by orionontv | Sep 5, 2023 | Environmental
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 5, 2023
EGLE Media Office, [email protected], 517-284-9278
Sara Pearson, Supervisor, Source Water Unit, [email protected], 517-420-3219
Free well water testing now available for Michigan residents
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is excited to announce a special program to help Michigan families know the quality of their well water. EGLE and local health departments (LHD) are working together to ensure that safe drinking water is a priority for Michigan families.
Last year, the Michigan Legislature appropriated $5 million to provide free well water testing for Michigan residents who rely on a household or private well for their drinking water. Water from private wells may sometimes not be safe to drink. EGLE and the LHDs want to help families know if their water is safe to drink, and this free well water testing will help get them that answer.
Most wells get checked when they are first built; however, EGLE and the LHDs know that water wells should be checked more frequently as water quality may change over time. This testing can determine if there have been any water quality changes to your well that could be harmful to those who drink and use that well water.
Many different substances may be found in well water that could be harmful and may cause illness, including bacteria; nitrates; and some metals, such as arsenic. Residents who test through this free program will have the assistance of the LHD to help determine next steps if test results show a problem with their well water quality.
If you have a private well and you want to know if your water is safe to drink, here is what you can do:
- Talk to your LHD. They can tell you if there is anything special you need to know about the water in your area.
- Go to the EGLE website gov/EGLEPrivateWells. Here, you can add your information to ask for a water test. You will also learn more about how to collect a water sample to send to the laboratory.
- Don’t worry if you are not sure what the laboratory results mean – your LHD will help you understand the results and will guide you on next steps, if necessary.
This free testing program is your first step in knowing if the water you drink from your private well is safe, and steps to take if an issue is found.
To stay up to date on other EGLE news follow us at Michigan.gov/MIEnvironment. |
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by orionontv | Sep 5, 2023 | Environmental
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 5, 2023
EGLE Media Office, [email protected], 517-284-9278
Marisa Faraldo, Environmental Quality Analyst, [email protected], 517-243-9631
Do your part and be SepticSmart!
Governor Whitmer declares September 18-22 as SepticSmart Week
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed September 18-22, 2023, as SepticSmart Week. On Monday, Sept. 18, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – in conjunction with federal, state, and local governments, and private sector partners – will kick off its eleventh annual SepticSmart Week to encourage homeowners and communities to properly care for and maintain their septic systems.
More than 1.3 million homes and businesses in Michigan depend on septic systems to treat wastewater. If not maintained, failing septic systems can contaminate groundwater and harm the environment by releasing bacteria, viruses, and household chemicals and other pollutants to local waterways. Proper septic system maintenance protects public health, the environment, and saves the homeowner money through avoided costly repairs.
Simple tips for homeowners:
- Protect It and Inspect It: Homeowners should generally have their system inspected every three years by a qualified professional or according to their state or local health department’s recommendations. Regular septic system maintenance can save homeowners thousands of dollars in repairs and protect public health.
- Think at the Sink: What goes down the drain has a big impact on your septic system. Fats, grease, and solids can clog a system’s pipes and drainfield.
- Don’t Overload the Commode: A toilet is not a trash can. Disposable diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, coffee grounds, cigarette butts, and cat litter can damage a septic system.
- Don’t Strain Your Drain: Use water efficiently and stagger use of water-based appliances. Too much water use at once can overload a system that hasn’t been pumped recently. Fix plumbing leaks and install faucet aerators and water-efficient products.
- Shield Your Field: Tree and shrub roots, cars, and livestock can damage your septic drainfield.
- Pump Your Tank: Ensure your septic tank is pumped at regular intervals as recommended by a professional and/or local permitting authority.
- Keep It Clean!: Contamination can occur when a septic system leaks due to improper maintenance. Be sure your drinking water is safe to drink by testing it regularly.
The EPA’s SepticSmart Program educates homeowners about proper septic system care and maintenance all year long. In addition, it serves as an online resource for industry practitioners, local governments, and community organizations, providing access to tools to educate clients and residents.
Please join the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) in spreading the SepticSmart Week 2023 message that encourages homeowners and wastewater professionals to maintain septic systems to promote public health, water conservation, and economic wellbeing. Be part of the solution by visiting the EGLE SepticSmart Web site or the EPA SepticSmart Web site for an abundance of resources, videos, and information.
Webinar: Knowing Your Septic System – SepticSmart 2023
EGLE’s Onsite Wastewater Program is kicking off SepticSmart Week with a one-hour webinar, “Knowing Your Septic System – SepticSmart 2023,” on Sept. 18, which will be recorded. While this event is targeted to homeowners served by a septic system, all interested persons are welcome to attend.
Webinar attendees will learn about:
- the basics of septic systems;
- tools on how to locate a septic system, and
- use, operation, and maintenance tips.
This webinar will provide participants with access to educational materials and a boost in their ability to manage their septic system. Mark your calendar and register today!
To stay up to date on other EGLE news and events follow us at Michigan.gov/MIEnvironment. |
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by orionontv | Sep 5, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Monday August 4th at 5:20 PM
West Bloomfield: The Lakers went to the air on Thursday night in Beverly Hills against Groves in a stunning 41-19 domination of the Falcons. Requan Nance played very well especially in the first half when he connected for two touchdowns to Elijah Durham and Marquis Morris. He went nine of 14 for 214 yards and three touchdown passes. Kamryn Flowers had 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns and Josh Tate added a rushing score. West Bloomfield is rolling right now. They have Stoney Creek next week.
Lake Orion: The Dragons made a statement going into Wayne County and shutting down a very talented Harper Woods team winning 28-6 on their new gray turf field. Lake Orion had a ton of balance offensively. Tristian Hill had two touchdowns while Raymond Payne and Billy Roberson added a touchdown each. Lake Orion was very impressive defensively forcing two interceptions and multiple fourth down stops. The Dragons have Oxford looming next week.
Clarkston: The Wolves defense played very well against the high octane Southfield Arts and Tech offense despite falling 20-17 on Friday night. Desman Stephens got a touchdown and his 10th career interception in the game. The offense is getting better which is a good sign for Coach Justin Pintar. Clarkston will be fine. They have Adams looming next week.
Adams: The Highlanders had no problem with Rochester winning 35-0 on Friday night. Adams has beaten Rochester 27 straight times and hasn’t lost to them since 1996. The Highlanders have a big game looming with Clarkston next week.
Oxford: The Wildcats got a good win at home against Oak Park 37-0 on Friday night. Oxford got some balance scoring on the night. They have Lake Orion looming next week.
Stoney Creek: The Cougars went and made a statement by blowing out Bloomfield Hills 57-7 on Thursday night. Stoney Creek fell 34-21 to Harper Woods last week but the Cougars made sure that didn’t happen twice. Coach Nick Merlo’s team has a tough one looming with West Bloomfield next week.
Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors had to survive a tough Clarkston program winning 20-17 on Friday night. Southfield Arts and Tech’s defense has been clutch in key situations which is shocking considering they have a high octane offense. The Warriors have Harper Woods next week.
Harper Woods: It was a rough home opener for the Pioneers on Thursday night falling 28-6 to Lake Orion. Ramonty House had a punt return for a touchdown which was Harper Woods scoring for the night. The Dragons defense shut down the Pioneers high octane offense. Harper Woods needs to bounce back in a big way. They have Southfield Arts and Tech looming next week.
Groves: The Falcons had a rough time with West Bloomfield’s passing attack on Thursday night in a 41-19 stunner in Beverly Hills. Cayden Hardy did have some moments in the game which included seven yard passing touchdown to Noah Woods but the Groves defense had a really tough time as mentioned with Requan Nance and the high octane Lakers offense. They have Farmington looming next week.
Farmington: It was going to be a tough matchup for the Falcons against Muskegon Reeths Puffer on Thursday night but they fought despite falling 34-18 at home. Farmington is going to be fine, no panic for Coach Jason Albright and his program. The Falcons have Groves looming next week.
Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks had a rough one with Stoney Creek on Thursday night falling 57-7 to the Cougars. Bloomfield Hills has really struggled as of late which is very concerning for Coach Dan Loria. They have Rochester looming next week.
Rochester: The Falcons extended their losing streak to Adams to 27 games falling 35-0 to the Highlanders. Rochester has a big game looming with Bloomfield Hills next week.
Seaholm: The Maples had it rough on Thursday night in Hazel Park falling to Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit 28-10. The Cubs were motivated for the Maples which it was going to make things very tough for Seaholm. The Maples should be fine going forward. They have North Farmington looming next week.
North Farmington: It was going to be tough for the Raiders against Caledonia on their home field. North Farmington fell 42-7 to the Scotts on Friday night. The Raiders need to win out if they want to think postseason. They have Seaholm looming next week.
Oak Park: The Knights were very disappointing on Friday night in Oxford falling 37-0. Oak Park is in deep trouble right now. They’ve played two tough games but they have only scored 14 points which is a concern. The Knights have Troy Athens looming next week.
Troy: The Colts had no problem with Detroit Mumford winning 39-0 at home on Thursday night. They had balance offensively and have outscored their two opponents by a combined 60-0. Troy hasn’t been battle tested. They have another familiar opponent in Royal Oak looming next week.
Troy Athens: The Red Hawks bounced back after a really disappointing loss to Fraser by winning 35-0 at Hurley Field over Berkley. Troy Athens needed a bounce back game like this to get the bad taste out of their mouths. The Red Hawks have Oak Park looming next week.
Ferndale: The Eagles are struggling defensively in their first two games. They allowed 68 points in two weeks including a stunning 37-20 loss to Holly on Thursday night. Ferndale needs to fix their defense and quick if they want to make a late run. They have Pontiac looming next week.
Avondale: The Yellow Jackets time possession offense and their defense came up huge in Ortonville stunning Brandon 17-14 on Thursday night on Salute to Service night honoring Eric Overall and going 2-0 for the first time since 2018. The Avondale offense controlled the clock most of the game keeping the Blackhawks defense on the field all night and getting the winning field goal from Hunter Petras from 25 yards out with seven minutes to play. Myles Moore had 24 carries for 169 yards and a touchdown for the Yellow Jackets. This is a huge win for Coach Bob Meyer and his program. He has the Yellow Jackets heading in the right direction. Avondale has Berkley looming next week.
Berkley: The Bears had another rough week falling 35-0 to Troy Athens on their home field. Anytime you get outscored 77-0 in two weeks it’s not good. To make matters worse for Berkley they have Avondale looming next week. The Bears and Coach Sean Shields are going through some tough times right now.
Royal Oak: The Ravens needed a defensive stand to beat Taylor 7-6 on Thursday night. Royal Oak has found a formula for success with their defense. Besides the second half of the Holly game, the Ravens have only allowed 13 points. Coach Collin Campbell has to be pleased with his defense. The offense is getting there but a win over Taylor is a good start. They have a tough one looming with Troy next week.
Pontiac: The Phoenix earned their second win of the season on Thursday night in dramatic fashion on their home field winning in triple overtime 44-42 over Detroit Lincoln King Academy on their home field which is the first win on the new field. Kayne Donaldson was the story for Pontiac. He had another masterful performance. The defense needs some work allowing 64 points in two weeks. Bottom line is the Phoenix are 2-0. They have a tough one looming with Ferndale next week.
by orionontv | Sep 5, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Monday September 4th at 5:00 PM
AROUND THE OAA TOP TEN-Week Three
- West Bloomfield
- Southfield Arts and Tech
- Lake Orion
- Adams
- Avondale
- Harper Woods
- Oxford
- Pontiac
- Stoney Creek
- Clarkston
WEEK TWO RECAP.
SCORES
Muskegon Reeths Puffer 34, FARMINGTON 18.
PONTIAC 44, Detroit Lincoln King Academy 42 3 OT.
TROY ATHENS 35, BERKLEY 0.
ROYAL OAK 7, Taylor 6.
TROY 39, Detroit Mumford 0.
Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit 28, SEAHOLM 10.
AVONDALE 17, Brandon 14.
Holly 37, FERNDALE 20.
STONEY CREEK 57, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.
WEST BLOOMFIELD 41, GROVES 19.
LAKE ORION 28, HARPER WOODS 6.
SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 20, CLARKSTON 17.
OXFORD 37, OAK PARK 0.
ADAMS 35, ROCHESTER 0.
Caledonia 42, NORTH FARMINGTON 7.
BEST WIN: Avondale: The Yellow Jackets defense and time possession offense came to play in Ortonville on Thursday night in a stunning 17-14 win over Brandon. Avondale is 2-0 for the first time since 2018 which is a huge deal. The Yellow Jackets have Berkley looming next week.
