When Does a Student Have to Stay Home if Exposed to COVID?

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has issued updated quarantine guidance for students in schools. Guidance differs for students depending on vaccine status, mask wearing, or whether or not they are showing symptoms.

Students who are showing symptoms after exposure to COVID-19 must be tested and isolate themselves from family members and other students. This pertains to both vaccinated and unvaccinated students who are showing symptoms.

Under the new guidance issued by MDHHS, students who have been exposed to COVID-19 and are not showing symptoms of illness, a.k.a. asymptomatic individuals, do not have to quarantine and can remain in school while monitoring symptoms if the following is true:

  • They are fully vaccinated
  • They are unvaccinated but were wearing a mask and were physically distanced (3-6 ft. apart) from the COVID-19 positive student who was also wearing a mask

It gets a little more complicated for unvaccinated students who wore masks and were less than 3 feet apart from a masked, COVID-19 positive student. In that case, the student has the option of staying in school and being tested every day, staying home for 7 days and returning with a negative test, or simply staying home for 10 days.

If students are unvaccinated or the COVID-19 positive student was unmasked, the exposed student has to stay home for 7 days and can only return to school with a negative test. If they are not tested, they can return after 10 days.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Michigan Joins Coalition Asking for Criminal Justice Reform for Low-level Drug Offenses

Michigan has joined a multi-state coalition in requesting the U.S. Congress Act to apply fair sentencing reforms to low-level drug offenses by clarifying the First Step Act.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that mid-level and high-level offenders could petition for resentencing, but low-level offenders were ineligible. The ruling pertains particularly to crack cocaine offenses.

Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “It is fundamentally unfair to allow for the resentencing of a high-level crack cocaine offender while not doing the same for a low-level offender.”

The First Step Act is part of a criminal justice reform act that recognized that crack cocaine dealers have been punished more harshly than powder cocaine dealers. Some offenders who were caught with relatively small quantities of crack are still in jail, where dealers of huge quantities of powder cocaine have had their sentences reduced..

Nessel went on to say, “In light of the Supreme Court’s decision, I am joining my colleagues in calling on Congress to clarify that the relief provided by the First Step Act applies to all individuals convicted of crack cocaine offenses.”  

A full copy of the letter to Congress:

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/ag/Terry_FSA_Amendment_Letter_Final_-_SIGNED_734460_7.pdf

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Support Wigs 4 Kids at Annual Gala

Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan provides holistic support services and wigs for children facing certain health problems or drug therapies. Their 18th Annual Virtual Gala is coming up on September 17th from 6 – 8 PM, and it is their largest fundraiser of the year.

Children with hair loss due to a medical condition or drug therapy face many adjustments. Wigs cost between $2500 – $3000 and are not covered by medical insurance. Maggie’s Wigs for Kids provides free wigs to kids and has a variety of other support programs such as support groups, art and garden therapy, exercise & nutrition programs, and more.

The wig program is also supported by hair donations. Donated hair should be clean and dry, not dyed or chemically treated within the last 2 years, and a minimum of 10″ in length. Curly hair can be pulled straight before measuring, and hair must be cut within the last 2 years. People of all ages can donate hair.

Local hair salons that support Maggie’s Wigs for Kids by following their guidelines for hair donations are: DeMarc Hair Studio, Great Clips in Ft,. Gratiot and Richmond, Karas & Co. LLC and Salon Pizazz. In Sanilac County, Grondins of Imlay City is a supporter.

Those who wish to donate hair are still responsible to print and complete a donation form and mail or deliver their donations to the St. Clair Shores Wellness Center.

Tickets to the virtual gala are $100, and they support Maggie’s Wigs for Kids in many ways.

To learn more, visit their website here:

https://www.wigs4kids.org/

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Ends as Business Owners Struggle to Fill Open Positions

Last week marked the end of federal programs that increased the time period and amount of money Michiganders could earn on unemployment assistance. Programs such as the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) , Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PUC) expired on September 4, 2021.

According to the Biden administration, states that want to continue adding to their regular unemployment benefits can continue to do so with COVID relief funds, but Michigan House and Senate lawmakers have said they will not support it.

Michigan has %6.5 billion in federal COVID relief funds designated through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), but lawmakers like Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey have made statements opposing extra unemployment benefits.

Shirkey said, “It’s past time to get back to work, as there is an abundance of jobs available. Meaningful work is a key factor in an individual’s mental and physical health. This supplemental increase needs to end as planned.”

The National Federation of Independent Business is in favor of ending benefits and getting people back to work. The organizations August 2021 Jobs Report showed that “fifty percent of all small business owners reported job openings they could not fill.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Day-trip to Dow Gardens Wows Nature-lovers

It’s easy to feel like an inferior gardener when exploring the Dow Gardens, but few hobby gardeners can compete with the world-class gardens at the massive garden located in Midland, Michigan. Even the street on the way to the garden is lined with thousands of flowers.

Dow Gardens are about a two-hour drive from the Blue Water Area and it is a favorite destination for those looking to get out in nature and maybe get some inspiration for their own backyards. The Garden is currently hosting the Garden of Glass exhibit, which is the work of Michigan artist Craig Mitchell Smith, and features large glass flowers placed throughout the grounds.

The main attraction at Dow Gardens is the Canopy Walk which soars 40 feet about the forest floor and extends for 1400 feet. Kids of all ages can explore the different levels of the canopy with many opportunities for climbing and hanging out in a net suspended above the red pine forest.

Admission is $10 for adults and $2 for kids. The Gardens are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and are closed on Mondays. They are open year-round and have programs for each season of the year. If you go, you will want to bring comfortable walking shoes. The entire Dow Gardens, including the canopy walk, is wheelchair accessible.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Be Careful Around American Dagger Moth Caterpillars

It is the season for beautiful caterpillars to be crawling around local yards. While most are harmless, both adults and children should be warned of the possibility of getting an itchy rash from touching a certain caterpillar that has been spotted in the Blue Water Area.

The American Dagger Moth caterpillar is a beautiful yellow caterpillar with long black hairs sticking out. It’s definitely the kind of natural wonder that a young child would want to pick up and show to Mom and Dad. 

The caterpillar’s natural defense mechanism is to poison with toxins on its hairs. The dagger-like hairs can inject poison into the skin of someone who touches them. A fallen hair from the caterpillar can even cause a problem.

The reaction to the caterpillar’s toxins can include a stinging sensation that ends up as an itchy rash. There is rarely any long-term problem, and anti-itch ointments generally suffice for symptom control, but a sting can quickly ruin a nature walk or a gardening project.

Children should be warned not to touch the caterpillars and anyone moving the caterpillars should wear gloves.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland