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(August 18, 2021 11:54 AM) The City of Jackson Fire Department has been awarded a FEMA grant of $174,091 to purchase new safety equipment for first responders.   Today, Michigan’s U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow announced a total of $1,670,107 in federal funding has been awarded to Jackson and six other fire departments in Michigan to purchase new tools and safety equipment including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA) used by first responders to breathe in hazardous environments. This funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program. Departments in the following municipalities were awarded funding: ·         City of Brighton: $45,273 ·         Burlington Township: $49,476 ·         Cambridge Township: $47,086 ·         City of Jackson: $174,091 ·         City of Jonesville: $420,000 ·         Village of Tekonsha: $429,545 ·         City of Wyandotte: $504,636 “We greatly appreciate the support of Senator Peters and Senator Stabenow for continued funding for these FEMA grants,” said David Wooden, Deputy Fire Chief, Jackson Fire Department. “These funds will allow the Jackson Fire Department to replace our existing self-contained breathing apparatus and greatly improve the safety of our firefighters.” “Firefighters put their health and safety at risk day-in…

Lindsay Meckley and Ridge Bollheimer recently opened Sunshine Acres U-Cut Sunflower Trail at Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm near Somerset. The swing is one of 25 photo sets on the property. By Jeff Steers JTV Sports (August 17, 2021 8:12 PM) The busy season for Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farms is in the fall. Lindsay Meckley and Ridge Bollheimer wanted something for area residents to do during summer months. It was a surprise visit to a sunflower garden that spurred a new business for the Meckley’s. Meckley’s opened Sunshine Acres U-Cut Sunflower Trail at the end of July. The Trail included more than a dozen varieties of sunflowers and 25 photographer sets. “Ridge took me to his neighbor’s garden where they had a couple of rows of sunflowers,” Meckley said. “We both thought there were cool.” That started the wheels turning. The duo planted a cover crop last year, cut it earlier in 2021, and planted 8.5 acres of sunflowers during the Memorial Day weekend. They planted 14 varieties in 2021, but plan to plant more next spring.  “It takes 60 to 90 days for the sunflowers to bloom,” Bollheimer said. “It just depends on the variety.” Sunflowers began to bloom at…