Less than half of Michigan counties remain at low level green
In today’s newsletter, COVID cases continue to swell, what to do about a tick bite, and a 2,300-acre wildfire in Northern Michigan. |
Start your week off right - caught up on the news |
Add fun outdoor activities, warm weather and a dash of thunderstorms and yep, you get a typical Michigan weekend in May. Activities included the first Thomas the Tank Engine ride of 2022 at Greenfield Village, Motor City Comic Con and the last bit of the Tulip Time festival in Holland. We hope your weekend plans didn't get soaked by the rain and you're charged up for the week ahead! If you're missing that bolt of energy, we're here to say there's nothing wrong with an extra cup of coffee on a Monday. |
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Sixteen Michigan Counties are now at a high level orange, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
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Residents should mask in 16 Michigan counties as COVID cases continue to swell |
16 counties are at what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider high COVID-19 levels, meaning residents there should take precautions and wear masks while in public and indoors. Less than half of Michigan counties remain at low level green with twenty-eight counties at medium level yellow and the 16 at high level orange. Also on the increase are COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. More in COVID: The mother of a teen who needs a kidney transplant is suing Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital over its policy that transplant patients be vaccinated against COVID-19. |
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Bitten by a tick? Always do this 1 thing, experts say. |
It's tick time: Ticks are waking up from their winter dormancy, and this year you can expect to see more of them. As a reminder, there are more than a dozen tick-borne pathogens that can cause human diseases. In the unfortunate case of one attaching itself to you, there’s one key step that should always follow removing it: Keep the tick. Why: Saving a tick that bites you can give you and your health care providers the opportunity to properly ID the tick, which could help determine the correct course of treatment should you happen to get sick as a result of the tick’s bite. |
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Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. More Michiganders are still waiting. |
'A lot of relief': For months, TJ Finney stared at a $10,000 bill. Then one day, last week, it disappeared. He logged onto the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency portal and saw his $10,000 overpayment was gone. More than 55,000 Michiganders who were asked to repay their pandemic unemployment benefits—at no fault of their own—got a waiver clearing the debt last week. Many more, however, are still waiting after Michigan erased $431M in pandemic unemployment overpayments.
There is no timeline yet on when the rest of the overpayments will be waived, according to Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity spokesperson Lynda Robinson. But state officials indicated in a recent court filing it could take until February 2023. |
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Lightning caused 2,710-acre wildfire in Northern Michigan, officials say |
The cause of the fire has been determined to be a lightning strike, likely from the thunderstorm, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Where: The "Blue Lakes Fire" occurred in Montmorency and Cheboygan counties, and caused the evacuation of 13 people from the Black River Ranch. There was no life-threatening injuries and no serious property damage.
Take precaution: Spring is when wildfires in Michigan are most prevalent. The DNR is reminding people to check their website before planning to burn yard debris or start a campfire, and always to have an accessible water source nearby. |
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Children continue bringing banned substances to school. |
A fifth grader brought marijuana gummies to a Michigan school and shared them with a classmate, resulting in both 11-year-olds being hospitalized. Sound familiar? This is the second student in less than a month to bring a banned substance to Grand River Academy elementary school in Livonia. A few weeks ago, a kindergartner brought margaritas for snack time. This is also the second time in two weeks that a child has been caught with marijuana gummies. In that case, a kindergartner brought the gummies to Edgerton Elementary in Flint. Quote: "While we try to keep an eye on everything our students bring to school, that’s simply not possible," Grand River Academy Spokesperson Leah Nixon said in a statement. "We encourage all parents and guardians to be vigilant about the food and snacks they are sending to school with their children.”
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Thanks for reading the latest Morning Briefing. Don't forget, you can always find the latest Michigan news by visiting MLive.com. If you value the hard work of Michigan journalists, consider becoming an MLive subscriber. Have a great day! We'll be in your inbox tomorrow. — Jamie Rewerts |
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