KENTWOOD, Mich. — An extreme heat warning is affecting much of west Michigan, including in my Kentwood neighborhood, and residents are finding creative ways to stay cool.
Some are turning to sweet treats. At Cone City, kids like Andres and Isa are finding relief from the heat.
"I'm really hot and it's cooling me down since it's really cold," Isa said.
"It was cold. I just like feel like cooler and stuff. It also tastes really good," Andres said.
Worker Sierra Burnn said the shop has seen a noticeable uptick in customers as temperatures have climbed.
"It has been busier since the heat's rising and the temperatures are getting hotter throughout the week. There's been more customers," Burnn said.
Others are taking their summer fun indoors. As temperatures hit the mid-90s, Mikisha Pleseo brought her daughter Ommarye to the Richard L. Root Library.
"I just wanted to make sure that my daughter had a safe place to run and play, and then also socialize. So, the library is one of our favorite spots," Pleseo said.
Pleseo said the heat makes outdoor activities unsafe for her young children.
"It's just way too hot, like even if we were out there for a few minutes, it's just not really good for young babies. I have a one year old and a five year old, so it's just too hot for them. The playground equipment is usually burning up too, so just making sure that she's safe from the heat," Pleseo said.
Librarian Kara Wiggert said the library is an ideal destination during a heat wave.
"When it's hot outside, it's a really good place to come in and cool off, because there's usually AC in public libraries," Wiggert said.
Wiggert said the library saw a large crowd Tuesday morning.
"This morning we had a ton of people here for story time, like an overflow, so I'm guessing that's partially because of the heat, because people can't go out to parks with their kids," Wiggert said.
There are plenty of activities happening at the Kentwood branch library, click here to see.
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