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Rural Health Essay winners announced

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health announced the winners of its essay competition for high school seniors on National Rural Health Day, Nov. 18. This year’s topic was the shortage of paramedics and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel in the Upper Peninsula, which was exacerbated by the pandemic. Students were asked to address how EMS agencies and communities could interact and build and strengthen relationships that would enhance recruitment, retention and overall success. “Once again, our high school seniors have embraced the opportunity to dive deeper ...

ProtectMiChild Registry expands to keep kids safe from adult ads on social media apps

Michigan’s ProtectMiChild Registry, which helps keep kids safe from adult-oriented ads via text and email, is now offering protection on social media accounts as well, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced today. The registry, ProtectMiChild.com, is a free and secure program offered by the Secretary of State since 2014 that families and schools can use to block ads for products like alcohol, tobacco, pornography and online gambling from reaching children’s email inboxes, tablets, cell phones or instant messenger IDs. Unspam, the company that provides governments with ...

Nominations sought for 2021 Governor’s Service Awards

LANSING – The Michigan Community Service Commission is encouraging Michiganders to nominate the friends, family and peers who have made a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic for the 2021 Governor's Service Awards that will take place virtually on Jan. 12, 2022. “There are Michiganders in every county who dedicated their time and resources to help neighbors and build up their communities through the pandemic,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “The Governor’s Service Awards are a small token of our appreciation and recognition of Michiganders who went above and beyond, and I ...

Benson lifts driver’s license suspensions for more than 150,000 Michiganders, cancels infractions for many more

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced today that her department has lifted suspensions on the driver’s licenses of more than 150,000 Michiganders after ongoing implementation of laws that took effect last month identified additional infractions to cancel. The department lifted the suspensions of 12,000 Michiganders in October. Michigan residents who are now eligible for a driver’s license may still need to pay a reinstatement fee or renew or reapply for a license, depending on how long the license was suspended. In all, the Michigan Department of State has canceled ...

Jenich reappointed to Houghton County Department of Health and Human Services Board

HOUGHTON, MI. – Elizabeth Hertel, Director for the State of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has reappointed Ed Jenich as the state’s representative to the Houghton County Department of Health and Human Services Board. The Houghton County Department of Health and Human Services Board plays a vital role in the successful delivery of financial and social services provided to the citizens of Houghton County. Jenich has served as the state’s representative for a number of years. “I’m honored to be selected as a member of the board and play such an important role ...

November dark skies shine in the Keweenaw

CALUMET — John Mueller, owner and interim general manager of the historic Keweenaw Mountain Lodge located outside of Copper Harbor, Michigan, encourages guests and the public to be in the dark. Just yards from the Lodge, the tee box of the resort golf course’s first hole offers a window to the universe at night — a sea of mesmerizing stars, planets, moons and nebulae that visitors rarely see in their urban or suburban neighborhoods because street and building lights dim the night sky. It is very, very dark here when the sun dips below Brockway Mountain on the horizon. November is ...