TOUGH LOSS: Farmington: The Falcons fought tough with Muskegon Reeths Puffer falling 34-18 on Thursday night. Farmington battled and competed that’s all you can ask with them. The Falcons have a tough one looming with Groves next week.
TEAM THAT NEEDS A HUG: Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks need a hug after getting blown out 57-7 by Stoney Creek on Thursday night. The Cougars were mad after falling 34-21 to Harper Woods the week prior. Bloomfield Hills has a big game looming with Rochester next week.
VALENTI RANT: Ferndale: The Eagles had a ton of high expectations coming into the season with a new coaching staff and new system but the defense has shown me some concerns allowing 68 points in two weeks which is not good. The offense is not the issue for Coach Eric Royal’s program, the defense is, they need to get it fixed quick especially with a red hot Pontiac looming next week.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME: Berkley: For the second straight week, the Bears were shut out but this time by Troy Athens 35-0. Berkley has been shut out 77-0 in the last two weeks, that’s not good. The Bears could be in some serious trouble going forward especially with Avondale looming next week.
by orionontv | Sep 5, 2023 | Regional News
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 5, 2023 |
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AG Nessel Urges Congress to Study Artificial Intelligence and Its Harmful Effects on Children
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LANSING – As part of a bipartisan 54-state and territory coalition, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a letter urging Congress to study how artificial intelligence (AI) can and is being used to exploit children through child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and to propose legislation to protect children from those abuses.
“Artificial Intelligence poses a serious threat to our children, and abusers are already taking advantage,” Nessel said. “Our laws and regulations must catch up to the technology being used by those who prey on our children. I stand with my colleagues in asking Congress to prioritize examining the dangers posed by AI-generated child sexual abuse material.”
The dangers of AI as it relates to CSAM consist of three main categories: a real child who has not been physically abused, but whose likeness is being digitally altered in a depiction of abuse; a real child who has been physically abused and whose likeness is being digitally recreated in other depictions of abuse; and a child who does not exist, but is being digitally created in a depiction of abuse that feeds the market for CSAM.
The letter states that AI can, “rapidly and easily create ‘deepfakes’ by studying real photographs of abused children to generate new images showing those children in sexual positions. This involves overlaying the face of one person on the body of another. Deepfakes can also be generated by overlaying photographs of otherwise unvictimized children on the internet with photographs of abused children to create new CSAM involving the previously unharmed children.”
Attorney General Nessel and the rest of the coalition ask Congress to form a commission specifically to study how AI can be used to exploit children and to “act to deter and address child exploitation, such as by expanding existing restrictions on CSAM to explicitly cover AI-generated CSAM.”
The letter continues, “We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI. Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act.”
Besides Michigan, the letter, which was co-led by South Carolina, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Oregon in a bipartisan effort, was joined by Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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LANSING – As part of a bipartisan 54-state and territory coalition, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a letter urging Congress to study how artificial intelligence (AI) can and is being used to exploit children through child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and to propose legislation to protect children from those abuses.
“Artificial Intelligence poses a serious threat to our children, and abusers are already taking advantage,” Nessel said. “Our laws and regulations must catch up to the technology being used by those who prey on our children. I stand with my colleagues in asking Congress to prioritize examining the dangers posed by AI-generated child sexual abuse material.”
The dangers of AI as it relates to CSAM consist of three main categories: a real child who has not been physically abused, but whose likeness is being digitally altered in a depiction of abuse; a real child who has been physically abused and whose likeness is being digitally recreated in other depictions of abuse; and a child who does not exist, but is being digitally created in a depiction of abuse that feeds the market for CSAM.
The letter states that AI can, “rapidly and easily create ‘deepfakes’ by studying real photographs of abused children to generate new images showing those children in sexual positions. This involves overlaying the face of one person on the body of another. Deepfakes can also be generated by overlaying photographs of otherwise unvictimized children on the internet with photographs of abused children to create new CSAM involving the previously unharmed children.”
Attorney General Nessel and the rest of the coalition ask Congress to form a commission specifically to study how AI can be used to exploit children and to “act to deter and address child exploitation, such as by expanding existing restrictions on CSAM to explicitly cover AI-generated CSAM.”
The letter continues, “We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI. Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act.”
Besides Michigan, the letter, which was co-led by South Carolina, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Oregon in a bipartisan effort, was joined by Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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