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Local News

Bond Sales Help MDOT “Fix the Damn Roads”

Last week, the Michigan Department of Transportation signed off an $800 million bond issue. This is part two of the $3.5 billion Rebuilding Michigan program aimed at rehabbing crumbling freeways in the state.

The Michigan State Transportation Commission authorized the department to issue and sell $3.5 billion in bonds backed by state trunkline revenues in January of 2020.

The bond sale has been successful and both the Governor’s Office and MDOT leadership are proud of the payoff. MDOT Director Paul C. Ajegba said, “The latest bond sales and favorable market reaction underscores the wisdom of the bond sales.” 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer revisited her campaign promises saying, “Investments in infrastructure are a priority for my administration, and I am proud that we are fixing the damn roads without an increase at the gas pump.”  

The bond sales will help pay for the rebuilding or rehabbing of 122 major highways statewide. The rebuilding of I-69 is the only work in St. Clair County included in the Rebuilding Michigan Program.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 Publishes Fine Arts Magazine

St. Clair County Community College has announced the publication of this year’s edition of Patterns magazine. The magazine is the oldest publication of its kind in Michigan and is entirely student-published. 

The magazine’s publication was delayed for the 2020-21 academic year due to the COVID-19 restrictions. But it is here now, and it is something to be celebrated by those who appreciate student writing and art.

Sarah Flatter, professor of fine arts at the college said, “Patterns is an opportunity to celebrate being creative and to recognize the unique talents of our next generation of artists. We’re excited to honor students and their success while at SC4.”

This year’s Patterns is published in memory of David Korff and Alfred Gay, both of whom left lasting legacies with SC4’s Fine Arts programs.

Each year, winners are named in the various categories and this year’s Eleanor Mathews Award winner is Makenna Joppich. The Patrick Bourke Award winner is Brandi Schmitz.

A link to Patterns:

https://sc4.edu/support-services/honors-and-awards/patterns/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

MSU Study Shows that Short Naps Don’t Help Much with Sleep Deprivation

Sometimes naps are the only things that help us get through the day. A new study from the Michigan State University Sleep and Learning Lab says that short naps are not a remedy for sleepless nights, and long naps have limited restorative power.

Kimberly Fenn, associate professor at MSU, study author, and director of MSU’s Sleep and Learning Lab said, “We are interested in understanding cognitive deficits associated with sleep deprivation. In this study, we wanted to know if a short nap during the deprivation period would mitigate these deficits. We found that short naps of 30 or 60 minutes did not show any measurable effects.”

The study found that getting into a deep sleep pattern, or slow-wave sleep, during a longer nap does help to slightly reduce cognitive problems due to sleep deprivation, but it doesn’t even come close to the restoration one gets from a good night’s sleep.

Fenn explained that people who got more slow-wave sleep during a nap tended to show reduced errors on cognitive tasks. However, they still showed worse performance than those who got a full night’s sleep, according to the study.

So, the longer the nap, the better, but naps don’t really make up for missing a full night of sleep.

A link to the full study:

https://academic.oup.com/sleep/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/sleep/zsab152/6307588)

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

COVID Boosters to Nursing Homes First

Governor Whitmer is preparing nursing homes in the State of Michigan to deliver COVID-19 booster shots to residents. She issued an executive directive to state departments and agencies last week, informing them to prioritize booster doses starting with residents of nursing homes and adult foster care centers.

Whitmer said, “Last year, we built the largest vaccine program in our state’s history in record time to ensure that anyone who wanted a vaccine could get one. With booster doses on the horizon, we are reactivating our close partnerships with local health departments and pharmacies to get shots in arms as quickly as possible. We know that this virus still disproportionately affects older Michiganders, which is why I’m also prioritizing booster shots for residents in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Let’s continue to put the health and safety of Michiganders first, so we can keep our economic jumpstart moving full speed ahead.”

The Biden Administration has recommended booster shots beginning September 20, 2021 for all Americans who had their last vaccine 8 months ago or longer.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Some Concerts Requiring Proof of Vaccination

Concerts have been coming back on the calendar in the last month, but due to the ambiguous nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the future is hard to predict. Some artists who scheduled tours when the vaccine rollout began have already cancelled them due to rising cases caused by the Delta variant.

There have been a variety of reasons artists have had to cancel tours. Some have experienced COVID-19 infection with their touring crew, some cite the expense of keeping their crew tested and safe, and some are just not ready to perform in front of a large group of people without proof of their vaccine status.

So far this year, Garth Brooks, Stevie Nicks, and Nine Inch Nails have cancelled their scheduled tours because of COVID-19.

Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company, said in their Second Quarter Report on August 3, 2021, “The momentum for the return to live events has been building every month.” The report also said, “Looking forward to 2022 and now also 2023, all our leading indicators continue to point to a roaring era for concerts and other live events.”

Live Nation Entertainment has also started requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours to attend its events.

McMorran Theater has had several concerts and performances over the last few weeks, and although attendance isn’t quite what it was before the pandemic, audiences and performers alike are happy to be back to live shows.

Natacha Hayden, Port Huron Parks and Rec Marketing Specialist, said McMorran is planning full force into the future as well as following CDC guidelines for keeping performers and audiences safe. McMorran does not require proof of vaccination to attend events.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Michiganders Urged to Catch Up on Routine immunizations

Immunization Awareness Month is winding down, but it’s never too late to get caught up on routine vaccines. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is concerned that individuals got behind on their routine checkups and vaccinations due to the pandemic.

The return to school and the workplace makes it more important than ever to get back on track with routine vaccinations, according to MDHHS.

Michigan’s vaccination rate declined during the pandemic. The Michigan Care Improvement Registry, or MCIR, reported that only 54.7% of Michigan children aged between 19 and 35 months were fully immunized with recommended vaccinations.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS said, “Vaccinating on time and following CDC’s recommended schedule is the best protection against serious diseases including COVID-19, influenza, hepatitis A, cancers caused by HPV and measles. We have the power to protect not only ourselves, but our entire community when we vaccinate on time.”

MDHHS encourages Michiganders to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Interactive Vaccine Guide, which provides information on the vaccines recommended during pregnancy and throughout a child’s life. Adults 19 and older can take the CDC’s Adult Vaccine Assessment Tool to find out which vaccines they may need.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland