Back in 2023, Starr Commonwealth President and CEO Elizabeth Carey told Community Matters about a groundbreaking idea for a new program: Target young "opportunity youth" who have had a "failure to launch" - a lack of momentum toward their life goals.

In 2025, Carey returns to Community Matters to report back on the progress FOCUS Forward has made in just a couple of years.

Episode Resources
Starr Commonwealth website
Press Release: Starr Commonwealth Receives $300,000 from State of Michigan to Empower “Opportunity Youth”
Scientific American: Failure to Launch Syndrome

ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays at 8:00 AM and PM Eastern on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.

Calhoun County still remains in the top-five Michigan counties with significant rates of domestic violence - sometimes called intimate partner violence. 

That's the word from Ellen Lassiter Collier, executive director of Battle Creek's SAFE Place, a 54-bed emergency shelter. The shelter exists for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking.

Now, SAFE Place has opened a location in Marshall. Lassiter Collier returns to Community Matters to discuss how the second location will help the organization be more responsive to those who need them.

Episode Resources
SAFE Place website

ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays at 8:00 AM Eastern on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.

The search for Battle Creek's next city manager reached a point previously where finalists for the job were set to meet with the public. Then, after one of the candidates withdrew, the city stopped the process temporarily.

That was back in April 2025; now, a new set of finalists is ready to meet the public on August 6, 2025. The event will bring four finalists to the public where folks can interact and ask them questions. The event is planned for Wednesday, August 6, 2025 from 5:30-7:00 PM in the atrium at the Doubletree by Hilton in downtown Battle Creek.

Battle Creek Mayor Mark Behnke and Vice-Mayor Sherry Sofia return to Community Matters with some perspective on the longer-than-planned process, including some suggestions for what residents may want to listen for when they attend.

Episode Resources
Battle Creek City Manager Finalists

ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays, 8:00 AM Eastern on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.

Kalamazoo Democrat Sean McCann - term limited in the Michigan House of Representatives - wants to unseat Republican U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga of Holland.

Huizenga represents Michigan's 4th Congressional House District in Washington, a district redrawn in 2022 to include a portion of Calhoun County including the city of Battle Creek.

McCann will need to win a primary challenge first, from Kalamazoo attorney Jessica Swartz - who tried unsuccessfully to unseat Huizenga in 2024.

McCann joins Community Matters to talk about why he chooses to run, along with the issues he sees as priorities.

Episode Resources
Rep Sean McCann Website
Rep Bill Huizenga Website
Community Matters: Huizenga Adjusts to Redrawn District, Aims for Reelection
Community Matters: Kalamazoo Democrat Swartz Campaigns to Unseat Huizenga in U.S. House

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications. Episodes can be heard anytime at BattleCreekPodcast.com.

Battle Creek's Cereal City Concert Band, fresh back from performances in Prague, Czech Republic and Schladming, Austria in summer 2025, announced a new conductor: Dr. Doris Doyan.

Doyan joins Community Matters for this community introduction, along with longtime CCCB musician Barb Hibiske. The pair also discuss a call for new musicians to join the band.

Episode Resources
CCCB Website
Community Matters: Cereal City Concert Band Invited to Perform in Europe

ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays at 8:00 AM Eastern on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.

A U.S. Housing and Urban Development grant totaling $90,000 for Battle Creek's Haven of Rest Ministries Life Recovery Program is being cut. 

In an open letter to the community, Haven Executive Director Daniel Jones says the cut is "..a threat to the viability of the entire program."

The 12-month, in-residence programs are "designed for individuals battling substance use disorders, co-occuring mental health conditions, and long-term housing instability," Jones said in the letter.

Jones joins Community Matters to discuss the plan he has for a financial "bridge" to 2026 - something the community can help do.

Episode Resources
The Haven of Rest Ministries

ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays at 8:00 AM Eastern on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.

Someone calling you claiming to be a federal law enforcement agent demanding to be paid in gift cards or cryptocurrency is a fraudster.

That's the word from Battle Creek Police Community Services Sgt. Cory Champlin, who joins Community Matters to remind listeners how to recognize such calls as scams.

Episode Resources
BCPD Scam Alert

ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays at 8:00 AM Eastern on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.

Michigan State University dementia researcher Dr. Graham Atkin returns to Creating Dementia Solutions to offer perspective on various fronts. That includes threats to dementia research funding.

Dr. Atkin and two of his medical students - Isabel "Izzy" Brown and Reba Koratich - also discuss the idea of a blood test to determine dementia risk - and the status of a cure for dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.

Episode Resources
The Lancet Commission Risk Factors for Dementia

Miles for Memories website
Miles for Memories technology
Sherii Sherban talks to Community Matters about MFM technology
More Creating Dementia Solutions episodes and MFM 2025 Research Update

ABOUT MILES FOR MEMORIES

Miles For Memories is a Calhoun County, Michigan organization created in 2013 to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s Disease. Later in 2014, the vision was expanded to include all types of dementia. MFM raises money each year through sponsorships, community events, and grants to gather funds to create local programming for both the person living with dementia and the caregiver. Along with local efforts, 20% of the funds to prevention-related dementia research. Miles for Memories is a committee of 70-plus volunteers and are always looking for more to get involved.

Calhoun County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Coordinator, Deputy Matthew Schimmel, joins Community Matters to offer input after multiple drownings and incidents on state waterways.

A Detroit Free Press report quoted a Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project tally at 31 great lakes drownings shortly after Independence Day 2025.

Deputy Schimmel discusses water safety as it relates to both swimming and boating - and even discusses how a grant allows deputies to distribute free personal flotation devices.

Episode Resources
Michigan DNR Boating Safety

ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays at 8:00 AM Eastern on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.

Lakeview Ford's Vince Pavone returns to Community Matters to celebrate the dealership's 15th anniversary in downtown Battle Creek.

He also shares some information about how some Calhoun County residents spoke up in Washington D.C. against changes to the Production Tax Credit in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Their efforts were successful in helping to maintain the PTC's affect on the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan in Marshall.

Episode Resources

Lakeview Ford Lincoln
Ford BlueOval Battery Park Michigan

ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays at 8:00 AM Eastern on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.