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Crash Responder Safety Week a key memorial

Every few seconds, a traffic incident responder puts his or her life on the line to aid crash victims and to safely and quickly clear crashes as well as other traffic incidents that could otherwise result in a secondary crash. Every year traffic incident responders are killed in the line of duty or bear life-long scars from life-altering injuries. This week is Crash Responder Safety Week, a somewhat obscure yet very important opportunity to recognize great work in individual communities across the region and state. This year’s theme is “Responders Ahead! Reduce Your Speed As ...

DNR has vacancies on various advisory boards

Wolves. Deer herd management. Invasive species. Trail access. Those are just a few of the difficult and sometimes controversial issues that Michigan Department of Natural Resources staff must deal with in the Upper Peninsula. To its credit, the agency doesn’t try to isolate itself from the public on such topics. The DNR is currently soliciting applications for open volunteer positions on the Eastern and Western Upper Peninsula Citizens’ Advisory Councils. The councils are designed to advise the DNR on regional programs and policies, identify areas in which the department can be ...

Support transparency in lame duck session

Starting in January, Democrats who’ve controlled both chambers of the Legislature and occupied the offices of the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state will have to hand over the gavel in the state House, as Republicans won control of that chamber as part of the red wave that propelled Donald Trump back to the White House. But, for the next seven weeks or so, Democrats will maintain their trifecta, and they’ll be looking to press some last-minute priorities in the period between Election Day and Inauguration Day known as “lame duck.” We urge Democrats to make ...

This is one list that could come in handy

With Michigan’s firearm deer season kicking off on Friday, Tommy Carroll of radio station WGRD has written a list of things to know as you try to bag a buck. Firearm deer season runs from Nov. 15-30, “giving Michiganders two weeks” to hunt, Carroll said. First, make sure to know what the weather and area factors will be in your area and what is predicted for this fall. The mild 2023-24 winter in Michigan usually means the 2024-25 harvest should be good, Carroll said. In addition, you should: ≤ Report your deer harvest online There are fewer deer check stations each ...

Take steps to guard against carbon monoxide poisoning

With houses getting sealed up against the cold and furnaces firing up, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs urge residents to take preventative measures against carbon monoxide poisoning and check CO detectors and fuel-burning appliances. Carbon monoxide is known as the “Invisible Killer,” because it cannot be seen, tasted or smelled, but it can be deadly when breathed in, the agencies warned in a news release. CO is found where carbon-based fuels such as gasoline, propane, charcoal, wood and others are ...

Residents warned of increase in whooping cough

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is calling attention to an increase in cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, and urging individuals to get up to date with vaccinations. Case numbers across the state surpassed last year’s reports and are coinciding with a return to pre-pandemic patterns of more cases per year nationally. Between 2017 and 2019, Michigan averaged 596 cases of pertussis each year. There have already been 830 confirmed or probable cases reported to MDHHS this year as of Oct. 28. Early symptoms of pertussis can look like a common ...