The Elsie Dairy Festival, slated for July 9-11, has been canceled
Special COVID-19 Updates
April 23
Gunnisonville Meadows: residents and staff free from COVID-19 symptoms
A little over a week ago, Mid-Michigan District Health Deparment (MMDHD) and Gunnisonville Meadows Senior Assisted Living reported a cluster of COVID-19 cases, which included 17 residents and 2 staff members. As previously reported, this sadly included the death of 4 residents.
Mid-Michigan District Health Department and Gunnisonville Meadows are grateful to report no new cases or deaths and the end of the 14-day quarantine period. No residents or staff members currently show symptoms. The facility is still closed to all but essential staff as a preventative measure; residents are doing well, and the staff takes great care to ensure residents stay active and engaged.
The employees who tested positive have fully recovered and have returned to work. Residents who had tested positive were isolated in their rooms for two weeks and are on the road to recovery.
Robert Baldino, co-owner of Gunnisonville Meadows stated, “We pride ourselves in treating our residents as family. While this has been an emotional and trying time for all, we want to thank our residents, resident families and staff for their continued passion, care and support. Gunnisonville Meadows chose to voluntarily test everyone at our facility to best treat, isolate and care for residents. We hope everyone understands that all facilities, no matter how fully prepared, are vulnerable to COVID-19, but taking appropriate measures and testing can help save lives.”
Gunnisonville Meadows continues to work closely with MMDHD. They are currently:
– Taking temperatures every three hours
– Monitoring residents’ respiratory and oxygen levels every three hours
– Cleaning and disinfecting the facility many times a day
– Practicing enhanced hand hygiene and use of personal protective equipment for staff, including N95 masks and gowns
All communal spaces remain closed and non-essential visitors are prohibited from entering the facility. Mid-Michigan District Health Department will continue to provide infection control guidance as needed.
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MMDHD Health Officer gives a video update
In this video the Mid Michigan District Health Department’s Health Officer, Marcus Cheatham, talks about data, maps, trends and the extent of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Stay Updated
Mid-Michigan District Health Department website: www.mmdhd.org
MDHHS’s website: www.michigan.gov/coronavirus
CDC’s website: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Learn how to prepare for a pandemic: ready.gov/pandemic
MET offers $100 match on new contracts opened online through April 30
To assist Michigan families in their college savings efforts, Michigan Education Trust (MET) is offering a $100 match and enrollment fee waiver for each new prepaid tuition contract purchased online through April 30.
“Many Michigan families are using their extra time together to look at financial issues – including saving for their child’s future education,” said Robin Lott, MET executive director. “Given the many challenges families are facing today, this $100 match is our way of helping parents and grandparents get started.”
MET, the 529 prepaid college tuition program administered by the Michigan Department of Treasury, allows contract holders to lock in future college tuition costs at today’s prices.
Acting before May 1 will also save purchasers money. On that date, prices will increase 3% for MET’s limited-benefits contracts and 5% for community college contracts. Those prices will remain in effect through Sept. 30, 2020.
That means until May 1, for example, that purchasers of MET Pay-As-You-Go contracts will continue to pay $612 for a credit hour of tuition under a full-benefits contract, which covers full payment of tuition and mandatory fees at any Michigan public university; $493 per credit hour under a limited-benefits contract, which covers up to 105% of the weighted average tuition of Michigan’s public four-year universities; and $119 per credit hour for a community college contract.
MET is also waiving its $25 enrollment fee through April 30.
Pay-As-You-Go allows an initial purchase of a single credit hour versus an entire semester’s worth of tuition. After that, contract holders can add as little as $25 to it whenever they want.
MET also sells contracts through lump-sum and monthly purchase plans that require minimum purchases of a semester’s worth of tuition.
In addition to MET, the Michigan Department of Treasury administers the Michigan Education Savings Program and the MI 529 Advisor Plan, Section 529 college savings plans that offer various investment options.
Lott said one of the best aspects of Michigan’s 529 plans, aside from their affordability and tax advantages, is the fact that anyone can contribute money to them – including other family members and friends.
Only one account per beneficiary qualifies for MET’s $100 match and fee waiver during online enrollment. MET will make the match after account holders complete their purchase of at least one credit hour of prepaid tuition or submit one monthly purchase amount.
Purchasers can enroll here using coupon code APRILMATCH to waive the $25 enrollment fee – and get the $100 match.
A 2018 MET-commissioned survey found that although an overwhelming majority of Michigan parents view college as an investment in their children’s future, only about half of families are saving for higher education expenses.
“But every little bit helps, and every dollar a family saves is a dollar they or their future college student won’t have to borrow,” Lott said.
More information about MET is available at SETwithMET.com or 800-MET-4-KID.
Feeding the Front Lines of Clinton County
The good citizens of Clinton County are working together to Feed the Front Lines of Clinton County. This includes the Hospital Workers (doctors, nurses, cleaning crew and staff) the Clinton County Ambulance workers, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and Jail Staff and the St. Johns Police Department. These are the Front Lines for Clinton County.
There is an account set up at the Journey Federal Credit Union called “Feeding the Front Lines of Clinton County.”
If you would like to contribute to feeding our selfless essential workers and let them know we are grateful for all they do on our behalf, please drop off a donation at either the St. Johns, Ovid or Fowler branches of Journey Federal Credit Union or you can mail your donation to: Journey Federal Credit Union, 1200 Zeeb Drive, St. Johns, MI 48879 . Please indicate that you want your check deposited into the account “Feeding the Front Lines of Clinton County.”
Thank you so much for your help. If you would like more information, you may contact Mona at 989-682-4509 or Pastor Kathy at 517-282-4446.
Yard waste and brush pick-up suspended
The yard waste and brush curb side pick-up collections are suspended due to the mandated order for health and safety concerns. Residents may take yard waste and brush to the Department of Public Works site on North Business US-27. Access to the yard waste drop off site is off of Kuntz Drive, please follow the access drive behind Journey Federal Credit Union. This site is open 24/7. Once the mandate is lifted, the yard waste and brush curb side pick-up will resume. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
May 9 Spring Clean-Up postponed
Spring Clean-Up that was scheduled for May 9 has been postponed. We are working to schedule a date later in the year.