After decades of serving the Battle Creek community, Clara's on the River is closing its doors for good on September 6. The restaurant, housed in the historic 1888 Michigan Central Railroad Depot, has been a local staple since the 1990s but can no longer compete with rising costs and national chain restaurants.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. ... If you’re looking for Mexican food in Battle Creek, Nina’s Taqueria deserves a spot on your list.

After taking a break from restaurant reviews earlier this year, we’re finally getting back to one of my favorite things to do, visiting local restaurants, trying the food and sharing the experience with our readers.

For our first restaurant review back, we visited Nina’s Taqueria at 248 Capitol Ave. SW in Battle Creek, Michigan.

We’ve eaten at Nina’s before, but it had been quite a while.

The restaurant had been closed for remodeling, and this was our first visit since the work was completed.

I’m happy to say, Nina’s didn’t disappoint.

From the moment we sat down, our server, Jocelyn, was friendly, welcoming and attentive. She checked back with us regularly throughout the meal to make sure we had everything we needed.

The service was excellent from beginning to end.

Queso Flameado Was a Great Way to Start

The Cereal City Buzz Food Truck Finder is already demonstrating how valuable one reliable, easy-to-use local resource can be for Battle Creek residents and visitors.

The recent Backyard Burgers & Brews Fest brought approximately 40 food trucks and vendors to downtown Battle Creek. It was an impressive reminder of how much the local food truck community has grown, as well as how difficult it can sometimes be to keep track of every truck, menu and location.

That is exactly the problem the Food Truck Finder was created to solve.

The early success continued Tuesday, September 1, during the final Truckin’ Tuesday of the season at McCamly Park, across from the Kool Family Community Center.

Five food trucks participated, and every one of them could be found in the Food Truck Finder.

Tuesday’s lineup included:

• Scott’s Sweets

• Teresa’s Kitchen

• Motor Mouth

• Big Mike’s Smokehouse Barbecue

• Kick N Kurbz

Battle Creek Public Schools is joining a statewide effort to strengthen literacy instruction, becoming one of 17 Michigan districts committed to training all elementary educators in the science of reading.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko recognized the districts for setting goals to complete Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, known as LETRS, training ahead of a state requirement that all K-5 reading teachers be trained in the science of reading by the 2031-32 school year.

What is LETRS Training?

LETRS is designed to help educators strengthen instruction in five key areas:

• Phonological awareness

• Phonics

• Fluency

• Vocabulary

• Comprehension

Calhoun County 911 dispatchers can now access live feeds from school security cameras to improve emergency response times and student safety. The new capability allows dispatchers to assess situations in real-time before first responders arrive on scene.

Dolly Parton, the country music icon who became a cultural phenomenon, died on August 25 at the age of 80. From her Imagination Library literacy program to her $1 million COVID-19 vaccine donation, Parton built trust across political and social divides without ever endorsing a candidate or choosing sides. Battle Creek Enquirer columnist Byron McCauley reflects on what made her a rare unifying force in divided times.

Robinette's Apple Haus & Winery in Grand Rapids is opening a Dolly Parton-themed corn maze as a tribute to the late country music legend. The attraction joins other tributes across West Michigan honoring the singer who died August 25 at age 80.

Michigan is among 47 states receiving $17 billion from Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, as part of a legal settlement over teen social media addiction. The state will receive at least $171 million under the agreement which will fundamentally change how minors interact with social media.

Google Maps has changed the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America for U.S. users to reflect President Trump's executive order renaming the lake. The change affects only U.S. users, while those in Canada will continue to see Lake Ontario. The renaming is part of an escalating trade feud between the U.S. and Canada.

A year ago in August, a woman driving through Battle Creek stopped at a stop sign and heard crying. It was coming from a plastic bag tied shut on the shoulder of Morgan Road. Inside was a puppy, barely alive, that rescuers believe had been thrown from a moving car. That puppy, soon named Ozzy, had maybe an hour left to live. One year later, All Species Kinship shares a guide for helping animals across West Michigan.