“LEO is excited to partner with the League on this local capacity program and to develop the much-needed MI Funding Hub,” said LEO Director Susan Corbin. “Michigan Communities of all sizes will have the opportunity to gain knowledge on how to successfully deploy new grant opportunities that will directly impact on their community’s and help their residents thrive.”

With billions in available funding for local units of government through programs like ARPA, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act there is a significant need for communities to track funding opportunities as they become available. For many communities across Michigan, especially those small and medium-sized, navigating this process and developing projects and programs that meet their current and future needs exceeds their capacity.

“Here in Saginaw, we’ve relied on the League to help us decide how to invest our ARPA funding,” said Brenda F. Moore, Saginaw Mayor. “This partnership between with the League and the state will ensure that we can continue to depend on this assistance moving forward. It’s great news for Michigan’s communities and cities like Saginaw.”

The league will act as the project lead for this initiative and oversee the project timeline, budget, strategic partnership management and continuous improvement activities. Technical assistance for communities is available now, and the online funding and resource hub is projected to be completed in January 2024.

To learn more about this program or get technical assistance in navigating funding opportunities, visit MIFundingHub.org.

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Residents are reminded that the best way to protect themselves against JCV and other mosquito-borne illnesses, including eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV), is to prevent mosquito bites.

“It only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to cause a severe illness,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “We urge Michiganders to take precautions, such as using an EPA-registered insect repellent when outdoors, avoiding areas where mosquitos are present if possible and wearing clothing to cover arms and legs to prevent bites.”

Every summer in Michigan, bites from mosquitos carry the risk of spreading diseases to people and animals. While the current dry weather conditions have limited the number of biting mosquitos, spring mosquitos that emerged in early May are still active in portions of the state, especially in areas with large tracts of woodland habitat. Some of these spring mosquitos are capable of transmitting JCV. JCV sickened six Michiganders in 2021 and one in 2022. Also reported last year were 12 cases of WNV.

The JCV virus is spread to people through bites from infected mosquitos. Most cases occur from late spring through mid-fall. Illness can develop within a few days to two weeks following a bite from an infected mosquito. While most people do not become ill, initial symptoms can include fever, headache and fatigue. In rare cases, it can cause severe disease in the brain and/or spinal cord including encephalitis and meningitis.

While the JCV is found throughout much of the U.S., cases have been increasing in the Midwest. This likely reflects increased awareness and testing but may also be due to an increase in the presence of the virus in the environment. This is the third year that the MDHHS BOL is offering virus testing of mosquito pools collected by local health departments and county mosquito control programs. Testing is offered to improve detection and notification of mosquito-borne viruses.

JCV can be spread by mosquitos that become infected when they feed on deer or other animals that have the virus in their blood. Infected mosquitos spread the virus to other animals or people through bites. Arboviruses, including WNV and EEE, spread when mosquitos contract the virus from biting infected birds then biting a human.

Residents can stay healthy by using simple, effective strategies to protect themselves and their families. The following steps are recommended to avoid mosquito-borne diseases:

• Apply insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET or other EPA-approved products to exposed skin or clothing. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions for use.
• Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. Apply insect repellent to clothing to help prevent bites.
• Maintain window and door screening to help keep mosquitos outside.
• Empty water from mosquito breeding sites around the home, such as buckets, unused kiddie pools, old tires and other water-holding containers where mosquitos can lay eggs.

“Mosquitoes may seem like a small nuisance, but they can spread deadly diseases like West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis through their bites,” said Mike Philip, Michigan Department of Agriculture Rural Development (MDARD) Pesticide and Plant Pest Management division director. “Michiganders can help limit the risk of disease outbreaks by developing a mosquito prevention strategy to reduce pest populations.”

To combat the spread of this disease in animals, owners can:

• Talk to a veterinarian about vaccinating horses against WNV and other mosquito-borne diseases.
• Place livestock in a barn under fans (as mosquitos are not strong flyers) and pets inside the home during peak mosquito activity from dusk to dawn.
• Use an insect repellant on animals that is approved for the species.
• Eliminate standing water on the property—i.e., fill in puddles, repair eaves, and change the water in buckets and bowls at least once a day.
• Contact a veterinarian if an animal shows signs of illness.

Michiganders can also hire a mosquito control business. Mosquito control businesses are required to be licensed to apply pesticides in Michigan and must meet certain experience requirements, employ certified pesticide applicators who have passed MDARD proficiency examinations and meet financial requirements including proof of insurance. Use MDARD’s list of licensed pesticide applicator businesses in Michigan to find qualified mosquito abatement applicators.

