MDHHS renews call for Michiganders to get vaccinated

MDHHS renews call for Michiganders to get vaccinated

by | Feb 3, 2022 | Health and Wellness

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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 3, 2022

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, SutfinL1@michigan.gov

MDHHS renews call for Michiganders to get vaccinated, boosted
following Moderna COVID-19 vaccine approval by FDA

LANSING, Mich. – Following FDA approval earlier this week of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for those ages 18 and up, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is renewing its call to Michiganders to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

“We now have two fully FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines that have saved millions of lives throughout the pandemic,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “For Michiganders who have been waiting for this approval, now is the time to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine and join the nearly 6.5 million Michigan residents who have already received their first dose. The vaccine remains our best defense against the virus as we continue to face omicron and any future variants.”

MDHHS is urging Michiganders to complete the primary series of COVID-19 vaccination and then get a booster dose once they are eligible to ensure they are up to date with their protection against the virus. More information is available at Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine.

The Moderna vaccine, now known as Spikevax, was the second COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in December 2020 and has shown to be better than 93% effective against the virus that causes COVID-19 and 98% effective in preventing severe disease.

To date, more than 5.3 million primary and booster doses of the Moderna vaccine have been administered in Michigan and more than 65% of Michiganders ages 5 and older have gotten at least their first dose of one of the safe, effective vaccines. From Jan. 15, 2021, to Jan. 14, 2022, unvaccinated Michiganders accounted for 77.6% of COVID cases, 85% of hospitalizations and 83% of deaths.

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine.

To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine near you, visit Vaccines.gov.

For more information about COVID-19 in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/coronavirus.
More Than 91,000 Students on Tuition-Free Pathway

More Than 91,000 Students on Tuition-Free Pathway

by | Feb 2, 2022 | Regional News

Header 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 2, 2022

Contact: [email protected]

 

Governor Whitmer Announces More Than 91,000 Students on Tuition-Free Pathway at One-Year Anniversary of Michigan Reconnect

 

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer today marked the one-year anniversary of Michigan Reconnect by announcing that 91,000 Michiganders are on a tuition-free pathway to attain degrees and skills for new opportunities that lead to rewarding careers and bigger paychecks under the Michigan Reconnect program. Michigan Reconnect is one of the tools the state is using to achieve Governor Whitmer’s Sixty by 30 goal, which aims to increase the percentage of adults in the state with a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030.

 

“I want to congratulate all of the hardworking Michiganders who took the first step toward a brighter future, all while balancing so many other responsibilities,” said Governor Whitmer. “Whether it’s a registered apprenticeship, an industry-recognized certification, a technical certificate, an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree or beyond, higher education or skills training opens so many doors. We have an ambitious but attainable goal to reach 60% of working-age adults with a postsecondary credential by 2030. Programs like Reconnect help us put Michiganders first and continue growing our economy.”

 

Michigan Reconnect is the largest effort in state history to ensure that Michiganders who are 25 or older and do not have a college degree will have an opportunity to earn an associate degree or skills certificate with free or deeply discounted tuition. Since the program’s launch in February 2021, more than 91,000 state residents have been accepted into the program with over 12,000 scholarship participants currently enrolled in a degree or skills certificate program.

 

Governor Whitmer and legislative leaders announced a budget agreement last September to fully fund Michigan Reconnect in FY 2021-2022.

 

“The bipartisan work of the governor and lawmakers will make it easier for working adults to achieve their educational, career and life goals.” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “The governor and I will continue to work with our partners to boost educational attainment beyond high school, and I encourage anyone looking to advance their education and skills needed to pursue and land a good-paying job in a rewarding career to apply for Michigan Reconnect today.

 

Since the announcement of the Sixty by 30 goal in 2019, the percentage of working-age adults with a certificate, associate degree or higher has increased from 45% to 49%.

 

“More Michigan families are within reach of a college degree or skills certificate thanks to efforts like Michigan Reconnect,” Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Susan Corbin said. “We are creating new paths for fulfilling careers for our workers and opportunities for our Michigan businesses to fill critical talent needs so they can continue to compete, grow and innovate.”

 

Michigan Reconnect pays the cost of in-district tuition for eligible adults who want to pursue an associate degree or skills certificate at any of Michigan’s public community colleges, including its three tribal colleges.

 

The program also included skills scholarships to help cover the cost of tuition through more than 70 private training schools with 120 programs that offer certificates in high-demand careers in industries such as manufacturing, construction, information technology, health care or business management. Nearly 850 students took advantage of this limited opportunity and enrollment for this portion of the scholarship has closed.

