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Start 2025 with smart food resolutions

As Michiganders ring in the New Year, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is encouraging food safety be prioritized as part of New Year’s resolutions. Proper food handling and preparation can prevent foodborne illnesses and keep families safe. “New Year’s resolutions are often about fresh starts and new opportunities for healthy choices,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring. “Improving food safety practices is a great place to kick-off a happy, healthy 2025 for you and your loved ones.” Here are five simple food safety practices to utilize as part of ...

Safe New Year’s celebrations a great thing

New Year’s Eve can be the kind of night where lifelong memories are made. Friends celebrate together and there is even a chance you can sneak a New Year’s kiss. But for many, New Year’s Eve can lead to trouble and tragedy. Long considered a major drinking holiday, celebrations of the new year can be marred by bad weather and dangerous driving conditions, particularly for drivers who may have had too much to drink. Luckily, the 2025 New Year’s Eve celebrations in Marquette went off without a hitch, according to Marquette area law enforcement agencies. Marquette is home to the ...

Happy New Year! Now, what about those resolutions?

Welcome to the second day of 2025. It’s a brand new year, a blank page. Even if you’re not one of the 40 percent or more of Americans that make a New Year’s resolution, this time in the year typically spurs self-reflection. Millions of Americans resolve to change something they are less than happy with in their lives: losing weight, quitting smoking — maybe just being a happier person in general. Unfortunately, research suggests that only a fraction of those who make resolutions actually keep them. And there are thousands of reasons for that, including setting unrealistic ...

Giving up keys on New Year’s Eve the right thing to do

The coming of the new year is almost always a joyous occasion. It’s a time to gather together with friends and family and look back on the year gone by, reminiscing on the good times had and looking forward to whatever the future brings. With one of the biggest partying nights of the year just hours away, we’d like to take the time to remind everyone to stay safe at the end of this holiday season. By now, everyone knows how dangerous drinking and driving can be. It has caused the death of too many people and the devastation of too many families. State and local police will be ...

Crooks using fake letters in collections scam

Michigan taxpayers with past-due tax debts should be aware of an aggressive scam making the rounds through the U.S. Postal Service, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury. In the scheme, taxpayers receive a letter about an overdue state tax bill that requests individuals contact a toll-free number to resolve the debt.  The letter threatens to seize a taxpayer’s property — including bank accounts, wages, business assets, cars, real estate, refunds and cash — if the debt is not settled. The piece of correspondence appears credible to the taxpayer because it uses ...

In the new year, have your home tested for radon gas

The new year is only days away. One resolution homeowners should make is to test for radon, health experts advise. January is National Radon Action Month. Radon is a tasteless, odorless and colorless radioactive gas that is created through natural processes in soil and rock. The level of radon in the outdoor atmosphere is not harmful to people, but radon can concentrate indoors, leading to harmful levels within a home, according to a news release from Public Health, Delta and Menominee Counties. There are no short-term health effects associated with radon; however, long-term exposure ...