For more information about mosquito-borne diseases, visit Michigan.gov/EmergingDiseases.

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Chedrick Greene, a fire lieutenant for the Saginaw Fire Department was appointed to represent individuals with lived experience of housing instability.

Greene is president of the Saginaw County Veterans Memorial Plaza Board and vice president of the Board of the Saginaw Valley Crime Commission. He holds an associate’s degree from Delta College.

His term commenced on March 9, 2023 and will expire on September 6, 2024.

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In Michigan, noncompete agreements are subject to certain restrictions. For example, to be enforceable, agreements must be:

• reasonable in the length of time an employee cannot compete
• reasonable in the limitation on an employee from competing
• there must be a legitimate business interest (such as protecting trade secrets or preventing unfair competition)

If a Court finds that a noncompete is unreasonable or not supported by legitimate business interest, it may refuse to enforce the agreement.

Noncompete agreements are disfavored because they limit workers’ ability to find new employment. The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has estimated that the banning of noncompete agreements could increase wages by $300 billion and expand career opportunities for about 30 million Americans. On January 5, 2023, the FTC proposed a new rule that would ban employers from imposing noncompete agreements on their workers.

The FTC’s proposed rule would generally prohibit employers from using noncompete clauses. Specifically, the FTC’s new rule would make it illegal for an employer to:

• enter into or attempt to enter into a noncompete with a worker;
• maintain a noncompete with a worker; or
• represent to a worker, under certain circumstances, that the worker is subject to a noncompete.

The proposed rule would apply to independent contractors and anyone who works for an employer, whether paid or unpaid. It would also require employers to rescind existing noncompete agreements and actively inform workers that they are no longer in effect.

The FTC is accepting comments from the public on the new rule until March 30, 2023. After that, the FTC should be issuing a final rule likely banning noncompete agreements.

Julie A. Gafkay is a civil rights attorney with an office in Saginaw for the past 20 years. She attained her law degree from Whittier Law School in 1995 and her undergraduate degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University in 1992. She is a past president of the Saginaw County Bar and Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. In 2019, she was awarded the Champion of Justice award from the State Bar of Michigan.

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On February 17, The Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) announced the launch of the “intent to apply” phase for the relief fund, which is focused on assisting small charitable nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits can fill out the intent to apply at MiNonprofitRelief.org. MNA membership is not required to apply.

The bipartisan relief program was signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as part of FY23 budget and program funding comes from the federal Coronavirus Relief Funds awarded to the State of Michigan as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The relief fund, designed for small nonprofits, is part of a two-part grant program.

The $35 million MI Nonprofit Relief Fund, which is being administered by MNA, is designed to provide aid and recovery to nonprofits with annual revenues of less than $1 million that can demonstrate necessary expenditures and/or losses incurred after March 3, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Small nonprofits could receive one-time grant funds from $5,000 to $25,000 in Spring/Summer 2023 to continue or expand their services to areas hit the hardest by COVID-19 and to populations that are underserved and underrepresented. The impact of the ongoing pandemic has been particularly hard on nonprofits located in rural areas and those led by, and serving, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

The initial “intent to apply” short online form is estimated to take no more than 10 minutes to complete and includes basic yes-or-no questions to assess the nonprofit’s needs. The second phase of the application process for small nonprofits, estimated to launch March 22, will be a more detailed application.

An additional $15 million MI Nonprofit Impact Grant program will be administered by LEO and is designed for larger nonprofits to support programs that lift people out of poverty and above the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained, Employed) threshold. This program is expected to launch in Spring 2023.

For further information, go to MiNonprofitRelief.org or email relieffund@mnaonline.org.

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Their identities were released by police on Tuesday. Five others who were injured in Monday night’s attack remain in a critical condition.

The deceased victims have been identified as Arielle Anderson, a Junior from Grosse Pointe, Brian Fraser, a Sophomore from Grosse Pointe and Alexandria Verner, a Junior from Clawson.

All of the victims were students at the university, police said.

The gunman has been identified as Anthony Dwayne McRae, 43, who had no known ties to the university.

Michigan State Police released the following statement:

The Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety (MSU DPPS) is saddened to share information regarding the tragedy that occurred on campus Monday evening. We cannot begin to fathom the immeasurable amount of pain that our campus community is feeling. We want to ensure our community that our department as well as our law enforcement partners will conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation regarding this tragic incident. Five victims remain in the hospital in critical condition. The deceased victims have been identified as the following:

• Arielle Anderson, Junior, Grosse Pointe
• Brian Fraser, Sophomore, Grosse Pointe
• Alexandria Verner, Junior, Clawson

We sincerely ask the media and community members to respect the families’ privacy.

