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Find Winter Fun Around Michigan

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources encourages outdoor recreation in Michigan’s varied landscapes and seasons, and their website features many options for winter fun.

Along with featuring events at Michigan state recreation areas, the website also has tips and tricks for staying safe and keeping warm while outdoors in low temperatures.

The DNR is also collaborates with America’s State Parks to promote the First Day Hike, a national effort to kick off the new year with an outdoor hike at your local state park.

Participants in the First Day hike can log their miles and submit their stats on the website, and, last year, 85,000 people collectively hikes 176,366 miles on guided hikes across the country.

Several recreational activities most thought of in warmer months are also available during the winter. Seven Michigan state parks keep their disc golf courses open in the winter, and fat-tire biking enables mountain bikers to hit the trails even when they’re snow-covered. Thirteen Michigan state parks groom trails in the winter specifically for fat-tire bikers.

To learn more about winter fun in Michigan, visit the DNR’s website here: Michigan.gov/WinterFun

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

Going PRO Talent Fund Awards Grants to Local Businesses

Michigan’s Going PRO Talent Fund has awarded grants to Michigan Businesses to support high-demand, high-skill employment. The fund has been credited with creating 145,000 jobs.

In St. Clair County, grants were awarded to several businesses and municipalities including Medilodges of Port Huron, St. Clair, and Yale; BioPro, Inc. and Dunn Paper of Port Huron; Magna Electrical Vehicle Structures of Marysville, and Selective Industries of Marine City. Ira Township, Marysville, and Avoca also received grants from the fund.

Stephanie Beckhorn, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) Office of Employment and Training said, “With professional trades accounting for 530,000 jobs in Michigan through 2028, with approximately 47,000 openings expected annually, this fund plays a vital role in helping Michigan employers meet their talent needs by investing in their current and future workers.”

The program was launched in 2014. More than 5,000 Michigan entities have received funding, with over 1,000 getting funding this year.

To learn more about the Going PRO Talent Fund, visit Michigan.gov/TalentFund 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

McLaren Port Huron Nov Emp of Mo

McLaren Port Huron November Employee of the Month

Adrienne Bartee has been named the Employee of the Month for November. She has worked at McLaren Port Huron for seven years and is currently a registered nurse in the operating room.

Bartee was nominated by her coworkers because she is a true example of a caring, professional nurse. She treats each of her patients with kindness and compassion. She has a calm, caring demeanor and always displays the hospital values in her work. Bartee encourages and supports her team, always has a positive attitude and is pleasant and easy to work with.

This employee recognition is given to individuals who consistently live the values, mission and performance standards of McLaren Port Huron. Honorees are nominated by a co-worker, physician, volunteer, and/or customer.

To learn more about McLaren Port Huron, visit www.mclaren.org/porthuron.

Port Huron High School Students Make Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car

The future is now for students in the Principles of Engineering class at Port Huron High School. The students created a Hydrogen Fuel Cell car.

The high school students are part of the “Project Lead the Way” STEAM course, where they learned about energy sources and completed a project on energy application.

The result of the work was a vehicle that runs off of a hydrogen fuel cell. The students built the car, wired the circuit boards, and engaged the motor. They compared the hydrogen fuel-cell car to a car run off of AAA batteries.

As part of the learning process, students calculated the speed and power output of the hydrogen fuel cells.

Hydrogen-powered cars are in development by many automobile manufacturers. Hydrogen fuel is much more expensive than gasoline but is also much more efficient. Hydrogen-powered buses are in use in some parts of Europe.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Military Truckers to be Fast-Tracked to Michigan CDL

For those who drove a truck in the military, getting a civilian Commercial Driver’s License could become much easier. Bills to streamline the process of getting a CDL have made it through the Michigan House and Senate and await the governor’s signature to become law.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has endorsed the bills, saying, “Those who serve in our armed forces undergo extensive training to fulfill their duties, and often receive certifications specific to their services, including commercial driver’s licenses.”

Benson said she looks forward to implementing the necessary changes at the department “to ensure military veterans who have successfully earned the equivalent of a CDL do not have to repeat the process.”

According to the Senate analysis of the legislation, the change will cost the state nothing but will remove the driving test requirement for those who have the federal endorsements from their military service.

Disruptions to the supply chain have often been blamed on a shortage of truckers. Over-the-road trucking moves about 70% of the nation’s freight. The American Trucking Association has estimated that there is a shortage of 80,000 truckers nationwide.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Kids are Having a Hard Time. They Need Help.

Do you know the signs of a mental health crisis in a school-age child? Do you how to help a student having a hard time? Guidance has been offered by the Michigan State Police and other state human service agencies.

Robert Sheehan, CEO of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, said, “The tragedy of the Oxford shootings, layered upon the collective trauma of the prolonged pandemic, has made many of us, as Michiganders, more fearful, more anxious, more reactive.”

Just listening is a good start for parents and kids. Getting professional help is also encouraged.

Sheehan said, “Now is the time for all of us to be attentive to the needs of each other and reach out rather than pull back; to listen with patience rather than lecture; to collectively build upon – and, where needed, rebuild – what has made our relationships and our communities strong. Only by taking these steps will we turn post-traumatic stress into post-traumatic growth.”

For immediate help, call the MDHHS WellHelp line at 1-888-535-6136 and press “8”.

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MIMSP/2021/12/16/file_attachments/2024905/SchoolSafety_MentalHealth.pdf

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland