 1945. The Institute conducts research into the causes and effects of unemployment and measures for the alleviation of unemployment. The Institute also publishes Business Outlook for West Michigan, a quarterly journal that provides economic analysis and forecasts on the West Michigan economy. Other Other notable Kalamazoo businesses include:TheFarmers' Market, located on Bank Street, is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays, May through November. A wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers are sold from stalls by area growers. National City(Kalamazoo was formerly the corporate HQ of First of America Bank, which merged withNational City Bankin1997), National City has since been purchased and merged withPNC Bankwhich still maintains a large corporate building in Texas Township, and several downtown along with branches in the region. Culture Kalamazoo has long been a center for the arts, largely due to its colleges and university.The city has an Arts Council. On the first Friday of each month, the council organizes the Art Hop, in which patrons circulate among downtown businesses.Big-name stars and groups often perform at the downtown State Theatre, Western Michigan University's Miller Auditorium, and Wings Stadium.The annual 'Eccentric Day' at Bell's Eccentric Cafe celebrates the brewery's Eccentric Ale on the December Friday that marks the end of finals at Western Michigan University.There is no longer a zoo in Kalamazoo, despite the name and a Woody Woodpecker cartoon. The Milham Park Zoo closed in 1974.Next to Milham Park is the Milham Park Golf Course, which is rated among the best municipal golf courses in the country. Completed in 1936, the 18-hole, par-72 course has a pro shop and restaurant, and is entirely within the city limits of Kalamazoo.In 2002, the Kalamazoo Public Library was named 'Library of the Year' by Library Journal. The library includes a main location and four branch libraries, and until 2010, a bookmobile system. Animation festival A project of Kalamazoo Valley Community College, The Kalamazoo Animation Festival International (KAFI) encourages and educates animation artists, promotes Kalamazoo's animation industry, and provides community entertainment. In addition to a biannual festival, KAFI sponsors events such as film screenings and workshops throughout the year.KAFI's first festival, spearheaded by a local animation artist, drew 235 submissions and nearly 1,000 attendees in 2002. A second festival was held in 2003. Since then, an every-other-year schedule has been adopted, and KAFI has developed into one of the top 20 animated film festivals in the world. The 2007 festival attracted more than 500 entries from 37 countries. In addition to an animated film competition with $15,000 in prizes awarded, the festival features events for students, artists, educators, filmmakers and the general public. Past KAFI award winners include Bill Plympton, Karen Aqua, Chris Landreth and John Canemaker.Poor economic conditions in 2010 led the organizers to declare a hiatus for 2011. Museums The city's most prominent art museum is the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, whose collection has more than 3,600 works and a focus on 20th-century American art. The KIA regularly mounts temporary exhibitions, some of which have drawn tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world.Downtown is the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, a 'hands-on' museum aimed largely at children; it has a planetarium, a nationally recognized Challenger Learning Center, and a mural painted by renowned artist James 'Jungle' Powell.Northeast of town, in Hickory Corners, is the Gilmore Car Museum, which includes cars used in Walt Disney movies.The Kalamazoo Air Zoo, just south of town, has several dozen aircraft on display, from biplanes to jets. Theater Kalamazoo's theaters and performing groups include the Kalamazoo Civic Players, New Vic Theatre, Fancy Pants Theater, Farmer's Alley Theatre, and the Barn Theatre in nearby Augusta. Plays and musicals are also performed at Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University.A growing improv scene is centered around the groups in Crawlspace Theatre Productions: Crawlspace Eviction, Kind of Pretty Women, and t&a. Monkapult, a student improv group at Kalamazoo College, also has regular performances. Members of Monkapult later formed a small improv troupe called Just Panda, which gained recognition throughout the community and held performances in Milwaukee and Chicago.The All Ears Theatre, which invites listeners to return to 'the thrilling days of live radio,' performs new and classic works before a live audience. Twelve performances are recorded per year, all of which are later broadcast locally on WMUK. Music The Gibson Guitar Corporation, founded in Kalamazoo in 1902, spurred local musicians playing in everything classical to folk, to modern rock. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1921, is directed by Raymond Harvey. The city also hosts the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and a Bach Festival.The local and indie music scene has produced pop stars such as RCA recording artists The Verve Pipe and Metal Blade recording artists Thought Industry. The Fretboard Festival, a celebration of Kalamazoo's music scene and its musical heritage, is held annually at The Kalamazoo Valley Museum. The third annual 'Kalamashoegazer' festival was held in August 2009 at The Strutt Bar and Cafe. Dance Kalamazoo is home to Boheme Tribal Belly Dance, the area's premiere Tribal Style belly dance troupe. The troupe is under the direction of Sarah Schneider Koning and performs throughout the United States. Their repertoire includes ATS, Tribal Fusion, Gothic Fusion, Punk Raks, folkloric dances of the Middle East, and Raqs Sharqi. Boheme offers classes at a variety of locations throughout southwest Michigan and hosts gala shows, haflas and workshops.Kalamazoo is also home to the Kalamazoo Ballet Company, and Bullard School of Ballet and Highland Dance, founded in 1969 by Therese Bullard, a former principal dancer with Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet. The Kalamazoo Ballet Company is a charter member of Mid-States Regional Dance America, and has a repertoire that includes not only such classics as the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, but also original works choreographed by Ms. Bullard and August Tye, including Dracula and Jane Eyre, as well as award-winning pieces set by Ms. Tye, including Insomnia. The Kalamazoo Ballet Company frequently collaborates with the Dance Department at Kalamazoo Central High School, exchanging dancers to perform specialized roles, and with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, to provide audiences with the combined artistic experience of music and dance. Members of the company have won the annual Mid-States Regional Dance America annual competition for a full-tuition scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet's eight week summer school program many times, and several members have attended the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Professional School as scholarship students. Sports Kalamazoo plays host to four non-collegiate teams:TheKalamazoo Kingsminor-league baseball team plays games atHomer Stryker Fieldand is a member of the independentFrontier League. TheKalamazoo Wings(aka K-Wings) minor-pro hockey team plays games inWings Stadiumand has played since1973. The team is currently a member of theECHL. TheKalamazoo Outrageis a soccer club and has men's, women's and junior teams and is a member ofUnited Soccer League, due to play in thePremier Development Leagueas an expansion team in the. On November 14, 2007, the club announced a player development deal with one of England's oldest soccer teams,Sheffield Wednesdaya.k.a 'The Owls'. Former USA international team playerJohn Harkesplayed successfully with the Owls in the 1990s, and current international youngsterFrank SimekfromSt Louis, MOis their current first-choice right-back. In April 2008, Wednesday released youngster Scott Elise to play for the Outrage after the 20yr old graduated from the Owls Academy, further cementing links between the two clubs. The Western Michigan University Broncos, who compete in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference, play at the following on-campus venues:Waldo Stadium(football) Lawson Arena(hockey) University Arena(basketballandVolleyball) Hyames Field(baseball) Ebert Field(softball) Kanley Track(outdoortrack and field) Hyames Field played host to the first two College World Series held in 1947 and 1948. Future U. S. President George H. W. Bush was a first baseman for Yale in the 1947 series.The Kalamazoo College Hornets and Kalamazoo Valley Community College Cougars also have several collegiate athletic teams.Kalamazoo is the hometown of New York Yankees all-star shortstop Derek Jeter, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings, and free agent running back T.J. Duckett and J.C Harrison of the Cleveland Browns. Washington Nationals pitcher Scott Olsen Chicago White Sox first baseman and gold glove winner Mike Squires was born in Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo was also the hometown of longtime Detroit Tigers owner John Fetzer, who owned the American League team from 1961 through 1984, when he sold the franchise to Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan.The United States Tennis Association Boys 18 and 16 National Tennis Championships are hosted every summer by Kalamazoo College. The event, organized completely by local volunteers from Kalamazoo's vibrant tennis community, has seen some