John Hiner

6 days ago | mlive.com | John Hiner

Three years ago this week I was the most grateful, relieved dad in the world. Not long before that I was the most frustrated and worried dad in the world. My adult son, Alex, needed open-heart surgery, something rare for people under 30. The consequences of not having this surgery were that his heart at some point was going to fail suddenly, finally. As a parent, that’s a shocking and upsetting thing to know. The problem was, Alex didn’t want surgery.

2 weeks ago | mlive.com | John Hiner

An unusually high-profile trial has led to unusual reporting challenges for MLive’s news team at The Grand Rapids Press. The trial of Chistopher Schurr, a former Grand Rapids city police officer, is scheduled to begin Monday. Schurr is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Patrick Lyoya, who was shot by Schurr after a traffic stop in Grand Rapids on April 4, 2022.

3 weeks ago | mlive.com | John Hiner

I was riveted to my couch Sunday evening. I’m guessing a lot of you were, too. Rory McIlroy, the professional golfer from Northern Ireland, was fighting to win The Masters. And attempting to fulfill the dream he’s had since he was a kid – to win the coveted career Grand Slam. It was agonizing to watch because this wasn’t just about golf. It was about overcoming personal demons, pushing away self-doubt, ignoring the haters and critics and putting mistakes in the past and moving forward. Can you relate?

1 month ago | mlive.com | John Hiner

Two weekends ago, some unscheduled programming butted into an NCAA basketball tournament game for Michigan State University – a prolonged, severe weather storm that swept across the state. Twelve tornadoes broke out and four people died. While the television broadcast ran crawlers over the game warning of severe weather, MLive chief meteorologist Mark Torregrossa broadcasted updates for two hours straight, giving people information that helped keep them safe.

1 month ago | mlive.com | John Hiner

If you tell me you have a favorite this or that, I’ll say “hmmm” and listen for details why it’s so. If you tell me something is “The Greatest,” you may be in for an argument. That’s the case with news this week that Time magazine has picked one spot in Michigan for its “World’s Greatest Places” list. I can’t say it’s not a fantastic place, because I’ve never been there. In fact, I’ve never heard of it – Little Village in Detroit’s East Village neighborhood.