GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WZZM) -- Two reports out Wednesday indicate Michigan's economy is slowly improving.  WZZM 13 has learned the state's unemployment rate dropped for the fourth consecutive month in december to 11.7%.  That's 3 percentage points lower than December of 2009.  Those numbers come on the same day of a report from Grand Valley State University showing the economy in West Michigan is getting better.

"2010 was our best year in history, we've been around for 30 years, and I expect 2011 to be even better," said Mike McNamara, the sales manager for Imperial Designs Personnel in Grandville.

Imperial Designs Personnel is a recruiting company that matches West Michigan businesses with new employees.  McNamara says right now he says job openings are up about 20% over the past few years.

(WZZM)- We may be in the dead of winter but that is not stopping some greenthumbs from looking ahead to spring.

Grand Rapids Community College continued its gardening camp Wednesday.  The free classes cover how to prepare your garden for the new season.  Local experts lead the sessions which take place from noon until 1 p.m. every third Wednesday of the month.

GRCC Trainer Sara Yob says, "We wanted enough time to really cover several topics and have people ready.  The typical plant time, planting time for most of the stuff we do in vegetable gardens is in the end of May.  So we want to have all this knowledge in you and you're ready to go then."

Root Camp runs through May 18th.

For tips from our own Greenthumb Rick Vyust click here.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WZZM) - Spectrum Health's Dr. Asghar Khaghani and his transplant team have performed their fifth heart transplant.  It happened on Monday.

Their first heart transplant happened in November, just after Thanksgiving.

The transplant team needs to complete 10 transplants before they can apply for certification with Medicare, which if approved, would make it easier for insurance companies to cover the costs of the surgeries.

Spectrum Health is currently absorbing the costs until they become a certified heart transplant program.