Whitmer on Growing Economy, Low Unemployment 

Whitmer on Growing Economy, Low Unemployment 

by | Apr 13, 2022 | Regional News

Gov. Whitmer Press Release Header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

April 13, 2022

Contact: Press@michigan.gov

 

Gov. Whitmer on Growing Economy, Low Unemployment

15,000 jobs added, 11 straight months of growth, 4.4% unemployment rate matches Feb. 2018

 

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued the following statement after the release of Michigan’s latest economic numbers showing 11 straight months of job growth, and a low unemployment rate of 4.4%.

 

“We’re getting things done in Michigan. Our hardworking people, innovative small businesses, and resilient communities continue to thrive as we stay focused on growing our economy. For 11 straight months, our economy has added jobs, and in March 2022, unemployment hit a pandemic-low of 4.4%. The last time Michigan had a 4.4% unemployment rate was in 2018.

 

“Our strong jobs numbers prove that Michiganders are getting back to work at a rapid clip, and we will continue working together to lower costs, pass a balanced, bipartisan budget, and make investments in the kitchen-table issues that matter most to families, communities, and small businesses.

 

“We will keep working to lower costs for families, especially in light of rising prices due to the invasion of Ukraine and ongoing supply chain challenges caused by the effects of the pandemic. I announced the More for MI Money Plan to repeal the retirement tax to save half a million Michiganders $1,000 a year and triple the tax credit for working families to put a combined $3,000 in the pockets of 730,000 families. Additionally, $400 auto insurance refund checks are per vehicle are going out the door to every insured Michigan driver putting money in their pockets.

 

“Our future is bright, and I will continue working with anyone to get things done on the kitchen-table issues that matter most to families. Let’s stay focused on growing our economy, creating good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for families.”

 

Economy

The numbers are clear: Michigan’s economy is on the rise. According to Bloomberg, the state experienced its best economic recovery in history over the last two years. Michigan is #1 nationwide based on equally-weighted measures of employment, personal income, home prices, and stock market performance of publicly-traded companies. The state is also in the midst of a manufacturing boom, having added 20,000 auto jobs and counting since Governor Whitmer took office and many other high-skill, in-demand jobs in fields ranging from semiconductor chips to software to agriculture. Michigan is a standout for investors with bonds returning better rates than ever.

 

Building Michigan Together Plan

A few weeks ago, Governor Whitmer signed the Building Michigan Together Plan, which includes some of the largest infrastructure investments in our state’s history. The bipartisan plan will keep build roads, bridges, and dams, replace 20,000 lead service lines, shore up pumping stations to mitigate flooding, protect access to drinking water, expand high-speed internet, and improve state and local parks.

 

Since Governor Whitmer took office, the State of Michigan has invested nearly $4.75 billion to repair, replace, or rehabilitate over 13,000 lane miles of road and over 900 bridges. In addition the Building Michigan Together Plan, the Governor’s $3.5 billion Rebuilding Michigan plan is moving dirt to fix roads with the right mix and materials, supporting 45,000 jobs, and ensuring workers can get to work and parents can drop their kids off at school safely.

 

Cutting Taxes

In November, Governor Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation repealing the tampon tax. In December, the governor signed a bipartisan tax cut for small businesses, allowing small businesses owners to exempt more of their personal property. In the governor’s 2022 State of the State Address, Governor Whitmer proposed tax cuts for seniors and working families. She proposed a roll back of the retirement tax which would put an average of $1,000 back in the pockets of half a million seniors who worked hard and played by the rules. She also proposed tripling the Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit, which would deliver a combined $3,000 tax refund in the pockets of 730,000 working families. These tax cuts will put thousands of dollars back in the pockets of over 1.2 million households across Michigan, ensuring they are not as heavily impacted by price increases.

 

Economic Development

In December, Governor Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation empowering Michigan’s economic development with a fund to give the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, or MEDC, a new set of powerful tools to land some of the huge projects in their pipeline that would lead to billions in investment and tens of thousands of jobs. The legislation led to GM’s announcement of a $7 billion investment in Michigan building electric vehicles and batteries. It also set up a fund for small business relief, building on work the state has done since March 2020 to set up 23 economic relief programs and deliver over $240 million to small businesses in all 83 Michigan counties.