The first call reporting an active shooter took place at 8:18 p.m. at Berkey Hall. A shelter-in-place was immediately put into place for campus and the surrounding community. The MSU Alert system and MSU Emergency Operations Center were both immediately activated. Officers from all across the state responded to campus and began to complete a comprehensive search in attempt to locate the suspect.

The suspect was captured on campus security cameras at approximately 11:00 p.m. The suspect photos were disseminated across MSU DPPS social media channels and through our media partners at 11:18 p.m. Because of the quick release of photos, a caller’s tip was able to lead officers to the suspect at approximately 11:35 p.m., only 17 minutes after the release of the photos.

We sincerely want to thank our community for their active efforts in helping us locate the suspect. This is a prime example of how ‘See Something, Say Something’ is effective and works to help keep our community safe. The suspect has been identified as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

We know this news may be difficult for those within our campus community and beyond. It’s important to remember that the grief some individuals may be experiencing is normal and there are a number of ways in which individuals can seek support, including talking with friends, family and colleagues to process this. Resources are listed below and are also available at the Hannah Community Center on Abbot Road in East Lansing.

• Student Health Services
  • General info: 517-884-6526; Nurse on-call: 517-353-9165
• Employee Assistance Program
  • EAP is a confidential, free counseling service for employees: 517-355-4506, eap@msu.edu.
• Counseling & Psychiatry Services
  • CAPS is the place for students seeking help for a wide range of health concerns.

Effective immediately, Michigan State University is now operating under modified operations/services for today, Feb. 14 and Wednesday, Feb. 15. We will resume normal operations on Thursday, Feb. 16th. All campus activities including athletics, classes (in person and remote), and all campus-related activities remain suspended. Functions designated as essential under a department’s Business Continuity Plan (BCP) will continue and critical employees with essential functions must report to work.

We will stand together as a community and support one another during this difficult time.

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The suspect accused of killing three people and wounding five others in a mass shooting at Michigan State University shot and killed himself off campus. The identity of the suspect and a motive is unknown.

“We start tonight with an important update, the suspect in this incident was located outside the MSU campus and it does appear that suspect has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He is deceased,” MSU Police and Public Safety Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman said at a second press conference held at 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 14.

At 8:18 pm, police received multiple 911 calls about a shooting inside Berkey Hall on Campus. Numerous officers responded to the scene within minutes where they located 2 dead and several victims of a shooting. Immediately after responding to the first incident at Berkey Hall, police responded to a second reported shooting at the MSU Union building where they located 1 deceased and additional victims. 

A total of 5 surviving victims were transported to the Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.

MSU has lifted the shelter-in-place order but all campus related activities are canceled for the next 48 hours.

“We no longer have an active threat on campus. There is no longer a threat to campus. No longer a need to shelter in place,” said Chief Rozman.

“We cannot allow this to continue to happen again,” MSU Interim President Woodruff said at a 1:30 a.m. press conference.

Timeline of information

12:27 A.M. EST

According to Deputy Chief Chris Rozman, the suspect was located on campus and found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

11:37 P.M. EST

There are 3 confirmed fatalities. This is in addition to the 5 victims who have been transported to the hospital.

11:19 P.M. EST

MSU Police released the following suspect photos:

11:04 P.M. EST

MSU Police held a press conference; here’s what we learned from Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman of Michigan State University Police and Public Safety:

• Police received multiple 911 calls about a shooting inside Berkey Hall on Campus starting at 8:18 p.m.
• Numerous officers responded to the scene within minutes where they located several victims of a shooting.
• Immediately after responding to the first incident at Berkey Hall, Police responded to another reported shooting at the MSU Union building where they located additional victims.
• 5 victims have been confirmed, some with life threatening injuries. All 5 victims were transported to the Sparrow Hospital.
• The lone suspect was last seen leaving the MSU Union building on foot on the North side of the building.
• Police have surveillance footage of the suspect and plan to release his picture and additional information at a second press conference around 12:20 A.M. EST.
• Initial information is that the suspect is a short black male wearing red shoes, a jean jacket and a ball cap.
• The suspect is still outstanding. Community members on and off campus are advised to shelter-in-place.
• MSU Currently has hundreds of police officers, State, Local and Federal, on campus, working to apprehend the suspect.
• All campus related activities are canceled for the next 48 hours.

10:36 P.M. EST

MSU has canceled all campus activities for 48 hours, including athletics, classes, and all campus-related activities. They are asking students and faculty not to come to campus tomorrow.

