Photo courtesy of Bass Pro Shop

Fishing Tournament Coming to Lake St. Clair

The Bass Pro Shops amateur fishing tournament is coming to Lake St. Clair on Saturday, August 21st at the Lake St. Clair Metropark in Harrison Township. The event boasts 250 amateur teams competing for cash prizes.

In addition to the Lake St. Clair event, there are 8 regional qualifying events held nationwide. The top 40 teams from the regionals will advance to the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Championship held in November at Table Rock Lake in Missouri.

Registration is closed for the Lake St. Clair event, but spectators are welcome to visit Fan Village to watch the tournament. Proceeds from the event will benefit fisheries conservation and the future of fishing.

The top 40 teams of amateur fishers participating in the event will have a chance to win cash prizes including $50,000 for the first place team.

To learn more visit https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/usopen-qualifier5

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Photo courtesy of Bass Pro Shops

 

 

 

Op-Ed from Dr. Mercatante – Getting Kids Back to School Safely

Here we are, staring down the barrel of COVID again.  It’s been a difficult year for all of us. No one has fully escaped the burden of trying to make choices that impact our health and the health of others.  The vast amount of uncertainly, misinformation, and real-time adjustments of guidance has all of us weary and confused.  Counting bodies has not been easy for us, and our only fight in these contentious times is the fight against the virus SARsCOV2 and trying to reduce the negative impact it is having on everyone.

In addition to the devastation of illness, long term complications and death that COVID causes, we know that our young people have had incredible losses from the policies we have used to try and control this problem.  We all can agree that our children are one of our greatest resources and any healthy community should assure that they receive the best we have to give.  Keeping them in the classroom is a critical component of this, even knowing that putting them together indoors will increase their risk of getting infected.  How can we find a solution to this?

One thing is very clear; if widespread and uncontrolled COVID infection occur, in-class learning will be disrupted.  Individuals who are infected will have to remain out until 10 days following the onset of their symptoms (isolation).  Those who were exposed to people who are known to be infected have no way of knowing if they actually did get a viral load sufficient to cause illness. However, if they were vaccinated, wearing a mask, and keeping their distance while indoors, the RISK of this gets progressively less.  Each layer of mitigation adds a layer of protection.  If there are NO protections the risk of an exposed individual actually getting infected is relatively high.  Remember the Delta variant is even more contagious than the virus circulating this past winter.  That means every person within 6 feet of an infected individual for 15 minutes, who is not fully vaccinated, will be required to stay home and not interact with people outside of their family (quarantine). But if there are consistent layers of protection in place during exposure we can assume (from the observations and studies from last school year) that the risk of transmission is very low beyond 3 feet, and we can let students stay in the classroom despite having an exposure.

The choice is clearly there for every school and parent to make:  do the things that reduce viral transmission and infections (to the extent that we know them) or allow your child to certainly be exposed and infected in school.  Is not wearing a mask worth not going to school?  Does the avalanche of misinformation and anger make an entire body of evidence supporting risk reduction strategies go away?  Do you really believe that an entire nation of health care workers, researchers and scientists are systematically and nefariously creating scenarios to harm your kid? I hope you will join us in saying “no” to the above questions and embrace the hope that quality medicine and science can bring.  Do the right thing:  choose health.

Yours in health,

Annette Mercatante, MD, MPH, Medical Health Officer

St. Clair County Health Department

 

Submitted by the St. Clair County Health Department

Former Congressman Paul Mitchell Passes Away at 64

Former congressman Paul Mitchell passed away on Sunday, August 15, 2021 after a battle with renal cancer.

Mitchell presided over Michigan’s 10th District in the U.S. from 2016 until 2020, when he decided not to run for a third term so he could spend more time with his family.

Mitchell was honored on the U.S. House floor by many of his colleagues earlier this year as they hoped to encourage him in his battle with cancer. They spoke about their respect for him and the many ways he touched their lives.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan’s 8th District said, “Whether you were on the left or on the right, Paul worked with you to get things done. These days some might call that behavior an independent…being a Maverick, but to us, that was just Paul.”

Mitchell is survived by his wife Sherry and their six children. In a statement to the press, Sherry said, “Paul was a better human than me. I wanted no part of public life, keeping all of him for our family alone and the safety of complacence. I am immensely proud of him and never more so than when he was the lone voice in a sea of politicians who cared more about power than the true definition of the office.”

Congresswoman Lisa McClain, current rep of the 10th District, said in a statement, “Today we mourn the passing of former Rep. Paul Mitchell, who was an advocate for improving Michigan’s 10th Congressional District during his time in office.  My thoughts and prayers are with Paul’s wife Sherry and the entire Mitchell family.”

Governor Whitmer said in a statement, “Congressman Paul Mitchell was a fierce, independent voice for Michiganders. Throughout his tenure in the United States Congress, he led with his values and always spoke out for what he felt was right, even when he had to go against his own party, the president, or conventional political wisdom. After an incredibly successful career in the private sector, Paul entered public life, channeling his passion for people and innovative mind to help his neighbors and community succeed. He embodied values that we all aspire to have—he was independent, witty, and principled. Simply put, he was Paul, a joyful warrior for the people he believed in and for Michigan, the place that he loved. My thoughts are with Paul’s family, his six kids, six grandkids, his staff, and all those who were lucky enough to call him a friend. Paul, we will miss you.”

Sherry Mitchell asked that those who want to honor Paul to “give someone your time in a meaningful way” and make a financial donation to a local foster care charity.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

State Superintendent: Teach Students About Race and Racism

Michigan’s State Superintendent is not outright endorsing critical race theory instruction, but he is saying that students need to learn about race and racism as part of their education.

Critical Race Theory is a buzzword that generates strong feelings on both sides of the debate. It is an academic concept that is over forty years old. Its premise is that racism is systemic and inherent to American legal systems and government policies. It also states that race is a social creation.

State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said, “To choose to ignore race and racism in our teaching is to efface or erase history, implicitly or explicitly, and to shortchange our children, who deserve to learn the full breadth and complexity of our extraordinary history.”

Both requiring and banning Critical Race Theory have been legislative objectives for Michigan lawmakers on opposite sides of the aisle. As someone directly involved in education, Rice chimed in with his opinion when meeting with the State Board of Education.

Rice said, “Race and racism may be inconvenient for some, uncomfortable for others, and searing for still others, but, because they are inextricably a part of our history, they must be taught.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

More Travel options Coming to Flint Bishop Airport

A quick trip to Vegas or Florida is about to get even quicker with the addition of Allegiant Airlines’ aircraft and crew bases to Flint Bishop International Airport.

Just a one-hour drive from Port Huron, the Flint airport is expanding its options with the Allegiant partnership. The expansion is expected to bring high-wage jobs to Flint as well, with locally-based crews that follow the “out and back” model and return home each night.

Along with Flint, Allegiant is expanding to Appleton, Wisconsin. Drew Wells, Senior Vice president of Revenue and Planning for Allegiant, said, “Flint and Appleton have been incredibly successful cities for Allegiant, where we’ve grown our operations steadily over the years. It makes perfect sense to establish aircraft and crew bases in these great communities, furthering our presence as a hometown airline.”

Wells said that the expansion will provide more options and more frequent flight offerings. In 2019, over 197,000 passengers flew Allegiant out of Flint. Non-stop destinations include Nashville, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, along with four Florida cities.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland