George James

Nursing Home Visiting Restrictions Extend into 5th Month

An Executive Order was signed late last week mandating continued temporary restrictions on visitors to health care facilities, residential facilities like nursing homes, congregate facilities, and juvenile justice facilities. 

It has been a long time since Michigan residents could freely visit loved ones in long term care facilities. This new order gives the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services the authority to gradually re-open visitation according to circumstances. The order lasts until August 31.

Nursing homes have been hit especially hard by infection in the state overall, as well as in St. Clair County.Long-term care providers are expected to have an action plan submitted to the Governor’s office by August 31 explaining their plan for stopping any future outbreaks of COVID-19 in their facilities. There is also legislation in the state legislature calling for tighter regulations of long-term care facilities. 

Currently, visits to nursing homes are restricted to special circumstances that support “activities of daily living” and are closely monitored. The restrictions began on March 13th. The latest order is the 156th order issued in 2020.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 and Health Department Create Health Clinic on Campus

Port Huron, MI — The creation of a health clinic on the campus of St. Clair County Community College was approved by the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners. The clinic is designed to be a bridge between pediatric and adult care.

The new clinic will have a full-time nurse on staff and will be linked to the St. Clair County Health Department’s Teen Health and Personal Health clinics.

Students are often in class during traditional office hours. The SC4 clinic idea hopes to increase accessibility for busy students while providing preventative services to the college-age population.

Dr. Annette Mercatante, Medical Health Officer of the St. Clair County Health Department, said, “This type of community collaboration is a win-win for everyone. Health is a team effort, and we are delighted to have this opportunity to work with our local college and this population.”

The clinic is expected to open this fall. The location is still being determined. SC4 has agreed to reimburse the Health Department in the amount of $90,000 for staffing the clinic.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Options Available for Missed Tax Deadline

State income taxes were due July 15, but there is help for those who may have missed it. The deadline was extended this year due to the pandemic.

If taxpayers have a tax bill, and they don’t have the money, they should pay as much as they can, according to a message from the State Treasury. Taxpayers will likely still have to pay the rest, but the Treasury says they will work out a plan for payment. A penalty waiver can be requested if reasonable cause can be proven. A monthly payment plan can also be arranged. There is also an Offer in Compromise option where an agreement can be reached to settle a final tax bill. Applications for all of the options can be found at Michigan.gov.

The Michigan State Treasury warns that refunds are only available for four years, so returns should be filed promptly to claim any outstanding refunds. 

According to State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks, “If you have an outstanding tax debt and cannot make full payment, we will work with you on payment options. Our goal is to help taxpayers limit interest charges and late payment penalties.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

New Rules Hope to Increase Deer Harvest This Year

Deer hunting is a few months away, but the Michigan Natural Resources Commission has announced some new regulations that take effect for the 2020 season. The changes are intended to provide additional opportunities and cost savings for hunters, as well as offer flexibility for the pursuit of deer.

Statewide, the new regulations qualify deaf hunters for the Liberty and Independence hunts, which are hunt periods generally reserved for disabled veterans and youth. The statewide limit has been increased to ten per hunter for private land where property owners are trying to manage a deer overpopulation. Additionally, there are changes to quotas and licenses in the Lower Peninsula.

Chad Stewart, the DNR’s deer, elk, and moose program leader, said, “These recommendations are aimed at making it easier for hunters of all ages and experience levels to enjoy a Michigan outdoor tradition, while at the same time facing the present and future challenges of managing the state’s abundant deer population.”

The full list of changes in regulations can be found at Michigan.gov/DNRDigests.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Grants Available to Small Farms to Secure Food Industry

Local farms with less than ten employees can sign up for grants to help protect their hired help from COVID-19 and keep the food supply chain running smoothly. The Michigan Agricultural Safety Grant program is now accepting applications.

The program is administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), who is using federal CARES Act funding. There is $1.25 million in grant money available, with $1000 available for each employee.

Farmers can use the money to pay for testing costs, PPE, facility needs, increased sanitation costs, employee training, and upgraded safety procedures. Mark A. Burton, CEO of MEDC said, “The MEDC Small Farm Safety Grant will allow us additional security in our food industry and provide much-needed relief to farmers across Michigan.” 

Michigan agriculture employs over 800,000 people, exports $1.8 billion of food and agriculture products, and contributes $104.7 billion to Michigan’s economy each year. Applications for the MEDC grants are available at michiganbusiness.org/agsafety and are processed by GreenStone Farm Credit Services.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

MHSAA Decides to Maintain Fall Schedule

The Michigan High School Athletic Association plans to keep the traditional schedule for fall sports, with the awareness that a contingency plan may need to come into play.

Acknowledging that the future is unknown, the MHSAA said “That contingency plan could mean that higher-risk sports would be postponed to later in the school year. If all Fall sports must be suspended, they will be rescheduled during a reconfigured calendar that would see Winter sports begin in November followed by the conclusion of Fall and Spring seasons potentially extending into July 2021.”

High-risk sports include football, girls’ volleyball, girls’ swimming & diving, and boys soccer because they include athletes in close contact or are played indoors. According to MHSAA, “Moving only selected Spring sports, like all low-risk to Fall, was not considered sound because it would force student-athletes to pick between sports they’ve previously played.”

The MHSAA Representative Council will meet again on July 29th. Football practices are scheduled to begin August 10th, with other sports following on August 12th.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland