Michiganders to be on lookout for spotted lanternfly

Michiganders to be on lookout for spotted lanternfly

by | Jul 26, 2022 | Recreation

 

The following news release was issued yesterday by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

July 26, 2022
Program contact: Robert Miller, (517) 614-0454
Media contact: Jennifer Holton, 517-284-5724

MDARD asks Michiganders to be on the lookout for spotted lanternfly, an invasive species threatening agriculture, natural resources

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is asking for the public’s help by being on the lookout for spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect with the potential to seriously affect Michigan’s agriculture and natural resources. This insect feeds on more than 70 different plants including grapes, apples, hops and hardwood trees.

“Our agricultural and natural resources are part of Michigan’s identity, and spotted lanternfly has the potential to forever change that landscape,” said Robert Miller, MDARD’s invasive species prevention and response specialist within the Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. “With its ability to wreak havoc on grapes, apples, hops, stone fruits and more, this could be devastating to Michigan’s farmers and the state’s food and agriculture industry.”

Spotted lanternfly with wings folded showing grey wings with black spotsFirst detected in the United States in 2014 in southeastern Pennsylvania, spotted lanternfly has been spreading rapidly across the northeastern states. To date, infestations have been confirmed in Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Although live spotted lanternfly has not been detected in Michigan, MDARD and the United States Department of Agriculture have confirmed five cases of dead spotted lanternfly found in separate locations across the state. In these cases, the dead insects were found in packaging materials or objects shipped from states with known infestations.

Spotted lanternflies cannot fly long distances, but they lay eggs on nearly any surface like cars, trailers, firewood, outdoor furniture and more. Before leaving an infested area, MDARD is asking people to check vehicles, firewood and outdoor equipment for unwanted hitchhikers. Individuals and businesses receiving shipments from states known to have spotted lanternfly also should be on the lookout for adults or egg masses on goods and packing materials.

“With the current rate of spread, it is possible spotted lanternfly could reach Michigan at any time,” Miller added. “Public awareness and reporting are essential to early detection, which provides the opportunity to contain an infestation before it becomes a widespread problem.”

Two spotted lanternflies on a tree trunkSpotted lanternfly causes direct damage by sucking sap from host plants while secreting large amounts of a sugar-rich, sticky liquid called honeydew. This honeydew and the resulting black sooty mold can kill plants and foul surfaces. The honeydew often attracts other pests like yellow jackets, flies and ants, affecting outdoor recreation and complicating crop harvests.

From late summer to the first hard frost, spotted lanternflies are in their adult stage and easiest to identify. Adults are roughly one inch long. Their folded wings are gray to brown with black spots. Open wings reveal a yellow and black abdomen and bright red hind wings with black spots transitioning to black and white bands at the edge.
Spotted lanternfly egg massesFemale spotted lanternfly lay egg masses in the fall, which resemble old chewing gum, with a gray, waxy, putty-like coating. Egg masses can survive winter temperatures to hatch in the spring. Hatched eggs appear as brownish, seed-like deposits. Spotted lanternfly juveniles are wingless and are black with white spots, developing red patches in their final juvenile stage.

If you find a spotted lanternfly egg mass, juvenile or adult, take one or more photos, make note of the date, time and location of the sighting, and report it to MDARD via email at [email protected] or by calling 800-292-3939. If possible, collect a specimen in a container for verification.

Before traveling, check out the map of confirmed spotted lanternfly locations. For additional information on identifying or reporting, visit Michigan.gov/SpottedLanternfly.

Michigan’s Invasive Species Program is cooperatively implemented by the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and Natural Resources.

/Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Credits and suggested captions follow.

SLF folded wings: Spotted lanternflies are more likely to be seen with wings folded. Look for grey to brown wings with black spots, and black-striped wing tips. Photo courtesy of Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org.

SLF wings: Adult spotted lanterfly’s bright wing coloration is hidden when wings are closed. Photo courtesy of Robert Gardner, Bugwood.org.

SLF egg mass: Spotted lanternflies may lay egg masses on vehicles, outdoor furniture or other items that can be transported to new areas, leading to new infestations. Photo courtesy of Emilie Swackhammer, Penn State University, Bugwood.org./

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Whitmer Signs Executive Directive to Reduce Crime

Whitmer Signs Executive Directive to Reduce Crime

by | Jul 26, 2022 | Regional News

Governor Whitmer Header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 26, 2022

Contact: [email protected]

 

Gov. Whitmer Signs Executive Directive to Reduce Crime, Gun Violence 

Governor directs state government departments and law enforcement agencies to coordinate and invest all available federal resources into crime and gun violence intervention and prevention

 

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive instructing Michigan state departments and law enforcement agencies to utilize federal resources from the recently passed Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to reduce crime and gun violence. This action follows a roundtable discussion the governor held with members of the law enforcement community, parents, students, and faith leaders on how to stop violence and hold criminals accountable for committing violent crimes.

 

“As a former prosecutor, public safety is a top priority for me,” said Governor Whitmer. “But today, far too many families in Michigan do not feel safe in their neighborhoods because of crime and gun violence. That is unacceptable—we must stop the violence and hold people accountable. We need to tackle both crime and gun violence simultaneously because they are inextricably linked—nearly 1 in 3 reported violent crimes involve a firearm and in the first six months of this year alone, over 450 Michiganders have died because of gun violence. That’s why I worked to give law enforcement the resources they need in my bipartisan budget. And thanks to the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, we have access to unprecedented federal resources that will help us keep Michiganders safe as they go to work, drop their kids off at school, or run errands in their neighborhoods. Let’s work together to protect public safety and reduce crime and gun violence.”

 

The executive directive can be viewed here.

 

“The gun violence epidemic has been tearing apart thousands of Michiganders’ lives each year with nearly no government action taken to prevent such tragedies. Today, however, this changes,” said Zoey Rector-Brooks and Jayanti Gupta, youth leaders of March For Our Lives Michigan. “The executive directive signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer will strengthen Michigan’s ability to stop gun violence before it happens by providing Community Violence Intervention, a program proven to be an effective approach to disrupting violence in our communities. It will also work to further close the “boyfriend loophole,” which has for too long put those in domestic relationships at risk. There is much work left to be done, yet this is a victory worth celebrating. Lives are being saved.”

 

Executive Directive Background

Governor Whitmer’s executive directive instructs Michigan state departments and agencies to effectively utilize all available resources from the recently passed Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to reduce crime and gun violence. Within 30 days, all departments and agencies must identify a designee to coordinate across state government. The Michigan State Police (MSP) must explore ways to improve Michigan’s process for reporting criminal, mental health, and juvenile records to national criminal databases. MSP must also establish the Community Violence Intervention Office which will coordinate state and federal grants related to community violence intervention programming.

 

Governor Whitmer’s Public Safety Investments

As a former prosecutor, public safety is a core issue for Governor Whitmer. She has worked closely with local leaders, law enforcement officers, and community organizations to ensure people feel safe in their neighborhoods. Since taking office, she has signed four balanced, bipartisan budgets, each making record investments to help communities fund local law enforcement departments and hire more first responders. These budgets have expanded training and resources available to law enforcement from the MSP to local departments in every region of the state.

 

Last summer, the governor proposed MI Safe Communities, a plan to invest $75 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan to reduce crime and keep families safe by getting illegal firearms of the street, tackle the criminal court backlog, expand resources available to law enforcement, and address the root causes of crime by investing in jobs programs, counseling, and education.

 

Governor Whitmer’s Criminal Justice Investments

Governor Whitmer has also worked across the aisle to enact historic criminal justice reform. She signed bipartisan “Clean Slate” legislation to help hundreds of thousands of Michiganders emerge from the criminal justice system with enhanced opportunities for jobs and housing, empowering them to pursue their full potential. She also launched task forces to address pretrial incarceration and juvenile justice and pursued reforms to improve relationships between law enforcement and the people they serve.

 

Last week, Governor Whitmer signed her fourth balanced, bipartisan budget that included funding for Jobs Court, a program that offers non-violent, low-level offenders gainful employment with local partnering small businesses.

 

Gov. Whitmer Signs Executive Directive to Reduce Crime, Gun Violence

 

Gov. Whitmer Signs Executive Directive to Reduce Crime, Gun Violence

 

Gov. Whitmer Signs Executive Directive to Reduce Crime, Gun Violence

 
Michigan Trying to Make Private Child Care More Affordable

Michigan Trying to Make Private Child Care More Affordable

by | Jul 25, 2022 | Regional News

Governor Whitmer Header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 22, 2022

Contact: [email protected]

 

ICYMI: Detroit Free Press: Michigan is Desperately Trying to Make Private Child Care More Affordable

 

LANSING, Mich. – After launching a plan to address the childcare shortage, Governor Whitmer has worked with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to expand access to high-quality and affordable child care, while delivering record funding to keep childcare programs open, and retain and hire childcare professionals. As a result, an additional 150,000 children in Michigan have access to no- or low-cost child care and nearly 6,000 childcare businesses in every county in the state have received support through the Child Care Stabilization Grant.

 

 

Key Points: 

 

 Autumn Jervis is not a babysitter, but she essentially gets paid like one. 

 

Every day, the 27-year-old lead preschool teacher at a child care facility in Ann Arbor aims to foster social and emotional growth for 24 kids between the ages of 3 and 5. She’s dedicated nearly a decade to the work, a true believer in the power that early education can have on shaping the life of a child. 

 

But the single mother can barely afford to send her own daughter to where she works. And Jervis could likely earn more if she left for a job at Starbucks.

 

Jervis is not alone: the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated long-standing problems that advocates and others say flummoxed the sputtering child care industry. 

 

[…]

 

Acknowledging the problem, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, northern Michigan Republican Rep. Jack O’Malley and others worked together to change the law and allocate billions of dollars to stave off center closures.

 

It’s staved off closures and encouraged hundreds to pursue opening their own facilities, and a new pilot program aims to entirely reenvision how society supports child care. 

 

It’s already having a huge impact for Jervis, who now receives child care subsidies through the state’s new Tri-Share program that splits costs between employers, families and the state.

 

“It dropped my payment almost $300 (a month). That’s a lot: that’s gas for me to get to work, that’s groceries that we can have. Even just putting a little bit more money in my pocket so that we can go and do things in the summer,” Jervis said.

 

[…]

 

The pandemic forced many adults to juggle working and attempting to provide child care or education from home, underscoring the necessity for other options. In Michigan, that meant government intervention.

 

Over the past year, state leaders of both parties have changed regulations while allocating billions of dollars to help centers stay open and retain staff.

 

[…]

 

 After years of work, O’Malley and a bipartisan group of lawmakers collaborated with the Whitmer administration to change child care center regulations. 

 

The eight-bill legislative package, signed into law in late June, slightly increases the number of children each staff member can supervise at small and medium centers, in theory helping create more revenue. The laws also allow centers to hire workers as young as 16 instead of 18, and require centers to post safety information online so that it’s easier for parents to access. 

 

The bills come one year after Whitmer announced a plan to invest $1.4 billion in Michigan’s child care system.

 

[…]

 

 As of now, most of the $1.4 billion is either in the hands of child care centers or staff, according to data from the state. More than $700 million went to thousands of centers as “stabilization grants,” intended to prevent closures.

 

Another $100 million is part of a plan to open 1,000 new centers by the end of 2024. The money helps with startup and renovation costs, along with providing the training and recruitment tools needed for centers to thrive.

 

Larger centers received more than $100,000 on average, with smaller home-based sites receiving more than $10,000 on average, according to data collected by the Michigan Department of Education.

 

As part of these grants, almost 38,000 child care workers received bonuses. Full-time workers received $1,000, while part-time workers received $500.

 

Governor Whitmer’s Accomplishments

Every family in Michigan deserves access to safe, quality, affordable childcare that meets their needs—regardless of how old their kids are, where they live, how much they make, or their race, ethnicity, or immigration status. Governor Whitmer has put families and children first by prioritizing investments in our children’s earliest years. These investments put children on a path to success and strengthen our economy by helping parents return to work knowing their children are safe and learning

 

Expanding access to affordable early learning and care 

  • Expanded access to free preschool for 22,000+ more four-year-olds through Great Start Readiness Program and proposed grants to open classrooms in more communities.
  • Expanded access to affordable childcare for 150,000 more children.  A family of four earning up to $55,500 are now eligible for free or low-cost childcare.
  • Kept childcare providers open and serving kids:
  • Invested $700 million through the Child Care Stabilization Grant to provide operational grants to nearly 6,000 local childcare businesses.
  • Invested $215 million to support over 7,000 childcare providers with emergency federal relief through the Child Care Relief Fund.
  • Signed a budget providing $105 million in funding for childcare businesses that accept the childcare subsidy.
  • Launched pilots of the Tri-Share program to expand childcare access to more families in 59 counties.
  • Set an ambitious goal to open 1,000 more childcare programs by the end of 2024 and launched Caring for Mi Future—a $100 million strategy to get there.

