Niles residents flock to the cinema to beat the heat; cooling station empty

NILES, Mich. – Temperatures reached triple digits in Niles Wednesday, as families celebrated Independence Day while seeking refuge from the oppressive heat.

The busiest business in downtown Niles was the Wonderland Cinema.

Hundreds of people filled the theaters to see everything from animated features; to a web-slinging superhero, to an adult comedy about a man and his talking teddy bear.

Some people tried to spend some time outdoors in the park nearby.

Choosing to stick to the shade the trees provided gave them some relief; but it was still around 85 degrees under the canopy.

Meanwhile, the plastic slides on the playground equipment were registering 130 degrees in the sun.

Niles did open a cooling center at the fire department on Main Street.

It was a constant 60 degrees, and bottles of water were on hand. Virtually no one used the center Wednesday.

The cinema on the other hand had the busiest day of the year, due in large part to the heat and the holiday.

With temperatures expected to remain high for the rest of the week, the cinema is preparing for more packed theaters in the coming days.