 

Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs

In her 2022 State of the State address, Governor Whitmer spoke about Attorney General Dana Nessel’s ongoing investigation into one of the three largest drug companies that manufactures nearly all the insulin in the United States. The Attorney General is seeking to use the Michigan Consumer Protection Act to investigate the role drug companies play in raising prices. Lowering the cost of insulin will save lives and help Michiganders pay the bills, put food on the table, or save for the future. Governor Whitmer will work with anyone to hold drug companies accountable, lower the cost of insulin, and save lives.

 

The Governor also signed a bipartisan bill in February requiring pharmacy benefit managers to file transparency reports, ensuring Michiganders have access to the information about the backend cost and profit of the medication they are being prescribed. It promotes oversight by requiring Pharmacy Benefit Managers to acquire a license from the State of Michigan.

 
Pruning oaks now could invite disease 

Pruning oaks now could invite disease 

by | Apr 13, 2022 | Recreation

Michigan DNR banner

– DNR News –
April 13, 2022
Contact: Cheryl Nelson, 231-287-1714; or Simeon Wright,  906-203-9466

Don’t touch that saw! Pruning oaks now could invite disease

Oak leaves in orange and brown against a blue sky reflect a possible infection with oak wilt. We know it’s tempting to get outside and prune everything in the yard when spring arrives. But if you have an oak tree, please wait. You could save the tree’s life.

From April 15 to July 15, oak trees are at high risk for oak wilt infection, a serious fungal disease that can weaken white oaks and kill red oak trees within a few weeks. During this time of year, flying beetles can carry spores of the fungus from tree to tree. The fungus enters the tree through wounds that are often a result of pruning or storm damage.

“The guidelines against pruning oak trees during this time are designed to help prevent the spread of this tree-killing disease to new areas,” said James Wieferich, forest health specialist in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Forest Resources Division. “Once oak wilt gets started, it is expensive to successfully manage and will kill all nearby red oaks over time, if untreated.”

If you have an oak tree that gets damaged during the high-risk period from April 15 to July 15, immediately cover all wounds with tree-wound paint or latex-based paint. Painting tree wounds is not recommended for other trees species as it can reduce the effectiveness of the healing process.

Oak wilt, discovered in the 1940s, now is fairly widespread

A nitadulid beetle sits on a bark-free portion of an oak tree infected with oak wilt. Oak wilt was first identified in the 1940s and is now widespread across Michigan. Red oaks are most susceptible to the disease. These trees have leaves with pointed tips and include black oak, northern red oak and northern pin oak. Trees in the white oak group have rounded leaf edges and include white oak, swamp white oak and bur oak.

Symptoms most often appear from late June until September. Affected trees will suddenly begin to wilt from the top down, rapidly dropping leaves, which can be green, brown or a combination of both colors.

Once a tree is infected, the fungus also can move to neighboring red oaks through root grafts. Oaks within about 100 feet of each other could have connected, or grafted, root systems. Left untreated, oak wilt will continue to move from tree to tree, killing more red oak over an increasingly larger area. As more trees die from oak wilt, more fungal spores are produced, which allows the beetle to carry infection to new locations.

Firewood cut from infected trees can harbor the fungus, so don’t move firewood from one place in the state to another. If you suspect your firewood is infected by oak wilt, you can help slow the spread by burning it, chipping it or debarking it before April. Once the firewood has been dried for longer than a year and/or all the bark loosens, the firewood can no longer spread oak wilt.

To minimize the risk of oak wilt infection caused by logging damage, the DNR restricts cutting of red oak trees on state land between April 15 and July 15. The DNR recommends private forest landowners exercise caution during this period and, whenever possible, delay harvesting activity in oak forests until after July 15.

Resources if you suspect a tree has oak wilt

Report infections using this interactive map.

Contact a local DNR forest health specialist for more information at DNR-FRD-Forest-Health@michigan.gov.

Michigan State University’s Diagnostic Clinic also can verify oak wilt infection. Find instructions online or call 517-355-4536.

Get help from an oak-wilt qualified specialist. Visit MichiganOakWilt.org for more information.

Learn more about invasive species in the state at Michigan.gov/Invasives.
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White retires at Groves

White retires at Groves

by | Apr 13, 2022 | Uncategorized

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

White retires at Groves.

Written Wednesday April 13th at 11:30 AM

Written by Sammy Taomina

The Falcons will have a new Boys Basketball coach next winter.

