George James

Detroit Jazz Festival Moves to Livestream

The Detroit Jazz Festival is a tradition for people from the entire region who look forward to the sweet sounds of live jazz in Hart Plaza in Downtown Detroit. Everything was looking good for the tradition to continue this year, outdoors and in-person, but the Festival has now changed course and moved to virtual.

The Festival will be livestreamed from September 3rd through 6th. The construction of Detroit’s Hart Plaza is not quite done, and keeping large crowds safe amidst a pandemic was getting to be too much for the planners.

Chris Collins, Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation president and artistic director explained the switch, saying, “This is a winning solution that preserves the legacy of the Detroit Jazz Festival while bringing amazing performances into a virtual format.” Collins said the 2022 Detroit Jazz Festival will be “even better” at the revamped Hart Plaza next Labor Day weekend.

The Detroit Jazz Festival is the largest festival of its kind in the world. The livestream will have no replays or “on-demand” capabilities. The performances will be held on sound stages in the Renaissance Center with no live audiences.

Jazz enthusiasts will be able to view or listen to performances for free in a number of ways including: The Festival’s social media channels and web page; on public radio and television stations; and on the DetroitJazzFest LIVE! App

https://www.detroitjazzfest.org/

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

DNR Will Pay for Red Pine Cones

Squirrels messing around with your birdfeeder or wreaking havoc on your lawn? The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has a crafty way to exact revenge on those rodents and make a few bucks to boot.

The DNR will pay $75 for a bushel of red pine cones, to be used for reforestation, and its ok to steal from a squirrel’s cache. Just make sure they are recently gathered pine cones, not last year’s stash. The pine cones can also be taken from standing pines, logging sites, and state forestlands.

Harvesters should make sure they are red pine cones. Red pines have craggy, reddish bark. The needles grow in pairs. Cones are best picked right from the tree, by you or a helpful squirrel. Cones that have been sitting on the ground for long are probably too old or wet. Cone scales should be closed, with a bit of green or purple, not old brown cones.

The DNR will process the pine cones to extract the valuable seeds and use them to replenish the seed supply. Red pines are in high demand.

To make an appointment to drop off the bushel of pine cones, harvesters will need to register as a vendor with the DNR. A link to more information:

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MIDNR/bulletins/2ec52c8

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

State AGs Want Flavored Vapes and Other Products Banned

Youth nicotine use has not gone away, even with decades of campaigning to educate kids about the dangers of addiction. In fact, there is an ongoing surge in the use of e-cigarettes, or “vaping”.

A coalition of Attorneys General, including Michigan’s, are asking the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the industry and stop allowing flavors that appeal to kids and to stop selling things like nicotine pouches, gum, and lozenges. They also want to tighten up marketing restrictions and age verification measures.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “The youth nicotine epidemic is an urgent public health matter and it is on us to ensure that the health and safety of our youth is not jeopardized. I urge the FDA to take immediate action and use its regulatory powers to impose restrictions on these products that are harming our young people.” 

The marketing that the AGs are trying to stop seems to be very successful. Vaping has gone up from 1.5 percent of high schoolers in 2011 to 27.5 percent in 2019. Eighty percent of young people who use e-cigarettes choose candy, mint, or fruit flavors.

The FDA could rule on September 9th of this year as to the future of flavored vapes and other high-nicotine products.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

“Ice Cream Saves Lives” Fundraiser August 24th

Can ice cream really save lives? The St. Clair County Dive Team Auxiliary thinks it can. The “Ice Cream Saves Lives” fundraiser lets supporters donate to the Auxiliary while enjoying summertime’s favorite treat.

The Ice Cream Saves Lives event will be held on Tuesday, August 24th from 4:00-9:00 p.m. at the Milkhouse Café, located at 4189 Keewahdin Road in Fort Gratiot.

The Dive Team, which is critically important in an area surrounded by water, will have many opportunities for patrons to interact with the Team. They will have members there to answer questions and meet the public, as well as give the public a chance to use the underwater communication devices.

The Milkhouse Café is locally famous for its ice cream taco Tuesdays. The fundraiser happens to be on Tuesday, so everyone will get a chance to enjoy their favorite ice cream taco or anything else on the menu.

All sales from the event will go to the St. Clair County Dive Team Auxiliary, which supports the “Educate, Respond, Recover” efforts of the Sheriff’s Office.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk is Back This Year

If you always wanted to walk across the Mackinac Bridge with thirty thousand other people, this might be the year. The annual Mackinac Bridge Walk on Labor Day is scheduled for September 6th, 2021.

Mackinac Bridge Authority Director Kim Nowack said, “Whether you’re resuming your tradition of walking the bridge on Labor Day or planning to join us for the first time, the return of the walk in 2021 is pretty exciting. We’ve been preparing for much of the year to make sure the walk is better than ever.”

The Mackinac Bridge will be closed to traffic from 6:30 a.m. to noon on Labor Day. The annual event has been going strong since 1958, except for last year, when COVID fears shut it down. The walks have attracted up to 30,000 walkers over the years.

This year, walkers will have the choice of turning around at the center of the bridge, walking in one direction on the bridge and arranging transportation, or walking the whole length and back.

Walkers can start in either St. Ignace or Mackinaw City. Walkers should watch a video posted by the Bridge Authority before walking to get an idea of what to expect and the choices they will have on Labor Day. A link to the video: www.MackinacBridge.org/Walk

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Michigan and Ontario Work Together for the Future of Transportation Technology

Michigan and Ontario are picking up the pace when it comes to advancing the progress toward autonomous vehicles and green transportation technology.

The Michigan Department of Transportation and the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, along with Ontario’s Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network and Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation will begin a partnership to deploy green technology at the border. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to “explore the implementation of a cross-border, multimodal testbed for advanced automotive and mobility solutions,” according to a press release.

The partnership will identify the economic, social, and environmental benefits for both sides of the border. It will also identify challenges to land, air, and water crossings, and the regulatory and policy implications.  

Caroline Mulroney, Ontario Minister of Transportation, said, “By working together to explore and advance new and innovative mobility technologies, we’re taking steps to ensure Ontario and Michigan stay at the forefront of the evolving transportation industry.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland