Health

(March 20, 2020 3:50 PM) The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) will be hosting several hour-long informational webinars for Michigan employers regarding unemployment insurance and the recent Executive Orders 2020-09 and 2020-10 signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. All webinars will be conducted using Microsoft Skype for Business. To join the webinar, please click on the “Join Skype Meeting” link for the appropriate date and time.  Below are the webinar dates, times and login information as follows: Monday, March 23, 10 - 11 a.m. Join Skype Meeting Dial-in Number: (248) 509-0316 Conference ID: 501784127                 Monday, March 23, 2 - 3 p.m. Join Skype Meeting Dial-in Number: (248) 509-0316 Conference ID: 473769071 Tuesday, March 24, 10 - 11 a.m. Join Skype Meeting Dial-in Number: (248) 509-0316 Conference ID: 616070893 Tuesday, March 24, 2 - 3 p.m.  Join Skype Meeting Dial-in Number: (248) 509-0316 Conference ID: 794829308

(March 20, 2020 3:33 PM) A special meeting of the Jackson City Council has been planned for Monday, March 23 at 12:15 p.m. This meeting is to make up for the March 17 meeting cancelled due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns. Because of ongoing Coronavirus concerns, this special meeting will proceed with an altered format. The meeting will take place in the 2nd Floor City Council Chambers of Jackson City Hall. However, the majority of the Councilmembers will be joining by phone or video conference, with Mayor Derek Dobies leading the meeting, joined by a select group of City officials. This altered format is allowed under Gov. Whitmer’s Executive Order #2020-15 from March 18, 2020, which allows local governments the ability to hold public meetings electronically during this time of Coronavirus caution. Only the Mayor and select City officials will be allowed in the Council Chambers. In the 2nd Floor lobby outside the chambers, up to 10 people will be able to attend to watch a TV broadcast of the meeting and to provide public comment in person. This attendance limit is to follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines that advise limiting gatherings to less than 10 people. The City…

Fellow Cascaders,  Yesterday I was talking with club member Bob Conner and both of us shared our concerns about riding this season.  With warmer weather just around the corner, each of us wanted to get out and ride with friends we had not ridden with since last year.  But we both questioned: Is that safe?  So I called the Leaque of Michigan Bicyclists and asked what their guidance was for riding this spring.  I spoke with their new Outreach Coordinator Scott Neumann, who has replaced Scott Elliot who was the featured speaker at our annual meeting in January of 2019.  Mr. Neumann referred me to the LMB website and I have copied their guidance from the Coronavirus page below: Fellow cyclists, this is an unusual – even unprecedented – time in our history of riding together in Michigan. K-12 schools are closed; bars, theaters, gyms, and casinos are closing today; restaurants are ending dine-in service; and groups throughout Michigan are reassessing whether it is safe to gather.At LMB, we canceled our in-person strategic feedback sessions because as best we can tell, it is not safe to gather. Period. We are seeing some clubs set riding guidelines and precautions for group rides, but – out of an abundance of caution – suspending all…

(March 20, 2020 2:45 PM) The count of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases reported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) today is 225, with two deaths being reported in Detroit.  The daily report from the State now includes results from commercial and clinical labs who recently began providing COVID-19 testing. No new cases were reported for Jackson County.  Jackson County has one positive COVID-19 case which was announced on Tuesday. “We are pleased to announce that we are now able to provide testing results from hospitals and other entities outside of our state laboratory,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “We knew there were additional people in Michigan with COVID-19 that had not yet been tested. This emphasizes the need to continue to practice social distancing and other community mitigation practices to help slow the spread of this disease.”  MDHHS is currently receiving reports from commercial labs LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics and several clinical labs including Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, the Beaumont Hospital Network, Henry Ford Health System and the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories (BOL).   Here is today’s case breakdown: Daily Confirmed COVID-19 Cases by County County Cases Deaths Detroit…

In alignment with the State of Emergency to contain COVID-19, Community Action Agency facilities in Jackson, Adrian and Hillsdale will be closed to the public beginning Monday, March 23rd. Our staff will be working remotely to ensure that we are able to be responsive to the needs in our community. You can still reach our staff by calling our office Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. Jackson: (517) 784-4800 Lenawee: (517) 263-7861 Hillsdale: (517) 437-3346

Individuals Encouraged to Contact Treasury for Immediate Assistance (March 20, 2020 11:49 AM) With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the state’s workforce, the Michigan Department of Treasury is offering collections assistance to newly unemployed Michiganders currently paying on past-due state tax debts or other state debts.   Effective immediately, individuals who have been laid off or had their place of employment closed due to COVID-19 should reach out to see what options are available. To receive assistance, individuals are encouraged to contact Treasury’s Collections Service Center at 517-636-5265.  “Our first and foremost priority is the health and safety of Michiganders,” State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said. “If you are currently unemployed or are facing other hardships due to the COVID-19 emergency and are paying on a state tax debt, please contact us so we can work with you during this difficult situation.”  To learn more about Michigan’s taxes and the collections process, go to www.michigan.gov/taxes or follow the state Treasury Department on Twitter at @MITreasury.  Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Jackson College to Host Blood Drive Next Week (March 20, 2020 10:35 AM) Right now, eligible and healthy donors are strongly urged to make an appointment to provide lifesaving blood products to patients. Please give now. Jackson College will host an American Red Cross blood drive on Wednesday, March 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Victor Cuiss Fieldhouse.   The American Red Cross faces a severe blood shortage due to the coronavirus outbreak prompting an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations. To help this situation, Dr. Daniel J. Phelan, Jackson College president, has decided to allow the drive in the Fieldhouse despite the current campus closure. “I am assured that the Red Cross will deploy aggressive hygienic procedures to keep the environment safe for all,” Phelan said.  This shortage is part of a national situation. Even the U.S. Surgeon General has noted the critical need. “You can still go out and give blood. We’re worried about potential blood shortages in the future. Social distancing does not have to mean social disengagement,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. Healthy individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood. Donating is a safe process with…