 From our friends at the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office: On November 24, 2021, at approximately 8:58pm, Deputies with the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the 2500 block of S Fawn Ave, Big Prairie Township, on a report of a possible death. When deputies arrived on scene, they found a deceased 35-year-old female, from White Cloud, inside the residence. After an investigation was performed, a 65-year-old male, from White Cloud, was lodged at the Newaygo County Jail on homicide charges. All names are being withheld at this time as the investigation is ongoing. The 65-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned at the 78th District Court on Monday November 29th 2021. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted on the scene by the Michigan State Police Crime Lab, Life EMS, Mid Michigan Medical Examiner Group and Newaygo County Central Dispatch.
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 Reduces number of people who can visit in hospitals and outpatient care sites
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 23, 2021 – As a result of increasing numbers of patients admitted with COVID-19 and hospitals at or near capacity throughout West Michigan, Spectrum Health is revising its visitor policies to reduce the number of people in its Grand Rapids and regional hospitals and outpatient care sites. “Spectrum Health is happy to welcome visitors who want to be with their loved ones,” said Chad Tuttle, senior vice president, hospital and post-acute operations, Spectrum Health West Michigan. “Like hospitals across West Michigan, Spectrum Health is experiencing high demand for our services and our hospitals are very full. While our teams focus on care, visitors can help their loved ones feel more comfortable during their stay and keep everyone healthy and safe by following our updated visitor guidelines.” Effective Tuesday, Nov. 23, patients are allowed only one adult visitor in the following areas: All inpatient rooms, emergency departments, urgent care, walk-in clinics, surgery, radiology and lab locations, as well as labor and delivery. Adult COVID-19-patients are allowed only one adult visitor, who must be the same person throughout the patient’s stay and must follow personal protective equipment guidelines. Spectrum Heath pediatric patients may have two adult visitors in the emergency department, urgent care, surgery and lab. Pediatric radiology patients can have one adult visitor. Pediatric inpatient areas allow two adult visitors, who must be the same people throughout the patient’s stay. In double occupancy rooms, a pediatric patient is only allowed one parent. Pediatric COVID-19 patients are allowed two adult visitors, who must be the same people throughout the patient’s stay and must follow personal protective equipment guidelines. Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the care teams involved based on end-of-life care or special needs. Adults are individuals ages 18 and older. Children and minors will be allowed as visitors only in limited circumstances. Patients must identify visitors to their care teams. For pediatric patients, adult visitors’ names must be on file. Visitors will be screened. More information about visitor guidelines can be found here. Spectrum Health’s COVID-19 resource center can be found here. The restrictions apply to the following Spectrum Health hospitals and nearby physician offices and ambulatory care sites:
 Julie Burrell named Economic Development Director for Newaygo County The Right Place debuts new county partnership model
(GRAND RAPIDS, MI) – After several months of listening, planning, and examining best practices, The Right Place, Inc. announces it will debut a new and improved model of regional economic development partnerships in 2022 for participating counties across West Michigan. The new format is expected to amplify economic development efforts across the region by empowering full-time county executive directors to drive long-term growth opportunities with the support of The Right Place. Newaygo County's 7 year partnership with The Right Place will continue under the new model and Julie Burrell will be the Economic Development Director. Ms. Burrell has served as Business Development Manager in Newaygo County the past 3 years. “We’re pleased to offer a more sustainable and robust new model to our partners that will boost economic outcomes in each county and the region as a whole,” said Randy Thelen, President and CEO of The Right Place. “Regionalism is a cornerstone of our people, place, and prosperity strategy, and I’m confident our innovative new approach will increase the entire region’s competitive advantage.” “The partnership with The Right Place has been impactful in Newaygo County since day one, but it’s really hit a new level in the last three years,” says Ryan Coffey Hoag, Chair of the Newaygo County Economic Development Committee and MSU Extension Educator for Land Use, Government & Community Vitality. “This new partnership model will ensure a long-term, sustainable future for proactive economic development efforts in Newaygo County. Building a community’s resiliency and prosperity is a marathon and not a sprint, and this enhanced partnership will even better align the passion and insight of our local leadership and the deep strengths of The Right Place regionally.”  Board members and volunteers from Open Arms & NC PCA Child advocates unveil new one-stop center to fight abuse, empower families in 4 W. Michigan counties WHITE CLOUD, Mich. – Two organizations championing the safety and wellbeing of children today unveiled a new one-stop facility providing comprehensive services designed to help fight child abuse and empower families. Open Arms Child Advocacy Center and Newaygo County Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect’ new Center for Hope and Healing is a 23,000-square-foot building in White Cloud that, once fully renovated, will provide a welcoming, safe and private environment for families in Newaygo, Mecosta, Osceola and Lake counties. “The Center for Hope and Healing is a safe sanctuary where trained experts and professionals can provide a range of services that are designed to empower families and children against abuse and neglect,” said Tara Nelson, executive director of NCPCAN. “We are truly excited to begin the work of upgrading our facility so we can welcome children and their loved ones across the four counties that we serve. The Center for Hope and Healing will be a state-of-the-art facility that promotes trust, calm and a sense of security for children and their loved ones. The center represents a landmark step forward in the fight against child abuse and neglect in West Michigan, and we can’t wait to get started.” The Center for Hope and Healing will feature dedicated spaces for a range of services to prevent abuse and neglect, including:
