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Improvements to Michigan’s Bridge Card system to cause temporary shutdown of system late Saturday, early Sunday

LANSING – Michiganders who use Bridge Cards to buy food or use cash assistance benefits will be unable to do so late Saturday and early Sunday while a system upgrade is implemented that will provide easier access to benefits. The Bridge Card system will be down from approximately 11 p.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Sunday. Residents who receive food assistance, cash assistance and Women, Infant and Children (WIC) benefits loaded on the Electronic Benefit Transfer cards will not be able to redeem them during those hours. They can use the same cards beginning again at 11 a.m. Sunday without any ...

DIFS issues consumer alert about spoofed phone number scam

LANSING — The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is alerting consumers to an increasingly common scam in which victims receive a phone call or text from someone claiming to be from their financial institution in an attempt to gain access to financial accounts to steal funds. “The criminals perpetrating these fraudulent schemes are becoming increasingly cunning, and victims can lose thousands of dollars if they aren’t careful,” said DIFS Director Anita Fox. “It is up to every one of us to take the necessary precautions to protect our personal ...

Webinar: Medium and heavy duty vehicle electrification – challenges, successes, and resources

EGLE Fuels Transformation program and Clean Diesel Program offer grants that will be opening soon for replacement and electrification of medium and heavy duty diesel vehicles. Electrification of medium and heavy duty vehicles in Michigan is brand new to many. Join us for this free webinar to hear three panelists share their story about the challenges, successes, and resources they encountered in their journey to electrification on Oct. 13 from 2 to 3 p.m. A recording will be posted online for future viewing. In this webinar you’ll learn about: — Electric trucks driving real ...

Second application drive announced

Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! and the Baraga County Chamber of Commerce hosted the first Baraga Application Drive on Sept. 30 to match job seekers with open positions. This is a new approach to engage with the workforce. Employers did not need to be on site for this event. A packet with all the submitted positions from Baraga employers was created, which included a blank application for job seeker attendees to complete. They then identified which positions they would like to apply for, and after the event UP Michigan Works! forwarded the details to the employers. Among the 28 area ...

DIFS promotes Cybersecurity Awareness Month to help consumers and businesses stay protected

LANSING — October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is encouraging consumers and businesses to take steps to protect themselves and their personal information from cyberattacks. “There are steps we must all take to ensure that we protect our insurance and financial information,” said DIFS Director Anita Fox. “I encourage everyone to set aside time this month to learn more about how to protect their personal information and to take action to establish sound cybersecurity measures.” Many believe that most ...

Gov. Whitmer to reinstate prevailing wage for state construction projects

LANSING — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the State of Michigan will require state contractors and subcontractors to pay prevailing wage for construction projects. The move reinstates the prevailing wage requirement, which was repealed in June 2018, and ensures that any construction worker working on a state construction project receives a fair wage. The governor is proud to lead by example at the state-level and deliver real change for working people in Michigan. “By reinstating prevailing wage, we are ensuring that working people get treated with dignity and ...