 

The state’s network of Michigan Reconnect Navigators are actively working with nearly 15,000 Michigan Reconnect applicants to guide them on their path to a college degree or skills certificate, including applying for federal student aid, setting career goals, selecting a program of study, registering for classes and creating a graduation plan.

 

“Michigan’s community colleges work tirelessly every day to change lives of students and make the communities they serve better places to live, learn, and work,” Michigan Community College Association President Brandy Johnson said. “Our member institutions are honored to partner in the state’s Sixty by 30 initiative because there’s nothing more important than equipping people with the training and credentials that they need to achieve prosperity.”

 

More information is available at Michigan.gov/Reconnect.
MiCorps volunteer stream cleanup

MiCorps volunteer stream cleanup

by | Feb 2, 2022 | Environmental
EGLE Main GovD banner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 2, 2022
EGLE Media Office, [email protected], 517-284-9278
Tamara Lipsey, Aquatic Biologist, [email protected], 517-342-4372

MiCorps volunteer stream cleanup
and monitoring grants available

The Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), a network of volunteer monitoring programs that collect and share surface water quality data throughout the state, is accepting 2022 funding proposals for two grant programs.

Volunteer Stream Cleanup Program:  A total of $25,000 (ranging from $500 to $5,000) is available for grants to support local units of government in efforts to clean up garbage from Michigan’s rivers, streams and creeks. This program is funded by fees from the sale of Michigan’s specialty water quality protection license plates, available from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program:  A total of $75,000 is available across three grant types for volunteer benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring and habitat assessment in wadeable streams and rivers. Local units of government and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. These grant types include:

  • Startup Grants: These grants are for organizations that seek to learn the MiCorps monitoring protocols and set themselves up to submit successful Implementation grant proposals in future years. There is a maximum amount of $5,000 per grant award for one-year projects under this funding area.
  • Implementation Grants: These funds support volunteer training and macroinvertebrate data collection for the purpose of assessing water quality that helps state and local efforts to protect and manage water resources. Grants may be used to fund a monitoring coordinator and/or to buy water quality monitoring supplies. There is a maximum amount of $20,000 per grant award for two-year projects under this funding area.
  • Maintenance Grants: These one-year grants are for groups that are already monitoring with MiCorps procedures. Funds can pay for staff time, equipment, and travel to MiCorps trainings and conferences and are a maximum of $2,000.

The request for proposals for each of the grant opportunities can be found at the MiCorps Stream Monitoring and Cleanup Grants page. With the exception of the startup grants, the grants require a 25 percent local match commitment.

Grant applications are due by 5 p.m. March 7, 2022. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. Questions about the grant application process should be directed to Dr. Paul Steen, Huron River Watershed Council, at 734-769-5123 or [email protected]; or Tamara Lipsey, Lake Michigan Unit, Surface Water Assessment Section, Water Resources Division, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, at 517-342-4372 or [email protected].

The MiCorps program was established in 2004 to assist EGLE in collecting water quality data for use in water resources management and protection programs.
Big snowfall is coming; how MDOT prepares

Big snowfall is coming; how MDOT prepares

by | Feb 1, 2022 | Transportation

Big snowfall is coming; how MDOT prepares   

This week, as meteorologists forecast a major winter storm for much of lower Michigan, the head of statewide maintenance and operations for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) talks about all the crews are doing to prepare.

Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/9993806-big-snowfall-is-coming-how-mdot-prepares

TMT - Snowmageddon

Mark Geib, who is moving on to private industry after a rich 31-year career at MDOT, talks about the evolution of road maintenance work, innovations and all he’s witnessed.

He also shares an outline for what snowplow drivers and other employees are doing across the state to prepare for the storm. This includes preparation of equipment for MDOT’s fleet and for the 63 county agencies that plow state trunklines under contract. He explains why that hybrid model is unique to Michigan but saves taxpayers money because of economies of scale.

He also talks about how MDOT’s plow-naming initiative has put a spotlight on the Mi Drive site and allowed people to track the plows.

Geib’s outline for preparation for winter storms:

Prior to a storm/winter event:

  • Snowplow trucks are refueled and checked over mechanically
  • Employees are informed and briefed of the coming event in preparation
  • Communication happens between adjacent maintenance facilities as needed to coordinate, including MDOT’s county road association partners

As the storm/winter event approaches:

  • Maintenance employees are called in/report to work
  • Road patrols drive the roads, monitoring conditions
  • The storm is monitored via weather outlets and the MDOT Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS)
  • MDOT maintains two work shifts to cover all 24 hours

Geib also discusses innovations to limit the use of salt on the roads, including successful measures that save on the cost of salt and help protect the environment by limiting what makes its way into tributaries.

This includes another explanation of how salt loses effectiveness in extremely cold temperatures.

