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Secretary Benson, partners launch MI Vote Matters high school challenge on National Voter Registration Day

On National Voter Registration Day, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced a new program with nonpartisan partner organizations seeking to increase young voter knowledge and participation by ensuring that eligible high school seniors register or pre-register to vote. The MI Vote Matters High School Voter Registration Challenge (Michigan.gov/MIVoteMatters) encourages high schools across Michigan to help connect students with their right to vote through civic education and nonpartisan voter registration drives. Schools can strive for the highest voter registration rate and earn ...

State Police forensic labs adopt rigorous national standards

In a continued pursuit of excellence, the seven laboratories of the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division (MSP-FSD) were recently issued certificates by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for implementing nationally recognized forensic standards. The OSAC organization aims to develop technically sound standards and guidelines to be used in the forensic science community that help to provide confidence that forensic analyses across various disciplines are properly supported, reliable and ...

More than $1.8 million in grants from Children’s Trust Fund awarded to help prevent child abuse in Michigan

LANSING – The Children’s Trust Fund Board of Directors has approved $1,865,168 in direct services grants to 10 Michigan community-based organizations to support local child abuse prevention initiatives. All grantees will be funded over a four‐year period. The board selected winning grant proposals through a competitive bid process from among 19 proposals submitted. “We congratulate these 10 successful grantees that emerged from an extremely competitive process with many more excellent proposals than we were able to fund,” said Suzanne Greenberg, director of the Children’s ...

Gov. Whitmer announces more than 178,600 Michigan households are receiving additional Home Heating Credit payment

LANSING – Gov. Whitmer today announced that more than 178,600 Michigan households who received Home Heating Credits for the 2020 tax year are receiving an additional one-time payment this month to help keep their homes warm. “The Home Heating Credit helps keep families warm by covering heating costs as we head into the fall, leaving more money on the table for other critical needs like rent, groceries, or bills,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “No one should have to choose between keeping the heat on and putting food on the table, but too many families face those kinds of choices ...

New protections in place for vulnerable adults as Financial Exploitation Prevention Act goes into effect

LANSING — Vulnerable adults in Michigan have new protections in place after the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act took effect on Sept. 26. The statute enacts new requirements on financial institutions to ensure they have training and procedures in-place to better recognize the signs of financial exploitation and take action to protect those who are unable to protect themselves from abuse, neglect, or exploitation because of a mental or physical impairment or because of advanced age. The Act is the result of collaborative work led by the Department of Attorney General's Elder ...

Prioritization of cases

Due to the rising number of COVID cases in Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon Counties, you may receive a delay in receiving a response to your call. For general questions related to COVID, please call the MDHHS Hotline: 888-535-6136 or email COVID19@michigan.gov. Effective immediately, the WUPHD has made the decision to concentrate our efforts on controlling potential outbreaks by prioritizing case investigations and contact tracing related to schools, the elderly, and nursing homes. The public can take steps to prevent further outbreaks by masking in indoor spaces and ...