Many Michiganders will be traveling in the coming weeks to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is reminding parents and caregivers to make sure infants have a safe place to sleep during their journey.  “Whether you are going to the in-laws or staying in a hotel, make sure your baby has a safe place to sleep,” said Nick Lyon, MDHHS director. “Do not put babies on couches or inflatable mattresses or in a bed with siblings or other family members.”  Infants should sleep alone in a crib, portable crib, bassinet or play yard with only a firm mattress and tightly fitted sheet. No pillows, blankets, comforters, stuffed animals or other soft things should be in the sleep area. Car seats and other sitting devices are not recommended for routine sleep.    Other sleep recommendations include:

• Always place baby on the back to sleep. Once baby can roll from back to stomach and from stomach to back, he or she can be allowed to remain in the sleep position that he or she chooses.
• Avoid covering baby’s head or overheating. Dress the baby in as much or as little clothing as you are wearing. Instead of a blanket for sleeping, consider using a sleep sack, wearable blanket or footed sleeper to keep baby warm.

For more information on infant safe sleep, visit Michigan.gov/safesleep. For information on crib safety, contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 800-638-2772 or visit Cpsc.gov

The students of Woodland’s room 208 expect to return to classes after the holiday break to find new friends waiting for them: little plants growing from seed they planted.  Liane Allen, an educator with MSU Extension and 4-H, has spent a few hours each week teaching the students in Woodland room 208 about growing, harvesting — and eating — fresh food. Liane helped the classroom plant two raised gardens outside Woodland this past spring. Their latest project is planting a “tower garden,” on loan by Port Huron Township’s Debbie Shinavier. The vertical garden structure keeps the plants moist as they grow without traditional soil.  Room 208 teacher Michelle Ebmeyer says the venture has been good for everyone. “The kids love it when she comes in. They’re very, very attentive. They also get to try the different things we grow.”

WGRT makes winners out of listeners throughout the year.  All winner’s names are put into a drawing at the end of the year for a prize that only those in the WGRT Winner’s Circle are eligible to win.  This year, Angeline was the winner of a 65 inch, LG High Definition TV, along with a speaker system from Kimball Appliance.   WGRT thanks all our listeners, and we look forward to another great year of music and prizes.

The St. Clair County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in conjunction with Ascension River District Hospital in East China Township held an Active Shooter/Mass Casualty Exercise at the hospital on December 6th, 2018.  After several weeks of planning, over 50 people participated in the exercises. Assistance was provided from several emergency responder agencies including the St. Clair Fire Department, Marine City Fire Department, St. Clair County Sheriff Department, and Tri-Hospital EMS. The fire departments were able to utilize and train with their new protective gear that was recently purchased specifically for these types of incidents.  Volunteers from the Port Huron Police VIP program and the Kimball Township Fire Department Fire Corp played the role of victims for the exercise. A team of Moulage experts helped to apply realistic makeup to the victims to simulate real injuries which added another level of realism to the event.
The exercise also tasked Ascension with assembling and coordinating staff from all departments within the
hospital, including doctors, nurses, security officers, and emergency management personnel in handling the patient surge into their Emergency Department. The exercise was deemed a success and is part of Ascension River District Hospital’s plan to become a Level IV Trauma Center as designated by the State of Michigan.

WGRT in partnership with Kimball Appliance have joined together to donate a 65 inch flat screen television to “The Closet” in downtown Port Huron.  The television will be used for in-store advertising and for workshops for the young ladies participating in the training program offered at “The Closet”.   According to founder Karen Palka, The Closet is a training, education and enterprise, with the mission of teaching life-long business skills and philanthropy to maximize the success of young women as well as to provide sustainability for local A Beautiful Me programs.  A Beautiful me fosters self-esteem in women of all ages and presents specific programs for young ladies in Macomb and St. Clair Counties.  Pictured are Nick Bondarek of Kimball Appliance, Marty Doorn of WGRT and Karen Palka founder of A Beautiful Me and The Closet.