Michigan Food Security Council Addresses Food Insecurity

The Michigan Food Security Council has made recommendations to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to maintain food security during the ongoing pandemic. The Council’s goal is to help struggling Michiganders, both those who face food insecurity on a regular basis and those who are experiencing it for the first time, to be able to feed nutritious food to their families.

The recommendations include addressing food needs by pursuing existing federal food program services and seeking flexible service options such as home delivery and incentives for retailers to accept food assistance benefits. Over 1.2 million Michigan residents get food benefits. Collaboration with partners to improve the infrastructure for food and nutrition programs is also proposed, along with helping communities to develop local community response programs. 

Michigan’s food supply has remained sufficient throughout the pandemic, but the Council recommended developing strategies to address panic buying, prioritizing food workers for PPE, and engaging restaurants to deliver prepared meals to vulnerable populations. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

No Vaccine Appointments Available at St. Clair County Health Department

The St. Clair County Health Departments is experiencing a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines, and there are no appointments available at this time. Vaccine supplies are allocated by the state on a week by week basis, so they recommend connecting with their social media pages and checking their website for updates on availability.

There is no waiting list, and they are asking residents to refrain from calling or showing up at the Health Department unexpectedly to ask about vaccines.

Dr. Annette Mercatante, Medical Health Officer, stated “We are using vaccine allocation as fast as we can. Please be patient as we work to ensure equitable distribution of these scarce resources. As vaccine supply increases, most initial distributions will take place at central locations to vaccinate many people quickly. We will expand as we can.”

The online vaccine scheduler is available <HERE> and will be updated as soon as new appointments are available.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Radon Testing Urged as Families Spend More Time at Home

January is Radon Action Month. Radon is a radioactive gas and is produced through natural decomposition in soil. The gas can migrate from the ground and into basements and entire buildings.

Radon is second only to smoking as a leading cause of lung cancer and is considered to be a leading environmental culprit for cancer deaths in the nation. With many people setting up home offices in the basement or elsewhere throughout their homes during the pandemic, as well as being home more than ever before, it is important to know the risk in every home.

There is no way to know if there is radon in a home without testing. Radon testing should be done every two to five years. Test kits are available at hardware and home improvement stores. If radon is detected, mitigation systems, which circulate the contaminated air out of the house quickly, can be installed. At least one quarter of all homes in Michigan are estimated to have radon levels above the acceptable limit.

More information and a link to obtain a test kit can be found at Michigan.gov/radon.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron City Council Looking for Candidates to Fill Vacancy

At the Port Huron City Council Meeting Monday, Lisa Beedon’s Letter of Resignation was received and filed, and now the Council is asking for letters of interest from qualified city residents to fill her vacated seat.

Beedon was elected to the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners in the November election, which led to her resign from the council effective December 31, 2020.

None of the candidates who ran for the City Council position in the November election received 25% of the popular vote; therefore, the City Charter states that the Council must take applications from interested persons and appoint someone to fill the vacancy.

Letters of interest and resumes from prospective candidates will be accepted through January 26, 2021. Any qualified and registered Port Huron City elector can apply, and they can submit their letters and resumes to the City Clerk.

On Monday, February 1, 2021, the City Council will hold a meeting to review the candidates and vote to appoint the new City Council member.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Auto Show Cancelled for 2021 – Motor Bella Takes Its Place

The North American Auto Show won’t happen this year, but show officials have replaced the event with a new one in an outdoor setting. Motor Bella is described as a “bridge to the future”, and according to a press release, “the event will bring next-generation mobility and exciting vehicle debuts to media, show-goers, and automotive enthusiasts in a way never before experienced.”

The event is scheduled for September 21-26th at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac. The M1 Concourse is known as a place for people to keep, show, and exercise their vehicles and is described as an 87-acre playground for auto enthusiasts. It houses community garages, a performance track, and hosts a private Motorsports Club.

Motor Bella will take the auto show to a new level by offering vehicle showcases in action. Executive Director Rod Alberts said, “This all-outdoor venue, with adrenaline-pumping track activities and a full complement of OEM and technology exhibits, is going to offer the sights, sounds and even the smell of all that the new world of mobility has to offer.” 

To learn more, visit the event website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand