George James

Colleges Take Measures to Prevent Virus Outbreaks

Statewide, colleges are struggling with the decision to either keep students learning from home or give them the full experience of in-person class and campus life. This week, Michigan State University announced that they are transitioning from in-person to remote classes and that students will not be moving into the dorms, with few exceptions.

So far, the dorms are open at Saginaw Valley, Central, U of M, and other public universities in the state. Private colleges like Alma and Albion are planning in-person classes while practicing health precautions.

St. Clair County Community College has moved many classes online, but they are also planning to hold in-person classes in health services, engineering technology, graphic design, and lab components of certain classes.

For MSU, being the largest university in the state, the risk of having a virus outbreak outweighed the huge economic, social, and educational impacts of having an empty campus. In a letter to students, Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., MD, President of MSU, said that there will be refunds and credits for those who had already paid housing and food service bills.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Michiganders Urged to Complete Census as it Becomes Latest Political Pawn

The national census is underway as it has been every decade since 1790. The Census Bureau has shortened the collection period by one month and a coalition of states are pushing back, asking for the October 31st deadline to be restored.

Michigan and seven other states have sent a letter to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Commerce expressing their displeasure with the moved-up date to end the data collection period.

In a press release, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “It is more important than ever that we be able to reach and account for every Michigander to ensure we receive funding for essential programs to help Michiganders recover from the COVID-19 crisis and be successful over the next decade – services like child care, education, foster care, and special education.” She went on to urge residents to complete the census immediately.  

The deadline was actually extended by Congress in April as the COVID-19 crisis was just getting started. The fear is that populations that are harder to count will be passed over and the funding that is tied to population counts will not be available to states. It is estimated that Michigan has 3.3 million residents who are considered “hard to count”.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

McLaren Port Huron Thanks Community for Generosity

Port Huron, MI — McLaren Port Huron’s Foundation continued to work through the closures and restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital has recently issued a “thank you” to the entire community for supporting them through the crisis.

Some of the hospital’s own employees have benefitted from the COVID-19 Relief Fund, which helps employees who are struggling. The fund has raised over $50,000 so far. The hospital has also continued awarding scholarships to those who are pursuing careers in the medical field and those who are already in the field and are continuing their education. Scholarships were awarded to 21 individuals totaling $28,000.

While indoor events have had to be cancelled, outdoor events continued. Levi’s Link Virtual 5K raised over $38,000 to support the program for patients with special needs. The Tee It Up to Beat Cancer golf outing raised over $35,000 for cancer services and equipment at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Port Huron. Another outdoor event was the annual golf outing which raised $46,000 to purchase new bassinets for the Miriam F. Acheson Family Birth Place.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Class of 2021 Continues Personalized Parking Space Tradition

Port Huron, MI — The high school class of 2021 is gearing up for a Senior Year with a lot of question marks. But one thing that has become a tradition, personalized senior parking spaces, continues.

Seniors at both Port Huron high schools will be painting their parking spaces this weekend, as part of a fairly recent tradition that has been catching on at high schools throughout the region. Port Huron Northern High School Counselor, Julie Barlass, said that this is the fourth year of allowing students to “own” their parking spaces for the school year.

Barlass said, “This gives the seniors an opportunity to express themselves in creative ways and feel valued as the graduating class.” Students pay a nominal fee for the “ownership” and proceeds go toward the Senior Prom.

In light of the cancellations and postponements that have become expected during the pandemic, the keeping of a tradition is a bright spot for the class of 2021. Barlass said, “So much has changed over the past 6 months, and any tiny bit of routine, normalcy, or tradition helps all of us, students included, to feel more comfortable and at ease.  We are very eager to have our students back on campus in a safe manner.  Hopefully painting parking spaces will bring some joy to our seniors who will, undoubtedly, face many changes this year.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Redistricting Commission is Finalized after 2018 Referendum

Gerrymandering could be a thing of the past with the final selection of the thirteen commissioners for the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. The random drawing from the final pool of 180 applicants was made on August 17th.

The new commission includes four citizens who identify as Republicans, four who identify as Democrats, and five who are not affiliated with either party. The whole process was carried out by the office of the Secretary of State and was facilitated by the independent accounting firm, Rehmann, LLC.

The process began in 2018 when a referendum vote took the power to draw U.S. congressional districts, as well as state House and Senate districts, away from the legislature. Many districts were set up to support candidates of a particular party in a practice known as gerrymandering. Over 10,000 citizens applied to be on the commission. The candidates were narrowed down to represent the actual makeup of the state by age, race, gender, and region, using census data.

The political implications of redistricting could be substantial. More information about the process and the outcome can be found at RedistrictingMichigan.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Football Moved to Spring with Tough MHSAA Decision

2020 has dealt another low blow. The Michigan High School Athletic Association announced the postponement of the high school football season. The news is a heartbreaker for communities that have come together on Friday nights to cheer on the home teams as well as for the players and coaches who had already been putting in weeks of practices and preparations. But the news is no surprise in a year of cancellations and postponements.

Mark Uyl, Executive Director of MHSAA, explained in a video that football carries greater risks of sustained contact than other fall sports like soccer and golf, therefore, the difficult decision to postpone was made out of concern for the safety of the players. Emotions run high when it comes to high school football and in the video, Uyl gets emotional when he reveals that he is also the parent of a senior football player. He went on to say, “While this is tremendously disappointing, we will do everything possible to provide the best possible experience in the spring while adding football into the calendar.”

Michigan has over 34,000 high school student-athletes with over 600 teams affected. The move to spring will push other sports to summer.

Guidelines for volleyball and boys soccer are expected to be announced on August 19.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland