George James

Michigan Firefighters Assisting with California Wildfires

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is on its way to California to help fight the massive wildfires with off-road fire engines.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “The California wildfires have devastated thousands of families, and Michigan is ready to help in any way we can. The highly trained firefighters from the Michigan DNR regularly assist other parts of the country that are in need. Just like when California sent us ventilators in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re prepared to help our friends on the West Coast protect families, businesses, and wildlife from these fires.”

There is a nationwide cooperative system where DNR firefighters may be assigned to any state in need. The DNR assures that there are plenty of firefighters still in Michigan should their skills be needed.

Multiple blazes are being fought in 15 states right now. Thousands have had to evacuate in California, and over a million acres of land have been burned. The fires are minimally contained with threat of more fires on the horizon.

Michigan is reimbursed for the services and the DNR describes the travel as “valuable to firefighters who want to increase their experience and learn skills they can use to fight fires at home.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

“Return to Learn” Law Gives Schools Guidelines for 20-21 Schoolyear

With just a week or two before school starts, the “Return to Learn” bill has been signed into law. The law addresses the challenges facing districts in the 20-21 school year and was drafted in the Michigan House of Representatives in a bipartisan effort.

Last year’s pupil count will now determine the funding levels for this year. With uncertainty as to what days kids will be in school and differences between districts, this takes away the stress of “count days” that are tied to funding.

$65 million in federal funding is being allocated to increase internet connectivity, promote student mental health, address learning loss, and other supports.

The bill also gives flexibility to schools as to instructional days and hours, and asks districts to develop their own plans to meet the needs of students while adapting to COVID-19 mitigation protocols. The law mandates reporting on how districts will instruct in core subject areas and how they will address accommodations for students with disabilities. The law requires two-way communication and grading for all types of education, whether in-person or remote. School should look quite a bit different than it did last spring with the passage of the bills.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Powerful Tools for Caregivers Series Offered by MSU Extension

For those struggling to care for a loved one, a six-week Powerful Tools for Caregivers program will be offered to help caregivers navigate the difficult task.

The program is offered by the Michigan State University Cooperative Extension on the Zoom platform. It runs every Wednesday from September 16 to October 21 from 3:00-4:30 p.m.  

The program is designed for people who are helping a parent, spouse, friend or someone who lives at home, in a nursing home, or across the country.

Topics covered include stress reduction and effective communication. There will also be suggestions on how caregivers can take care of themselves, relax, and reduce guilt anger and depression while making tough decisions, setting goals, and problem-solving.

There will be time during the program to discuss hiring in-home help, understanding depression, helping memory-impaired elders, making decisions about driving, and making legal and financial decisions.

The six-week program is completely free. Powerful Tools for Caregivers is an organization that provides resources to caregivers nationwide. The link to registration is here.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

After a Season of Cancellations, McMorran Looks Forward to the Prowlers Hitting the Ice

Port Huron, MI — McMorran Place Sports and Entertainment Center has announced that while several events have been cancelled and postponed, there is still hope for hockey season.

The tribute shows, “Old Friends, A tribute to Simon & Garfunkel” and “Rumours, The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute” have been pushed to March and May. Ticket holders can use their existing tickets for the new shows.

The Port Huron Prowlers, a minor professional ice hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League, plan to hit the ice at some point in the near future. The arena has been completely renovated, but the question remains as to how many fans can be in attendance. 

McMorran is operated by the Recreation Department under the direction of the McMorran Civic Center Authority. They are hopeful that they can start scheduling events in early 2021.

For now, entertainment is available outside of McMorran with the construction of “McMorran Beach”, where sand has been spread out and there are beach chairs and corn hole games for those who want to get out of the house and be social while following safety protocols.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

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