 

Strengthening Michigan families

  • Led by example by enacting paid parental leave up to 12 weeks for state employees.
  • Supported an expansion of the federal Child Tax Credit for nearly 2 million Michigan families.
  • Coordinated a statewide response to the national baby formula shortage.
Food Assistance Grants to Help Eligible Residents

Food Assistance Grants to Help Eligible Residents

by | Jul 25, 2022 | Regional News

MEDIA ADVISORY: Coulter to Announce Food Assistance Grants to Help Eligible Oakland County Residents Access Healthy Food

​Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter will announce $700,000 in food assistance grants to help residents access healthy food options, especially as food prices are on the rise.

Who

Dave Coulter, Oakland County Executive; Yolanda Charles, Oakland County Commissioner whose district represents Oak Park; Marcia Gershenson, Oakland County Commissioner and Healthy Oakland Partnership; Marian McClellan, Oak Park Mayor
Erik Tinngate, Oak Park City Manager; Calandra Green, Oakland County Health Officer; Dustin McClellan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pontiac Community Foundation; Russell Estill, Director of Food Operations for Lighthouse of Oakland County
What

Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter will announce $700,000 in food assistance grants to help residents access healthy food options, especially as food prices are on the rise.

Joining him will be the Pontiac Community Foundation and Lighthouse of Oakland County, who will be implementing the food grants, and Oakland County Health Officer Calandra Green, who will speak about the benefits of healthier food options. County Commissioners Yolanda Charles and Marcia Gershenson will be on hand representing the Board of Commissioners’ approval to invest American Rescue Plan dollars into this area of critical need.

The announcement takes place at Oak Park Farmers Market because the Healthy Oakland Partnership, a collaboration of local government, hospitals, health care providers, community-based organizations, business, and residents that are dedicated to improving the health of Oakland County residents, is hosting Family Market Day there.

Where

Oak Park Farmers Market, 13701 Oak Park Blvd., Oak Park, MI. The parking lot of Oak Park High School– look for the Oakland County section in the grassy area.
When

Jul 27, 2022, 10:00 AM
How legislation would protect Mackinac Bridge

How legislation would protect Mackinac Bridge

by | Jul 25, 2022 | Transportation

How legislation would protect Mackinac Bridge, other structures

This week on the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, first, a conversation with the chief sponsor of House Bill 5315, State Rep. John Damoose. Later, Patrick “Shorty” Gleason, chairman of the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA), explains why the MBA took the rare step of adopting a resolution in support of the legislation.

Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/11011251-how-legislation-would-protect-mackinac-bridge-other-structures?

graphic of podcast player

In the wake of some troubling incidents on the Mackinac Bridge (involving people climbing a tower or otherwise accessing the bridge to take photos and another involving a bomb threat that closed the bridge on a busy weekend and disrupted travel for hours), the Michigan House of Representatives passed a bill, 99 to 6, classifying the Mackinac Bridge and other vital structures as “key facilities.” The designation means trespassing on the structures is a felony offense.

State Rep. John Damoose

This week on the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, first, a conversation with the chief sponsor of House Bill 5315, State Rep. John Damoose. Later, Patrick “Shorty” Gleason, chairman of the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA), explains why the MBA took the rare step of adopting a resolution in support of the legislation.

HB 5315 would add the Mackinac Bridge to the list of key facilities, as well as any movable bridge in the state: the Zilwaukee Bridge, the Rouge River Bridge, the MacArthur Bridge, and all international crossings, including the Ambassador Bridge, the Blue Water Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, the Gordie Howe International Bridge, and the International Bridge.
Patrick "Shorty" Gleason, chairman of the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA)

Gleason also talks about a separate motion adopted by the Authority in opposition to Senate bills 1014 and 1078 concerning the transport of farm equipment across the bridge on I-75.

The motion reads:
“I move that the Board agree that the MBA’s Bridge Director and this Board’s Special Committee acted in good faith by thoroughly evaluating whether the proposed bills regarding farm implements could be modified to become bills that this Board could support. In the end, these individuals determined that the proposed bills and variations of them, if signed into law, would compromise the structural integrity and operations of the Mackinac Bridge and the safety of motorists who travel on the Bridge. They accordingly recommend, for these reasons, that the Board oppose the proposed bills or variations of them. I so move for the Board’s agreement and support.”

Listen now at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205.

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