Government

State Rep. Steve Carra recently introduced a resolution calling for services to remain accessible to the public at Michigan Secretary of State offices. Carra said the appointment system does not work for everyone, especially someone who needs services on short notice. He added that if secretary of state offices do not resume a walk-in option, then the appointment system should …

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday loosened COVID-19 workplace safety rules so fully vaccinated employees can go without a mask and disregard distancing requirements. Industry-specific regulations were rescinded. Restaurants and bars, for instance, can reopen pool tables and dance floors. Cleaning standards were softened. As expected, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration also lifted a requirement that employers prohibit …

Michigan’s main funds will take in an estimated $3.5 billion more in taxes than previously forecast thanks to increased consumer spending of federal stimulus checks and other coronavirus relief funds, state officials said Friday. The big surplus, spread over this fiscal year and next, will give Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican-controlled Legislature additional budget flexibility at a time $6.5 …

Michigan will fully lift outdoor capacity limits on June 1 and, starting July 1, end indoor gathering caps that were put in place to curb COVID-19, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday in a major loosening of economic restrictions. The state has limited occupancy in restaurants and other venues since March 2020, when the coronavirus hit. The announcement, which includes raising …

People in Michigan who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 don’t need to wear a mask any longer, and people who aren’t vaccinated don’t have to wear one outdoors, officials said Friday, noting that the state’s indoor mask requirement will expire in July. The announcement from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the state health department came a day after the Centers for …

Michigan health officials on Wednesday urged primary care physicians to enroll to administer COVID-19 vaccines, as the state prepared to quickly begin vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds following U.S. authorization. “The most important thing we can do right now is to make vaccines available for whenever someone is ready,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive and chief health deputy, …

Michigan on Monday surpassed a 55% COVID-19 vaccination rate, reaching a milestone that will lead to the automatic easing of in-person work restrictions in two weeks. Employers currently must prohibit onsite work if employees’ jobs can feasibly be done remotely. The state anticipates lifting the rule on May 24, said COVID-19 workplace safety director Sean Egan. The 55% benchmark is …

The St. Joseph County Commission on Aging is pleased to announce that Alex Kelley is the new Life Enrichment Coordinator for the COA. Kelley, a Sherwood resident, is a familiar face to COA members as she has been the receptionist at the Oaks Enrichment Center in Sturgis since May 2018. Kelley, who attended Burr Oak High School and Glen Oaks …

A Schoolcraft couple died in a 2-car crash Friday afternoon. The victims were identified as Joel Shaffer, age 83, and his wife, Dolores Shaffer, age 84. State police say the couple was eastbound on X Y Avenue, just south of Schoolcraft, when they collided with a southbound SUV on US-131. The names of the SUV driver, along with the passenger, …

Michigan said late Friday that 54% of adults ages 16 and up have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot, a roughly 2.5 percentage point jump after factoring in people who were vaccinated outside the state or at federal facilities. The addition of nearly 227,000 residents to the state’s count put Michigan close to a 55% benchmark Gov. Gretchen says is needed to …