Monthly Archives: May 2020

(May 13, 2020 6:58 AM) The Michigan Department of Corrections is reporting as of 7:55 PM Tuesday, May 12, there are 2,173 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases at facilities throughout the state.  Of that statewide total, 984 of the confirmed positive cases are at Jackson facilities. The Department says expanded testing took place at G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility the week of April 26. The facility has a designated quarantine unit and positive prisoners are being transferred to the unit. Of 1849 prisoners tested at Cotton, 688 are COVID-19 confirmed positive.  37% of those tested are positive. There have been a total of 55 deaths of prisoners who had tested positive for COVID-19, 18 of those deaths were among prisoners at Jackson facilities.  The most recent deaths, reported on May 11 were of four prisoners who had originally been housed at Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center, Lakeland Correctional Facility, Thumb Correctional Facility and Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility In Jackson, there are 179 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases at Parnall Correctional Facility, 79 at Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center, 38 at Duane Waters Health Center and 688 at G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility. Among staff, there are a…

(May 12, 2020 5:36 PM) Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) and partners launched a college advising hotline today to answer questions Michigan high school students have about attending college. The hotline was initiated as a result of the current global health crisis, aiming to fill the gaps created from the governor’s statewide school closure order issued in March. The hotline is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is staffed by nearly 100 college advisers connected to MCAN’s AdviseMI program and MSU’s College Advising Corps. To scale our ability to serve as many students as possible, MCAN is partnering with the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Detroit College Access Network on this initiative.  The hotline can be reached by calling 810-373-5385. Students will have the option of calling or texting the hotline. After business hours, students can text or leave a voicemail and messages will be responded to the next business day. The hours of the hotline will be adjusted as necessary to best serve students and their needs.  The college advisers staffing the hotline will complement the work of school counselors throughout the state and provide advising services to districts where school counselors don’t exist. K-12 staff…

(May 12, 2020 4:06 PM) The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) partnered with Michigan Women Forward today in announcing the creation of the $1.5 million Michigan Entrepreneur Resilience Fund to help entrepreneurs and small businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19 recover from the outbreak, as well as assist them in meeting increased demands in support of COVID-19 response efforts. “As Michigan begins to focus on economic recovery efforts across the state, it is critical that we make sure support and relief are accessible for all entrepreneurs and small businesses in need,” said LeTasha Peebles, grant manager for the MEDC. “We’re grateful for the partnership of Michigan Women Forward in supporting this fund, which will play a key role in ensuring every member of our state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has the tools and support they need to recover from this crisis.”   The Michigan Entrepreneur Resilience Fund will provide recovery grants of $1,000-$5,000 and microloans of $5,000-$10,000 to small businesses who are in need and have been adversely affected by COVID-19 closures, with at least 150 businesses statewide expected to benefit. Small businesses interested in applying for support through the Michigan Entrepreneur Resilience Fund can do so now by visiting miwf.org/mwf-entrepreneur-resilience-fund.   “This…