of tennis' great stars in years just before they became pro including Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, James Blake and Andy Roddick.Kalamazoo is home to the Big League Softball World Series yearly Newspapers Kalamazoo is served by one daily newspaper, the Kalamazoo Gazette.The main office of Business Review Western Michigan, a business-to-business publication, is located downtown next to the Kalamazoo Gazette.Located on campus, but completely independent of the university, Western Herald is the morning, weekday, student-run newspaper at Western Michigan University, distributed free of charge on-campus and around the greater Kalamazoo area. Unlike most college newspapers, the Herald is funded entirely by advertising dollars and does not receive any student activity fees or other funding from the university or taxpayers. Television WWMT, West Michigan's CBS / CW affiliate, is licensed and operates out of Kalamazoo but serves the entire West Michigan region. The station was originally owned and operated by famous broadcasting pioneer (and former Detroit Tigers owner) John Fetzer, as 'WKZO-TV'. Along with television, Fetzer introduced Kalamazoo to radio in 1931, when AM 590 WKZO signed on the air. Fezter also created Kalamazoo's first cable television system, then known as Fetzer Cable; it is a predecessor of Kalamazoo's current cable franchise, Charter Communications.The Public Media Network, located in downtown Kalamazoo, hosts media outlets including Charter cable channels 19, 20, 21, 22, and 95 where daily public access programs are produced and aired to the public.Kalamazoo is part of the West Michigan television market, which also includes Grand Rapids and Battle Creek. Most channels that serve the entire market are receivable in Kalamazoo, including WWMT, WOOD-TV (NBC), WXMI (Fox), WZPX (Ion) and WLLA (religious). Some channels based in the northern part of the market reach Kalamazoo through a satellite or translator, such as WTLJ Muskegon (religious, through W26BX), WGVU-TV Grand Rapids (PBS, through WGVK), and WXSP-CA Grand Rapids (MyNetworkTV, through WOKZ-CA). WOTV in Battle Creek broadcasts ABC programming for the southern part of the market, including Kalamazoo. Charter offers all West Michigan channels on its system to Kalamazoo subscribers, including WZZM, the ABC affiliate for Grand Rapids and the northern part of the market. Radio WIDR is the college student-run, commercial free radio station at Western Michigan University. It is known for playing obscure and rarely heard underground music of all styles as well as some local news and talk. Broadcasting 100 watts on 89.1 FM, WIDR can be heard from about a 20-mile radius from campus.WMUK is also on Western Michigan University's campus. It hosts many local music programs including jazz and classical performances as well as programming from NPR. WMUK broadcasts 50,000 watts in high definition on 102.1 FM.WKDS is West Michigan's only high school student-run radio station. The station signed on in 1983 at 89.9 on the FM dial, broadcasting from Loy Norrix High School. The call letters stood for Kalamazoo District Schools (now Kalamazoo Public Schools). For most of its history, WKDS broadcasted only during daytime hours and not at all on the weekend. In Fall of 2004, the station began broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in an attempt to prevent an outside organization to take over the time WKDS was off the air. WKDS was part of a county wide Education For Employment program for years. The radio station is still owned by Kalamazoo Public Schools although the EFE program has been discontinued. High School students from around the area continue to operate the station.FM radio stations which serve Kalamazoo include:WAYK88.3 - Kalamazoo - Christian Top 40 WIDR89.1 - Kalamazoo - College/Variety WKDS89.9 - Kalamazoo - High School/Variety WCSG91.3 - Grand Rapids - Christian AC WZUU92.5 - Mattawan/Kalamazoo - Classic Rock WBCT93.7 - Grand Rapids - Country WTNR94.5 - Grand Rapids - Country WNWN95.5 - Kalamazoo - Urban Adult Contemporary (translator for AM 1560) WLKM-FM95.9 - Three Rivers - Classic Hits WKZO96.5 - Portage/Kalamazoo - News/Talk (CBS) (simulcast of AM 590) WGRD97.9 - Grand Rapids - Rock WNWN-FM98.5 - Battle Creek - Country WBCH-FM100.1 - Hastings - Country WQXC100.9 - Otsego/Kalamazoo - Oldies WMUK102.1 - Kalamazoo - NPR/Classical/Jazz WKFR103.3 - Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - CHR/Top 40 WBXX104.9 - Battle Creek - Adult Contemporary WOOD-FM105.7 - Grand Rapids - Adult Contemporary WJXQ106.1 - Jackson/Lansing - Active Rock WVFM106.5 - Kalamazoo - Adult Contemporary WBBL107.3 - Greenville/Grand Rapids - Sports WRKR107.7 - Portage/Kalamazoo - Classic Rock AM radio stations which serve Kalamazoo include:WKZO590 - Kalamazoo - News/Talk (CBS) WAKV980 - Allegan/Otsego - Adult S