From the Associated Press — The University of Michigan announced Friday that all faculty, staff and students, including remote students, must be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the Fall semester. University President Mark Schissel said in a letter to the university community the more infectious delta variant of COVID-19 prompted the decision. Proof of vaccination will be required, though people may seek medical or religious exemptions.... [Read Full Story]
From the Associated Press — Michigan is carving out some exceptions to a new policy that would bar people from swimming at state beaches when waves are more than 8 feet high. Surfers, kite boarders and water boarders would be exempt. They say rough conditions can be ideal, and they’ll prepare for the risk. The Department of Natural Resources wants to reduce the risk of drowning in the Great Lakes. The DNR Commission is expected to hear more on August 12. Rip currents and high waves have sometimes led to tragedies on Great Lakes beaches. There have been at least 47 drownings this year in states bordering the lakes, including 22 in Lake Michigan.... [Read Full Story]
Registrations are now being taken for the next Lory’s Place Run, Walk, and Rock, which is set for September 11. The 18th annual event will benefit Lory’s Place, the grief healing and education center of Caring Circle. The Lory’s Place 18th annual Run, Walk, and Rock will begin at 8:30 a.m. The timed 5K run/walk course will take runners and walkers through St. Joseph’s Edgewater area, along Ridgeway, and into Tiscornia Park. Chip timing will be used for fast and easy race results. All events will begin and end at Lory’s Place in St. Joseph. Rocking chairs will be available for spectators throughout the morning along the edge of the course so they can show their support. Individuals or groups can choose to sponsor a rocker with a suggested donation of $150. You can register to take part in the event at LorysPlace.org.... [Read Full Story]
The Baroda-Lake Township Police Department will hold a National Night Out celebration this coming week. Police National Night Out is an event held around the country every summer for the public to have a chance to meet and interact with their local officers. In the case of the Baroda-Lake Township Police Department, the gathering will be at Lake Township Park on Gast Road on Tuesday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. On hand will be police offering food, games for the kids, a fire department Jaws of Life demonstration, and women’s self defense information. Also holding National Night Out events the same evening is the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, which will be at Dwight P Mitchell City Center Park starting at 5 p.m., and the St. Joseph Township Police Department, which will be at Maiden Lane Community Park starting at 5:30.... [Read Full Story]
The Van Buren-Cass District Health Department will be out at the Cass County Fair this coming week providing COVID-19 vaccines and giving out gift cards to those who get one. The department says the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson shots will be available, and adults 18 years of age and older will receive a $50 Visa gift card after either shot, while those between ages 12 and 17 will receive a $25 Visa gift card after a Pfizer vaccination. There will be a limited number of the cards to give out, so they aren’t guaranteed for everyone. The health department is teaming up with the Cass County Fair, LTS Management, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for the effort. The Cass County Fair starts Monday and will run all week. Health experts urge those who attend to stop by the Van Buren Cass District Health Department’s area and get a shot. Cass County’s COVID vaccination rate of 37.7% is one of the lowest in the state. Van Buren County’s rate is 56.5% and Berrien County’s is 53.7%.... [Read Full Story]
President Joe Biden is remembering longtime Michigan U.S. Senator Carl Levin as the most honorable and decent man he’s ever known. In a statement released this afternoon, the president said brilliant, humble, and principled, Carl earned the trust of his constituents and colleagues by doing the work. Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters echoed those words.... [Read Full Story]
High utility costs are a major burden for Michigan’s low-income residents, and a new study says they have an impact on their health, too.... [Read Full Story]
From the Associated Press — The White House and Canada have issued a joint statement of support for a commuter bridge that when completed will span the Detroit River, connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. The statement issued Thursday calls the Gordie Howe International Bridge “a top infrastructure priority” for both governments and that each is committed to continuing support “to ensure the project’s state-of-the-art ports of entry are fully funded.” It comes as U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican senators try to work out a compromise over a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure package. The $4.4 billion, six-lane, cable-stayed bridge is expected to open in late 2024. It’s named for Gordie Howe, a native of Canada and hockey legend who starred for the Detroit Red Wings.... [Read Full Story]
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has issued a statement on the death of former U.S. Senator Carl Levin. The governor’s office has released the following:... [Read Full Story]
From the Associated Press — The state of Michigan will disburse $10 million in emergency relief funding to help Detroit-area and other southeastern Michigan residents whose homes, businesses and belongings were damaged by recent flooding caused by a late June rainstorm. Whitmer says Thursday that communities will distribute the funding based on greatest need. Basements and streets flooded following the June 25-26 storm that dumped 6 inches of rain in a matter of hours. Whitmer adds that the money essentially is to fill the gap for people who already have submitted claims through the federal Small Business Administration and FEMA, but “did not receive as much support as they needed to rebuild.”... [Read Full Story]
From the Associated Press — Former Senator Carl Levin, a powerful voice for the military during his career as Michigan’s longest-serving U.S. senator, has died. The Democrat was 87. Levin’s family says Levin died Thursday. A Washington insider, Levin
took a civil but straightforward approach to governance, and he worked effectively with Republicans and fellow Democrats. He was a longtime member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and co-chaired the Senate Auto Caucus, which promoted policies benefiting the domestic car industry. Levin ousted Republican Robert Griffin in the 1978 U.S. Senate election. He won reelection
five times, but chose not to seek a seventh term in 2014.... [Read Full Story]
