George James

Blue Water Hospice Invites Medical Providers, General Public to Hospice Education Event

Hospice has proven to be an invaluable service for families caring for loved ones who are nearing the end of their lives. A hospice education event is being offered to both medical providers and the general public on March 23rd at 5:30 p.m. at the Blue Water Convention Center.

The hospice education event is sponsored by the Visiting Nurse Association and Blue Water Hospice and features Medical Director Dr. Doru Bali and Associate Medical Director Dr. Candace Kimpson.

Hospice empowers patients and their families to take control of their end-of-life journey. The panel discussion will explain how hospice is managed and remind the community that agreeing to hospice is more about quality of life than “giving up”. Hospice care includes pain management and comfort measures.

The discussion will explore the collaboration between patients, physicians, and the hospice team.

Attending the event costs $35 which includes dinner. Reservations are required. More information can be found at the link below.

www.vnabwh.org/events

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

EGLE to Fund Clean Engines for Great Lakes Shipping

Great Lakes shipping could become cleaner with $9 million available to replace or repower engines on freight switchers, ferry boats, and tug boats, as well as shore-side powering for vessels.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is starting the process of funding grants to pay for the switchover to zero-emission technology. The grants will range from $100,000 to $5 million and will fund between 25% and 70% of each project.

The grants are funded with the money that Michigan received in the Volkswagen settlement. EGLE’s Fuel Transformation Program has the goal of reducing emissions and increasing the use of zero-emission and alternative fuel engines.

Elizabeth Browne, director of the Materials Management Division at EGLE said, “This is a great opportunity to reduce emissions from rail and marine sources to help improve air quality in neighboring communities and protect the environment. While cars get the most attention, other transportation sectors are also integral to Michigan’s transition to zero-emission or cleaner fuels as called out in the draft MI Healthy Climate Plan.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Take Care of Your Heart! February is Heart Health Awareness Month

It’s Heart Health Awareness Month. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States and in Michigan.

Prevention is the best treatment for heart disease and being aware of the risk factors, as well as signs of a problem, are the purpose of the awareness campaign.

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services chief medical executive, said, “It’s important for women and Michiganders to know their risk factors for heart disease. Being aware of risk factors and also giving people tools they need to lead a healthier lifestyle will improve quality of life.”

The keys to heart health are basic healthy living: not smoking and avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke, engaging in regular physical activity, eating healthy, managing blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

Heart disease mortality rates have risen over the past few years, with minorities having the largest increase. Women are disproportionately impacted by heart disease.

Visit the links below for more heart health awareness resources.

WISEWOMAN program

Michigan Million Hearts® Network. Million Hearts® 2022

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 Symphonic and Jazz Band Presents “Beginnings” Feb. 26th

The St. Clair County Community College Symphonic and Jazz Band is back in business after a two-year hiatus. The “Beginnings” concert will be held on Saturday, February 26th at 7:00 p.m. in the SC4 Fine Arts Theatre.

Conductor Erick J. Senkmajer said he has enjoyed working with community members again and that “it is fun to see musicians ranging in age from high school through retirement age enjoying their time together, once again breathing life into these dots on a page.”

In getting the band back together after the extended break, Senkmajer said, “We all missed making music together. Because it has been two years, it was hard to say who would be back, what our instrumentation would be like, and how much “dust” there would be in our instruments.”

The concert is a welcome sign that things are slowly getting back to normal for both musicians and patrons of the arts. The program is described as “light and fast” and a lovely way to welcome audience members back, along with the musicians.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or online.

https://sc4.edu/event/sc4-symphonic-band-concert/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Nessel: Gifts Cards Are For Gifting, Not For Paying People

Gift card scams are on the rise and people are still falling for them. Americans wasted over $148 million on gift card scams in just the first nine months of 2021. Gift cards are not traceable, making them an easy way to pull off a scam with little chance of getting caught.

New scams include people calling impersonating the Attorney General saying that a dire situation can only be resolved with the purchase of gift cards and giving the card information to the caller.

Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “Remember, gift cards are for gifting, not for paying people. If someone asks for payment using a gift card from Amazon, Target or some other store, it’s a scam. Hang up or delete the message.” 

Nessel is also investigating another trend where fraudulent callers are pretending to be representatives from AT&T or DirecTV and offering a discount if money is paid upfront with a pre-paid card.

Nessel said, “If you receive a call offering you a massive discount on DirecTV services, consider the possibility it’s a scam.”  

More information can be found at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax8wrdgQqkU

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

TEC Open House February 24th 

Tenth-grade students in St. Clair County have a chance to get a glimpse of what could be waiting for them with a career in in-demand fields like cybersecurity, construction trades, cosmetology, and others. 

The St. Clair County TEC Open House is this week, on Thursday, February 24th from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the St. Clair Technical Education Center at 499 Range Road in Marysville. 

Students enroll in TEC programs for their 11th and 12th-grade years. 

During the tour, students and their families will have a chance to meet teachers and plan out their next two years of school, including learning how to earn college credit and meet high school requirements. Families can take tours of the facility and see the hands-on education that is available at TEC. 

TEC offers programs in several skilled trades, computer technology, cosmetology, culinary arts, health careers, education and early childhood development, and others. Some programs are available as part of the Career and Technical Middle College. 

http://sccresa.org/p_r_o_g_r_a_m_s/st__clair_t_e_c/news_and_events/t_e_c_open_house

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland