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McClain Introduces Bill to Award Gold Medal to Fallen Heroes

Congresswoman Lisa McClain (R-MI), alongside 158 cosponsors, introduced legislation to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 U.S. military servicemembers who were killed in Afghanistan last week.

The legislation will award the Congressional Gold Medal to:

  • Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover
  • Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo
  • Sgt. Nicole Gee
  • Cpl. Hunter Lopez
  • Cpl. Daegan Page
  • Cpl. Humberto Sanchez
  • Cpl. David Lee Espinoza
  • Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz
  • Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum
  • Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola
  • Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui
  • Hospitalman Maxton Soviak
  • Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss

“These heroic men and women are gone far too soon, and we must honor them for their bravery in helping U.S. citizens and Afghan allies safely evacuate Afghanistan,” said Rep. McClain. “My heart aches for the families and loved ones of our servicemembers. We will always remember their service and pay tribute to their sacrifice.”

Submitted by Congresswoman McClain’s Office

Make a Will for Free

August was Make-A-Will month, but if you missed the reminder, it’s not too late. FreeWill is an online service that helps people write or update a legal will for free.

FreeWill is able to provide their service through the support of hundreds of nonprofit organizations. Simply visit the website, fill out the online questionnaire in about 20 minutes, and print your documents.

Once documents are printed, follow the directions to sign them and make them official. FreeWill also offers the opportunity for users to designate donations to nonprofit organizations as a part of their estate plan. In addition, there are articles about types of wills, planning documents, and you can update or edit your will at any time in the future.

FreeWill can also determine if your situation is too complex for their format, and the system will direct you to an attorney an provide a summary of your situation to print and share with a professional.

To learn more, visit freewill.com.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

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