With cold and flu season approaching, make sure to keep your family safe and protected by taking the necessary precautions. If someone in your family does come down with a cold or symptoms, be sure to test for Covid-19 if possible. 

To ensure Michigan residents are able to perform Covid-19 tests at home, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has announced that they will be providing Covid-19 tests free of charge to 58,000 households anywhere in the state. 

After an extended partnership with Rockefeller Foundation through Project Act, MDHHS acquired 289,000 Covid-19 tests to help identify those with Covid, so that they can take the necessary steps to treatment and recovery.

Those who wish to receive their free test can visit accesscovidtests.org. Each family will receive one kit containing five tests within a week of placing their order.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

After around 7 weeks of work, Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) has restored a broken 120-inch water main to full service and lifted the remaining water-use restriction for consumers.

They returned to normal operations this past weekend after a repair process that saw some setbacks and was re-adjusted a couple of times. The only remaining restriction on 23 Michigan communities was a request to limit outdoor water use which has now been lifted.

Suzanne R. Coffey, GLWA Chief Executive Officer, said, “Although we encountered a number of obstacles along the way, I am so proud of how everyone involved dug-in and used their knowledge, skills and ingenuity to ensure that we made the repair as quickly as possible and kept our focus on protecting the public health.”

The next step for GLWA is to file an incident report to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), by the first week of November.

Becky Kerrigan has been named the Employee of the Month for September. Kerrigan has worked at McLaren Port Huron for 18 years and is currently a unit secretary in the Mental Health Unit.

Kerrigan was nominated by her coworkers for her teamwork and knowledge. “She is our go-to person,” one colleague said. “She remains calm, even in the most stressful of situations.” Her nominators also commented that she’s “always available to answer question about even the most complicated matters,” and “she always has everyone laughing with her sense of humor and funny stories.”

In addition to her work at McLaren Port Huron, Kerrigan has volunteered at the Suicide Prevention Walk to Remember for the past 10 years, and joins the McLaren team for the annual Rotary International Day Parade.

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.

Submitted by McLaren Port Huron Hospital

Gov. Whitmer highlighted key components in the bipartisan supplemental package this week, providing insight on programs to help advance the state and its residents. The funding will help boost Michigan’s economic potential by lowering the cost of college tuition for students, attracting investors and transformational projects, as well as providing funding for the mental health of Michigan’s law enforcement.

The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is one component of the bipartisan supplemental package, with the goal of making it more affordable for families who have students interested in attending college. This will help the state achieve its Sixty by 30 goal, which is to increase the number of working-age adults with a college degree or skill certificate to 60% by 2030. 

The graduating class of 2023 will be the first to take advantage of the new scholarship which will give students the skills and education needed to compete in today’s ever-evolving labor market. President of the Michigan Community College Association Brandy Johnson says, “The more we invest in our students, the more prosperous our state will be.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

Each year on September 30th, Canada observes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day honors the Indigenous children and families who never returned home, as well as those who survived residential schools in Canada.

The history of residential schools is a dark and unfortunate part of Canadian history. The residential school system which operated from the 1800’s into the 20th century, would forcibly separate children from their families and teach them to not acknowledge their culture or speak their native languages. 

The goal is to rebuild trust and support the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, as well as providing them with equitable employment and economic development opportunities. Businesses are also asked to provide skills-based staff training in anti-racism and intercultural competency.

There were a variety of events, conversations, and actions, to not only acknowledge and commemorate those affected, but to inspire change towards a better future for the Indigenous population as a whole. 

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell