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

9/11 Remembrance Ceremony Planned for Saturday

It’s been almost 20 years since Americans were frozen in front of their television screens watching terrorist attacks unfold in New York City, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. This Saturday, the community will remember the lives lost with a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the International Flag Plaza.

The ceremony will begin at 9 AM on September 11, 2021 at the Plaza located on Thomas Edison Parkway just north of the Blue Water Bridges, and it features law enforcement officers, firefighters, E.M.T.s, and community leaders who wish to memorialize those who gave their lives to help others.

In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place in the public meeting room of the Municipal Office Center in Port Huron.

In order to educate the next generation of Americans about the events of 9/11, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City in partnership with New York Life Foundation is offering access to a free webinar for students on their website.

Educators and community organizations can register for the on-demand webinar which will include first-person accounts of the attacks and their aftermath along with a live-chat with Museum staff – many of whom are survivors.

To register for the webinar, visit the museum’s website here:

https://www.911memorial.org/learn/students-and-teachers/anniversary-schools-webinar

Photo by Jessie Wiegand: National 9/11 Museum and Memorial - New York City
Photo by Jessie Wiegand: National 9/11 Museum and Memorial – New York City

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

Gov. Whitmer Calls on Legislature to Protect the Constitutional Right to Choice

Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer called on the state legislature to pass legislation repealing Michigan’s 1930s law criminalizing abortion, which is currently not in effect because of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. Repealing the law would ensure that the right to choose, which is supported by a significant majority of Michiganders, remains a right in Michigan, even in the face of continued, relentless attacks on Roe v. Wade.

“Recently, Texas passed a new, extreme anti-choice law that puts people’s lives at risk, and threatens healthcare workers. The insidious law essentially bans abortions, even in cases of rape or incest, and allows strangers to sue medical professionals or anyone who helps women get the comprehensive healthcare they need. It is a gross violation of the constitutional right to choose, and the Court’s decision to allow it to stay in place sets the United States on a dangerous path towards overturning Roe v. Wade.

“Unfortunately, there are more cases based on equally extreme state laws awaiting action in the Supreme Court that would completely overturn Roe v. Wade. If the court’s decision in the Texas case is any indication, a majority of justices are willing to throw out the constitutional right to choose that has been in place for 48 years and repeatedly upheld for decades.

“In Michigan today, abortion is safe and legal, but we have an arcane law on the books from the 1930s banning abortion and criminalizing healthcare providers who offer comprehensive care and essential reproductive services. Thankfully, that dangerous, outdated law is superseded by Roe v. Wade, but, if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe, that Michigan law and others like it may go back into effect in dozens of states, disproportionately impacting Black and brown communities.

“I call on the legislature to send Senator Erika Geiss’ bill that repeals our nearly-century-old ban on abortion to my desk. I have always stood with those fighting for their right to choose, and I will not stop now. I will stand in the way of any bills that seek to strip away fundamental rights from women or get in the way of doctors’ ability to do their jobs.”

Submitted by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Office