10:11 P.M. EST

Victims are currently being transported to Sparrow Hospital. Brody Hall, Snyder/Phillips Hall, Mason Hall, Abbot Hall, Landon Hall, the MSU Union, and Berkey Hall have all been cleared/secured.

9:55 P.M. EST

MSU Police believe there is one suspect and have provided the following description: short male with a mask, possibly Black.

9:20 P.M. EST

According to Michigan State University Police, multiple people were reported injured at Michigan State University after shootings took place near Berkey Hall and IM East gym on the East Lansing campus Monday night around 8:18 p.m. There has been one confirmed death. It is not known if the fatality is a student, staff, etc.

According to the MSU Police and Public Safety Facebook page the suspect is believed to be on foot (as of 9:39 P.M. EST).  Police are asking anyone on campus or nearby to secure-in-place immediately.

We will continue to follow this story and provide updates as we receive them.

Follow @msupolice on Twitter for all updates from MSU.

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Carol Schmidt, FACHE, has accepted the role of senior vice president, Ascension, and ministry market executive, Ascension Michigan.

“In her 26 years with Ascension, Carol has demonstrated a commitment to collaboration, a focus on patient-centered care and the mindset of a true servant leader,” said Craig Cordola, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Ascension. “She is a respected strategic and administrative leader who is focused on improving the health of the populations we are privileged to serve.”

Schmidt has spent her career in healthcare, first working as a registered nurse. She served as vice president, Partnership Services, for Daughters of Charity Health System, one of the health systems that came together in 1999 to form Ascension. She most recently served as senior vice president, Ascension, and chief operating officer for Ascension Medical Group and its clinical initiatives. As a forward-thinking executive leader, she has successfully led teams and functions dedicated to improving operational performance to ensure the sustainability of the ministry. Prior to her current role, Schmidt was chief operating officer of Clinical & Network Services for Ascension. From 2010-2012, she served as chief operating officer for Ascension Sacred Heart in Florida.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to lead Ascension Michigan,” said Schmidt. “I am keenly focused on the healthcare of the future and how we will continue to provide exemplary care to our patients in new ways, where and when they need it most. I look forward to continuing to fulfill our Mission of caring for those most in need for years to come.”

Schmidt earned a Master of Health Administration and bachelor’s in business from Webster University in St. Louis. She earned an associate degree in Nursing from Maryville University, St. Louis.

Ascension has two main facilities in Saginaw: Ascension St. Mary’s Hospital Emergency Care located at 800 South Washington Ave Saginaw, MI 48601 and Ascension St. Mary’s Hospital Towne Centre Emergency Care located at 4599 Towne Centre Rd Saginaw, MI 48604.

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Among other things, the bills shorten the waiting time for applying for expungement by making it possible for an unlimited number of misdemeanors to be expunged after three years, serious misdemeanors or a single felony after five years and up to three felonies after seven years. The bills also created the “one bad night” expungement eligibility by treating any combination of up to three felonies or misdemeanors from the same 24-hour period as one conviction for expungement purposes. 

However, assaultive crimes or those involving a dangerous weapon and those punishable by more than 10 years in prison cannot be included. The bills also exclude certain other crimes from expungement, such as domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, life offenses and traffic offenses where someone was seriously injured or died.

They do, however. allow for people with multiple marijuana misdemeanor convictions to also apply for expungement.  Notably, no conviction can be set aside if there are any pending charges.  And only two assaultive convictions can be set aside in a person’s lifetime.

Perhaps the most significant bill out of this package is the legislation scheduled to take effect April of this year.  It provides for the automatic expungement of certain crimes, without the need for individuals to apply for it. The law will expunge up to four misdemeanor convictions after seven years and up to two felony convictions after ten years.  It does, however, exclude crimes punishable by more than 10 years in prison, violent crimes, human trafficking, and other serious crimes.

These bills are an excellent way for someone to remove obstacles to becoming a productive member of society.  Those seeking further information can contact Legal Services of Eastern Michigan at their state intake hotline at (888) 783-8190.  You can also find information by visiting Michigan Legal Help at www.michiganlegalhelp.org and searching the topic Set Aside Convictions.

We here in Saginaw County courts have seen a significant uptick in people applying to have their convictions set aside since the passage of these bills.  And I would encourage others to take advantage of the application process as well if they do not qualify for automatic expungement after April.

Darnell Jackson is the Chief Judge of all Saginaw County trial courts.  He has been a circuit court judge for the past 17 years and previously served as a district court judge for five years before that.  He was also the director of Michigan’s Office of Drug Control Policy, Saginaw city deputy police chief, and deputy chief assistant prosecuting attorney.

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