Groves coach Benny White announced his retirement from coaching boys basketball. The move was confirmed by the Falcons Twitter page.

“Thank you to Coach Benny White for four great years as our Boys Basketball Coach. We wish you well on your retirement” said the Groves Twitter page.

White is well known around the basketball world. He coached at Detroit Martin Luther King for 15 years and had a 201-89 record with the Crusaders. White was induced into the Detroit Public Schools League Hall of Fame in 2007 and was the regional coach of the year in 2010.

White coached for four years at Groves. He led the Falcons to a 42-34 record overall with the program. Groves went 13-8 this season falling to Birmingham Brother Rice in the district semifinals.

The Falcons lose a ton of experience in Nick Lurz, Ben Roman, Quinton Steele, Armat Sran, Paige Williams, Kalik Blount, and Aaron DuBose. They have Jack Abbot, Elijah Yelder, Max Kramer, Josh Gibson, Myles McClary, Brody Tushman, and Max Young coming back.

Program strength looks to be solid heading into next season for the new coach.

Thoughts

White did a very good job with the program. Groves improved each season under White. They won 13 games this season.

It will be very interesting to see what the Falcons do next season.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story.

Here is the Tweet confirming the move.

https://twitter.com/GrovesAthletics/status/1514233655169896448

DNR and MSU celebrate 20 years of lake sturgeon research

DNR and MSU celebrate 20 years of lake sturgeon research

by | Apr 13, 2022 | Recreation

Michigan DNR banner

– DNR News –
April 13, 2022
Contact: Ed Baker (DNR), 906-235-6114 or Kim Scribner (MSU) 517-927-0392, or Black River stream-side facility, 989-733-6176

DNR and MSU celebrate 20 years of lake sturgeon research and management

lake sturgeonFor the past 20 years, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State University have focused on lake sturgeon management, hatchery production, research and outreach at Cheboygan County’s Black Lake.

To celebrate this milestone, the DNR and MSU invite the public to attend an event celebrating lake sturgeon restoration efforts on May 7 at the Black River spawning site at 11 a.m. before continuing at the Black River streamside research and hatchery facility at 1 p.m.

The event will showcase the restoration work of this iconic species, recognize the important contributions of partners and raise public awareness of lake sturgeon. Attendees will have a chance to observe fisheries staff collect data from spawning lake sturgeon as well as go on a hatchery tour. Additional activities will recognize the contributions of agency, academic, industry and citizen partners who have made sustained sturgeon renewal efforts possible.

Rehabilitation of lake sturgeon in the Cheboygan River watershed is a cooperative effort involving the DNR, the Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow, Michigan State University, Tower-Kleber Limited Partnership, the Bay Mills Indian Community, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

For more information on lake sturgeon in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/Sturgeon and the Black River lake sturgeon website.

RSVPs are encouraged and can be sent to Douglas Larson or by calling the Black River stream-side facility at 989-733-6176. View maps and directions to the sites.
New common sense bill to lower drug costs

New common sense bill to lower drug costs

by | Apr 13, 2022 | Regional News

Image
Hi there,

The cost of prescription drugs is the issue I hear about most from folks in our district, so I want to talk to you about a new piece of legislation I introduced this week to bring down the price of your prescriptions: the Make Medicine Affordable Act.

The bill puts together some of the most common-sense ways to drive down costs at the pharmacy counter by:

  • Allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies and do what Costco does – buy in bulk to get a lower price;
  • Capping total costs for seniors at $2,000 per month;
  • Capping the cost of insulin, which 800,000 Michiganders depend on, at $35 per month; and
  • Disincentivizing drug companies from unfairly raising prices faster than the rate of inflation

I’ll be honest, the leadership of my party and the powerful committee chairs in Congress are not happy about this, but I don’t work for them. I work for the people of Michigan’s 8th District, and I know they need relief at the pharmacy counter fast. We need to forge ahead on prescription drug costs, and this slimmer package of common-sense solutions has the best chance of making it through the Senate.

I’ve long been an advocate for prescription drug reform to lower costs. In 2020, President Trump signed into law my Real Time Benefits Act, a bill that will improve transparency and help patients save money by letting  you compare prices for different drug brands and at different pharmacies before a prescription is written to pick up.

Passing smart prescription drug reform will have a huge impact on the daily lives of millions of people in Michigan, and it would help save them thousands of dollars each year.

– Rep. Elissa Slotkin