This past Sunday, December 23, Chesterfield Police officers responded to Rosie O’Grady’s on 23 Mile Road east of Interstate 94 after gunshots were reported from the parking lot, where they found a twenty-year old Shelby Township man with a gunshot wound to his face.  Jason Lemar Jennings, 38 of Clinton Township has been charged by Macomb County prosecutors with assault with intent to murder, a felony punishable by up to life, and felony firearm, a two-year felony.  A handgun believed to have been used in the assault has been recovered.  Jennings was arraigned Wednesday with a scheduled court date of January 2^nd.  He is currently being held in the Macomb County Jail.  Officers say the two were involved in a pushing and shoving altercation that moved outside and into the parking lot.  The alleged victim entered his vehicle and began to drive, when the rear window was shattered and he was stuck in the face by a bullet or glass fragments.  Investigators found the suspects through witness interviews, credit card receipts and video surveillance.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) announced recently they are seeking feedback on guidelines designed to standardize the process of evaluating emergency department patients in psychiatric crisis and reduce barriers to accessing inpatient psychiatric services.  The guidelines for the Medical Appropriateness for Psychiatric Admission Guide were developed as part of a larger statewide effort known as Michigan Inpatient Psychiatric Admissions Discussion (MIPAD). The document provides a framework for the medical assessment of individuals who are in psychiatric crisis and present at the emergency department.  “Securing inpatient psychiatric services for individuals presenting in emergency departments has become increasingly complex and time consuming over the last decade,” said Dr. George Mellos, MDHHS’s director of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Administration. “As part of a growing trend in Michigan and across the nation, psychiatric patients most in need of inpatient services often face the longest wait to transition to an appropriate care setting.”   The trend, commonly referred to as emergency department boarding, occurs for a host of reasons. In Michigan, the MIPAD workgroup identified medical clearance – the clinical process of performing a medical, surgical and/or psychiatric evaluation on an individual presenting in an emergency department – as one of the barriers to timely access to inpatient psychiatric services. Upon further evaluation, the MIPAD workgroup reached the following conclusions:

• The requirements for the medical clearance process vary significantly from hospital to hospital.
• Disagreements between emergency department clinicians and admitting providers over whether an inpatient psychiatric unit can provide appropriate and safe care to individuals with co-occurring conditions frequently leads to breakdowns in the admissions process.

To address the medical clearance barrier, MDHHS and MHA convened a multidisciplinary clinical workgroup comprised of nurses, doctors and specialists in emergency medicine, psychiatry, psychology and pediatrics, along with administrative experts in hospital management and state policy officials. The workgroup studied literature and research on medical clearance and its impact on psychiatric care and gathered input from other state experts to develop the draft framework which has been issued.    Feedback is currently being sought on the guide. Once finalized, MDHHS, MHA and the workgroup will work to support the adoption of standardized practices related to medical assessment across emergency departments and hospitals with psychiatric units.  Going forward, MDHHS will work to coordinate these efforts with other statewide activities for addressing behavioral health services and care under the Michigan Psychiatric Care Improvement Project (MPCIP).  Additional information about the Medical Clearance Workgroup and the MPCIP can be found on theMDHHS website.

Blue Water New Year’s Eve 2019 will be held Monday, December 31, 2018 at the Blue Water Convention Center in Port Huron.  The event has been billed the BIGGEST and BEST annual New Year’s Eve Party in Port Huron. The Blue Water Convention center offers a 20,000 sq. ft. ballroom for eastern Michigan’s only Chicago-Style Mega New Year’s Eve Bash.  Entertainment will include DJs Lee Illee Hoffman – Robbie Khabbaz – Matt Gossman from Ultimate Sounds Entertainment Group There are a variety of packages you can choose from which include the VIP all inclusive dinner package that takes you through the entire evening with food and drink along with reserved seats for the evening with those beautiful views of the St. Clair River and Blue Water Bridges.  There is a Blue Water Party Pass which does not include dinner, and a late night pass that allows entry at 9 p.m. for the evening with cash bar and midnight snacks and the Midnight Blowout!  Tickets may be purchased at
BlueWaterNewYearsEve.com

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently confirmed the first influenza-associated pediatric death of the 2018-2019 flu season. Influenza claims the lives of children every year across the United States, which is why MDHHS is urging residents to get vaccinated for protection this season.  The reported death involves a child from Osceola County who was infected with influenza A/H1N1.Nationally, there have been six influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported during the 2018-2019 flu season.  Flu is a contagious respiratory disease caused by different strains of the influenza virus and can result in mild to severe illness. Although Michigan has only experienced localized flu activity over the past few weeks, MDHHS strongly recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a seasonal flu vaccine. Flu vaccine is the best way to prevent against getting the flu and can also reduce the severity of flu illness.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), last year’s flu season was estimated to be the deadliest since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. More than 79,000 deaths were attributed to the flu, 185 of which were children. In Michigan, two children died last year due to flu-related complications.  A majority of the positive influenza specimens confirmed by MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories this flu season have been an H1N1 virus.  During the 2017-2018 flu season, only 39.5 percent of Michigan residents were vaccinated against flu, below the national rate of 41.7 percent.  Vaccine is especially important for persons at increased risk for complications from flu, including children, adults aged 65 years and older, persons of any age with underlying medical conditions, and pregnant women. Children less than 6 months of age are too young to be vaccinated and need to be protected by vaccination of their close contacts, including parents, siblings, grandparents, child care workers and healthcare personnel.  There is still plenty of flu vaccine available. To find flu vaccine near you, call your healthcare provider, local health department, or check the Health Map Vaccine Finder atFlushot.healthmap.org. For more information about the flu, visit Michigan.gov/flu.

The Sherman Woods Homeowners Association in Port Huron is reporting its Red Kettle bell ringing program raised $3,077 to assist the St. Clair County Salvation Army’s annual fund raising campaign.  The funds were raised by volunteer residents of the association managing a Red Kettle drop off during four weekend evenings recently.  Visitors made donations while touring the Sherman Woods location to view the Christmas light displays the neighborhood presents each year.  “With the interest in our residents’ Christmas lights, this is a unique opportunity to help the Salvation Army each year,” said Fred Kemp, president of the Sherman Woods Homeowners Association.  “This is a wonderful display of Christmas giving and we appreciate residents volunteering and everyone who contributed.  The funds will help to provide gifts and food for families in need at this holiday time.  It was especially heartwarming to hear so many people tell us ‘Thank you for doing this’ as they contributed to the kettle.”  This was the third year the neighborhood has operated a Red Kettle drop off campaign.

On Thursday, December 20, the Port Huron Police Department Criminal Investigative Division conducted a sting operation focusing on underage sales of alcohol to minors.  During the operation, police sent underage decoys into 33 Port Huron establishments that were licensed by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.  Of the 33 checked, 27 were found in compliance by refusing to sell alcohol to the underage decoys.  Six establishments were cited for selling alcohol to a minor:  Rite Aid and the Eggairy on Pine Grove Avenue.  Lynch’s Irish Tavern on Huron, the Speedy Qu on 10th Street, the 20th Street Grocery on Griswold Street and Teds Coney Island on 24th Street.  The Port Huron Police Department stated that encourage all licensed establishments to check ID’s to help prevent underage drinking.  More sting operations will be conducted in the future, according to Chief Joseph Platzer.