Podcast photo: MDOT crews clearing snow from a state trunkline. 

DNR News Digest – Week of Jan. 31, 2022

by | Feb 1, 2022 | Recreation

Michigan DNR banner

News Digest – Week of Jan. 31, 2022

a tan, silvery Canada lynx with tufted ears and pale green eyes, looking back across its body, with snow-covered trees in background

A Canada lynx, an animal rarely seen in Michigan, stunning against the snow.
This week’s stories may reflect how the Department of Natural Resources has adapted to meet customer needs and protect public health and safety. Follow our COVID-19 response page for updates on access to facilities and programs.

We’ll continue to share news and information about the best ways to discover and enjoy Michigan’s natural and heritage resources! Here’s a look at some of this week’s stories:

See other news releases, Showcasing the DNR stories, photos and other resources at Michigan.gov/DNRPressRoom.

PHOTO FOLDER: Larger, higher-res versions of the images used below, and others, are available in this folder.

Photo ambassador snapshot: Spring dreaming at Fayette

the view looking out from a covered stone archway, onto a large harbor, with a backdrop of tall, yellowed limestone cliffs overgrown with brushWant to see more pictures like this, taken by Michigan state parks photo ambassador Paula Liimatta at Fayette Historic State Park in Delta County? Visit Instagram.com/MiStateParks to explore photos and learn more about the photo ambassadors! For more on the photo ambassador program, call Stephanie Yancer at 989-274-6182.

Get ready for another great year of the Wildtalk podcast

Wildtalk Podcast graphicLooking for a new podcast to get you through the winter months? Check out the DNR’s Wildtalk podcast, released on the first of each month with topics covering all things habitat, feathers and fur.

Each episode, Wildtalk hosts Rachel Leightner and Hannah Schauer interview guest experts, cover wildlife habitat work going on throughout the state, highlight a Michigan wildlife species and answer listener questions.

“It’s hard to believe we’re in our fifth year of the podcast,” said Schauer. “We are excited to welcome new listeners who are interested in learning more about Michigan’s amazing wildlife and natural resources and the work we do.”

Catch up on past episodes or listen to the newest at Michigan.gov/DNRWildtalk or on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

Questions? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453.

Join our wildlife team! Hiring now for summer positions

Two Wildlife Division employees help band a duck.If you or someone you know is seeking valuable experience working in wildlife conservation – or just an interesting job that gets you outdoors – apply now for one of 60 summer positions with the DNR Wildlife Division.

The division regularly hires staff to work at DNR field offices, customer service centers and state game areas. Seasonal staff helps in several areas, such as:

  • Assisting with wildlife habitat maintenance and improvement, which may include farming, planting trees, cutting clearings and using water control structures to adjust water levels in wetland areas.
  • Mowing, landscaping and facility maintenance duties.
  • Handling tasks related to wildlife surveys, wildlife sample collection, crop damage inspections, nuisance animal control, and equipment operation and maintenance.

“These positions are perfect for college students, entry-level wildlife professionals, those looking to reenter the workforce and seniors or retirees who want to be involved in the outdoors,” said Jennifer Schafer, human resources liaison with the Wildlife Division.

Learn more about our seasonal positions in the Wildlife Division – and other openings throughout the department – at Michigan.gov/DNRJobs; scroll to the seasonal and temporary positions section.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Schafer at 517-648-8290.

Support nongame wildlife with Kirtland’s warbler license plate

Kirtland's Warbler license plateMichigan’s wildlife habitat license plate now features the Kirtland’s warbler to celebrate this unique bird’s recovery.

In 2019, the Kirtland’s warbler was removed from the endangered species list. Ongoing efforts by the DNR and a multitude of partners have ensured nesting habitat is available, and will continue to be, for this songbird that nests only in young jack pine stands in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario.

All proceeds from the sale of the wildlife habitat license plate support the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund, and will benefit nongame species like the Kirtland’s warbler.

You can buy the wildlife habitat license plate through the Secretary of State for $35, with $25 of that fee going to the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund. Since 2006, the fund has received more than $3.9 million from the purchase of wildlife habitat license plates.

Questions? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453.

THINGS TO DO

Winter stargazing? Ice fishing? Fat-tire biking? Yes, please! With snow in this week’s forecast throughout much of Michigan, check out winter recreation activities to make the most of it.

BUY & APPLY

If your cold-weather plans include time on your sled, make sure you’ve got a snowmobile trail permit and are up to speed on safety tips, trail etiquette, closures and other key information.

GET INVOLVED

Great outdoor experiences start with safety. If you’re an avid hunter, angler, boater or off-roader and want to share your expertise, consider signing up as a volunteer recreational safety instructor!