| December 24, 2021 
 Yes, everyone is tired of COVID-19, and many will forge ahead with Christmas or New Year’s plans. But daily case averages, deaths and hospitalizations are high in Michigan and medical professionals worry about what January will bring. The newly discovered omicron variant is spreading rapidly. Party goers should consider the risks and take precautions, doctors said. Experts are offering the following advice: READ MORE ►Michiganders in rural, deep red counties twice as likely to die of COVID, data shows  A diner owner who kept his restaurant open in defiance of state shutdowns has died after more than a two-month battle with COVID-19. John Parney Sr., 62, died Dec. 14. He owned the Quincy Diner in the village of Quincy. He kept the restaurant open in December 2020, in violation of the partial shutdown ordered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “My wife’s fighting stage-four colon cancer,” Pareny said in December 2020. “We depend on this restaurant to help subsidize billing and all of that. My employees need that. Of course, if I’d have stayed closed much longer, I’d have lost the business.” READ MORE  Corrections officer arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs into Jackson-area prison A Michigan Department of Corrections prison officer has been arrested and charged with smuggling drugs into a Jackson-area prison. Correctional Officer Thomas Saverio Daugherty was arrested after a police investigation found evidence he was smuggling drugs into the Parnall Correctional Faculty outside the city of Jackson, according to Michigan State Police. MSP officers investigated the allegation and arrested him after executing a search warrant on his home, police said. READ MORE ►Michigan drivers will get $400 refund per vehicle back from auto insurance fees  Sometimes a peek behind the scenes is just what you need to understand how so many pieces can work together to create lots of smiles on a Michigan island. A new Amazon video does just that, taking viewers through the many steps needed to get holiday packages delivered on Mackinac Island. The “holiday magic” video and blog were released this week. They feature some well-known islanders, including longtime Mayor Margaret Doud and Sara Chambers, who is head of the horse-drawn dray delivery operations on the island. READ MORE ►How Mackinac Island’s winter ‘Carhartt Army’ helps create tourist-season success  Aidan Hutchinson looks like a video game create-a-player. He’s 6-foot-6, 265 pounds. He’s strong, quick, and powerful, an imposing, intimidating force on the football field. There was a time, however, when Hutchinson was … skinny. An average athlete. His effort was there but, new to the sport, it was not clear he’d be this good. Heisman runner-up good. Possible No. 1 overall NFL draft pick good. READ MORE ►The key staffing decisions by Jim Harbaugh that fueled Michigan’s improbable run Get your local news 24/7 Connect with MLive
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