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Morning Buzz: June 30

Posted at 9:57 AM, Jun 30, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-30 12:25:11-04

1. Grand Rapids' first Holocaust memorial has been gifted to the Frederik Meijer Gardens.

The donation came from the Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids. It's being made possible by a donation from the Pestka Family in memory or their father Henry, survivors who settled in West Michigan, and the millions of Jewish people who perished in the holocaust.

The new memorial will be anchored by a piece called "Ways To Say Goodbye."

It'll be added to the garden's permanent collection in 2022.

2. Gun Lake CAsino announced plans back in April for a $300 million expansion.

The ongoing expansion is set to transform the casino into a hotel resort. It's scheduled to be finished up by late summer of this year and will add around250-square-feet to the existing property.

The new hotel will offer luxury suites for guests as well as a full-service spa and three-meal restaurant.

3. Free kayak demonstrations are happening at Riverside Park presented by the City of Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department.

Lagoon Days at Riverside Park will be holding its second event on Saturday, July 3 from 1-4 p.m.

The event is part of the city's Thrive Outside Communities Group that helps bring equitable access to outdoor spaces to youth in the city of Grand Rapids.

There's no pre-registration required for the event, you can simply drop in as volunteers will be running ongoing 30-minute demos throughout the event.

4. It appears all that time spent playing video games may actually have been helping prepare for life and a career.

A new report says most people found all of their hours playing video games helped them in the real world.

According to a survey conducted by marketing research firm One Poll and World of Warships by War Gaming, 47 percent of Americans believe the competitive nature of video games has helped them succeed.

Of the 2,000 people surveyed, others noted gaining creativity skills, better hand-eye coordination, and management and problem-solving skills from gaming.

5. Grab a telescope and turn your eyes to the night sky for International Asteroid Day.

The day marks the anniversary of the largest asteroid impact in recorded history.

It struck on a warm summer morning in Siberia, Russia on June 30, 1908, what's known as the Tunguska Explosion.

International Asteroid Day was created several years ago by a diverse group of four people that included Brian May. He's the lead guitarist for the rock band Queen, who also happens to be an astrophysicist.