by Becky Andrus | May 12, 2021 | Health and Wellness
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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 12, 2021
CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, SutfinL1@michigan.gov
MDHHS launches biomonitoring project to
assess Michigan firefighter PFAS exposure
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Division of Environmental Health recently launched the PFAS in Firefighters of Michigan Surveillance (PFOMS) project. During this multi-year project, MDHHS will assess Michigan firefighters’ average exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – chemicals commonly found in Class B firefighting foams used to fight fires involving gasoline, oil and jet fuel.
“The findings will help inform activities to minimize firefighters’ exposure to PFAS,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “Emerging science continues to reveal the effects that PFAS can have on human health, and the firefighters who participate in the PFOMS project will contribute to our understanding of PFAS exposure among firefighters.”
The PFOMS project is currently in the process of recruiting career and volunteer firefighters who work for airport fire stations in Michigan, as well as randomly selected municipal fire departments across Michigan. Seven departments are participating in the first year of the PFOMS project, including:
- ACW Unionville Fire Department (Tuscola County)
- Alcona Township Fire Department (Alcona County)
- Cambridge Township Fire Department (Lenawee County)
- Capital City Airport Department of Public Safety (Ingham County)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Fire Department (Wayne County)
- Dorr Township Fire Department (Allegan County)
- Rochester Hills Fire Department (Oakland County)
Over the course of the next three years, MDHHS plans to recruit between 600 and 900 firefighters to participate. The PFOMS biomonitoring project launched April 28, beginning with the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Fire Department. The project will cost about $1 million and is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and MDHHS.
For more information about the PFOMS project, visit Michigan.gov/DEHbio or call the MDHHS Division of Environmental Health toll free at 844-464-7327. |
by Becky Andrus | May 11, 2021 | Regional News
Media Contact:
Paloma Perez
[email protected]
For Immediate Release
FCC ANNOUNCES START DATE
OF EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT PROGRAM
EBB enrollment will open on May 12, 2021
— WASHINGTON, April 29, 2021—Today, FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the start date of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. As of May 12, 2021, eligible households will be able to enroll in the Program to receive a monthly discount off the cost of broadband service from an approved provider. Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting https://getemergencybroadband.org.
“Families in every corner of the country have been struggling to get online throughout this pandemic. For those families, we now say help is around the corner. In less than two weeks, we will have a new way to for disconnected Americans to access the internet to carry out their day to-day life, so they can reach the virtual classroom, take advantage of telehealth, and seek new employment opportunities. I’m proud of the work we’ve done as an agency to get this program off the ground in record time,” said Rosenworcel.
Between now and the start date, the FCC encourages partners and participating providers to conduct outreach efforts so that every eligible household knows about the program and how to sign up. The Commission will be providing a variety of materials for partners to use in their efforts to increase awareness about the program. During this time, the FCC and its program administrator, USAC, will continue to ensure that appropriate privacy and security safeguards are in place. The FCC also urges providers to continue to test their own systems for the program launch.
The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program will provide eligible households with discounts of up to $50 a month for broadband service, and up to $75 a month if the household is on Tribal lands. It also will provide a one-time discount of up to $100 on a computer or tablet for eligible households.
Under the law, the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is open to households that participate in an existing low-income or pandemic relief program offered by a broadband provider; Lifeline subscribers, including those that are on Medicaid or accept SNAP benefits; households with kids receiving free and reduced-price lunch or school breakfast; Pell grant recipients; and those who have lost jobs and seen their income reduced in the last year.
For more information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, please visit: https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit
by Becky Andrus | May 11, 2021 | Recreation
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Throughout May, Oakland County Parks and Recreation is offering in-person hiring fairs for summer jobs.
Interested individuals are invited to visit the park they are interested in, talk with hiring supervisors, learn about job opportunities, apply and interview on the spot. This week’s hiring fairs will be held as follows:
- May 11, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Orion Oaks Dog Park pavilion, 1200 Joslyn Road, Lake Orion. Looking for parks workers
- May 13, 3.-7 p.m., Lookout Lodge, Waterford Oaks County Park, 1702 Scott Lake Road, Waterford. Looking for recreation program leaders
- May 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lookout Lodge, Waterford Oaks County Park. Looking for recreation program leaders
- May 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Lookout Lodge, Waterford Oaks County Park. Looking for recreation program leaders
Salaries start at $11.31/hr. Shifts include weekends, evenings and holidays. Flexible schedules are available and training is offered.
Detailed hiring information is available online at OaklandCountyParks.com. COVID protocols will be followed during the events, including sign-in sheets with temperature and symptom tracking, masks and social distancing.
Applicants must be at least 16 years old. To view job descriptions, salary ranges and application requirements and qualifications, visit OakGov.com/jobs.
Oakland County Parks and Recreation follows Centers for Disease Control and Oakland County Health Division protocols to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These measures are being taken for the safety of staff and guests.
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Oakland County Parks and Recreation
The Oakland County Parks are your recreation destination. OCPR operates 14 parks that provide healthy outdoor adventures, soothing natural surroundings and unlimited options for good times with family and friends. With nearly 7,000 acres and more than 80 miles of trails to explore, you can discover adventure in your own backyard.
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by Becky Andrus | May 11, 2021 | Health and Wellness
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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 11, 2021
CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, [email protected]
Governor Whitmer proclaims May as Women’s Health Month
LANSING, Mich. – Healthy women are the cornerstone of healthy societies, and improving the health of Michigan women and girls has the potential to drive health improvements for all communities across the state. To help reaffirm the state’s commitment to improving the health of all Michigan women, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is joining with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health in proclaiming May as Women’s Health Month.
Additionally, May 9-15 will be designated as “Women’s Health Week.”
“The health of every woman in Michigan is crucial to the overall well-being of our state,” said Governor Whitmer. “By designating May as Women’s Health Month, we recognize the urgency of using state investments to drive equality and expand access to healthcare by removing as many barriers as possible. We can achieve better outcomes for women and families through programs like Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies – an initiative designed to prevent maternal deaths and addresses racial disparities and inequities. This Women’s Health Month, I want to recommit the state of Michigan to improving the health and well-being of every woman in our state.”
Despite advances in medical science and technology and statewide efforts to combat maternal deaths, women are still dying from pregnancy-related causes. About 44% of maternal deaths in Michigan are preventable, and Black women are more than two times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. The Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies plan provides actionable policy change, creates partnerships with providers and universities, expands access to home visiting programs and aids in family planning access and education.
“Women play such an important role in keeping families healthy,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “Women are often the ones who take their family members to the doctor, sometimes delaying care for themselves because they are taking care of others. That is why it is so important to elevate the importance of women’s health and give women the resources to get and stay healthy.”
For more information on women’s health, visit the CDC website. |
by Becky Andrus | May 11, 2021 | Recreation
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– DNR News –
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May 11, 2021
Contact: Randy Claramunt, 231-622-3820 or Jay Wesley, 616-490-5090
Turning in tagged fish could be rewarding
 Next time you catch a trout or salmon, remember to check for a clip on the adipose fin – that small, fleshy fin behind the dorsal fin. It could be worth $100.
Through mass marking assistance by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Great Lakes states, including Michigan, mark popular game fish like steelhead, Chinook salmon, Atlantic salmon, brown trout and lake trout.
Most trout and salmon with an adipose fin clip also have a coded-wire tag in their snout. The tag is small, like the tip of a lead pencil, so it must be removed by lab technicians. Anyone catching and wanting to keep an adipose fin clipped fish should turn the head into a local drop-off station in Michigan.
Randy Claramunt, Lake Huron Basin coordinator with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said the DNR relies on the help of anglers to supplement the marked and tagged fish program.
“We have creel clerks at some ports, but there are several areas that we don’t have staff, including on river systems with unique fisheries, such as Atlantic salmon or steelhead,” he said. “To get enough tag returns to learn about these species, we need the help of our anglers to voluntarily turn in heads.”
The Great Lakes Salmon Initiative recognized the need for community science and teamed up with Captain Chuck’s II in Ludington, Moonshine Lures, Jay’s Sporting Goods, Blood Run Tackle and Collins Design and Build to sponsor 33 rewards worth $100 each. Fish with tags submitted before Nov. 1, 2021, will be eligible for the rewards, which will be selected randomly from all entries received by that date.
Additional details about the reward program:
- Each head with a tag that is turned in equals one drawing entry.
- Tagged fish must be submitted by Nov. 1, 2021.
- Eligible tagged fish include steelhead, brown trout and Chinook or Atlantic salmon.
- Your contact information (name, address, phone number) and catch data (date, location, body of water) must be included with each head.
- The drawing will occur around February 2022.
- The head must be left at a Michigan drop-off location.
According to Jay Wesley, Lake Michigan Basin coordinator, fish tag returns help biologists understand survival, age and movements of important sport fish.
“We are particularly interested in confirming the wild contribution of Chinook salmon to the fishery, movement and wild contribution of steelhead in lakes and rivers, and survival and movement of Atlantic salmon,” Wesley said. “This reward program will help incentivize anglers to become community scientists and help us collect valuable data.”
For more information on how to recognize a tagged fish and how to fill out the proper information, visit Michigan.gov/TaggedFish. |
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 Stay informed, stay safe: Mask up Michigan, DNR COVID-19 response |
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