 A quartet of attendees at the gathering strike a pose in the building that will house the Center for Hope & Healing “Thanks to the generosity and support of the communities we serve, the Center for Hope and Healing will become a reality that can help more children stay safer and enjoy a brighter, more hopeful future,” said Amy Taylor, OACAC executive director. “The Center of Hope and Healing is the result of true community collaboration and the hard work of champions for children across four counties. While we still have work to do ahead of us, the Center for Hope and Healing is now a reality that sends a powerful message, that we are committed to protecting children, giving them a voice and empowering them so every child is safe and has the opportunity to thrive.” OACAC and NCPCAN are launching a capital campaign to raise funds to complete the renovation of the building, located just north of White Cloud on M-37, at 601 N. Evergreen Dr., White Cloud, MI 49349. The renovation plans include replacing the building’s roof, upgrading heating and cooling, updating the ceiling and floors, and pouring new asphalt. Though the capital campaign was launched just a few weeks ago, the effort has already raised financial and in-kind donations to begin work on upgrading the building, originally built in the 1980s as a shopping center. “You sort of exponentially benefit if you can find safe, risk-free environments for children,” said Dennis Adama, a major donor to and supporter of the Center for Hope and Healing. “Their opportunities to develop, to be responsible, independent, self-directed people are greatly enhanced. Those are the reasons I think people should be involved with this and should contribute to this."  OPen Arms Board Chair Wendy Samuels addresss the crowd at the groundbreaking event held November 17th. “With the growing need for services that can support the safe and healthy development of children, the Center for Hope and Healing will serve as a sanctuary for more kids and families across the four counties we serve and where they can feel secure and comfortable,” said Wendy Samuels, chair of OACAC’s board of directors. “For years, the communities we serve have worked tirelessly using resources we had to fight abuse and neglect. The Center for Hope and Healing can now build upon the trust of our families and provide more services to more children and families, in a convenient one-stop location so we can help our communities move toward a stronger, more secure future.” OACAC and NCPCAN recognizes with gratitude the many businesses and individuals who have already provided in-kind and financial support toward the Center for Hope and Healing. Child abuse and neglect investigations in OACAC’s and NCPCAN’s service areas continue to go up. OACAC’s existing facility in Big Rapids and NCPCAN’s facility in Newaygo are too small to accommodate the growing number of families or more abuse and neglect victims. The existing facilities also offer only minimal privacy and comfort to children. Additionally, during disease outbreaks, cramped locations increase the risk of infection spread. OACAC and NCPCAN also launched a 6-minute video highlighting the Center for Hope and Healing and its benefits to children, families and the community. To contribute to the Center for Hope and Healing: www.center4hopehealing.org.   Spectrum Health sees COVID surge system-wide
At a press conference Tuesday Spectrum Health officials expressed great concern with the rapid rise in COVID-19 patients, straining hospital resources and creating a ripple effect including limiting the transfers made to a higher level of care hospital and non essential surgeries being deferred. A pandemic high of 367 beds are currently being filled with COVID patients system wide. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital currently has 18 kids admitted with COVID-19 with 6 in their ICU. Prior to this recent surge the average number ranged from 1 to 5 patients. Spectrum Health of West Michigan President Dr. Darryl Elmouchi shared a chart depicting the recent rise in hospitalizations and spoke to the high acuity of non Covid-19 admissions creating a perfect storm when combined with the dramatic increase in COVID-19 patients. He also referenced a recent spike in testing positivity now averaging over 22%, higher than at any time during the pandemic. “What we’re experiencing is unprecedented,” he stated. “We have not experienced anything like this throughout the pandemic. A combination of high non-Covid acuity and dramatic increase in COVID care.” Chief Operating Officer Brian Brasser addressed questions about the influence of the vaccination requirement on staffing. “99.7% of our team are compliant. Our staffing needs have to do with the acuity of our patients. If there is information saying it’s the vaccination requirement that is absolutely not the case.” He also stated Spectrum has added 50 ICU beds and have upskilled their staff for those beds to plan for the coming weeks. Asked about the influence of schools in the recent surge Dr Elmouchi replied that because kids are at high risk of contracting and spreading the virus, youth have been the primary drivers. The Spectrum Health officials stated 85% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 have not been vaccinated and of the ICU patients and those on a ventilator 95% are unvaccinated. Dr Elmouchi encouraged people to do what they can to keep from having to go to the hospital, including getting vaccinated and using common sense prevention methods. “Believe me you don’t want to have to go to the hospital right now. That being said, if you need to come to the hospital by all means do. You just need to know there’s going to be a longer wait.”  River Country Chamber of Commerce, Velocity and the Newaygo High School Cross Country Team would like to invite you to the 2021 Velocity St. Nick Kick on Saturday, December 4, 2021.
Events include a 10K and 5K run and a 1 mile fun run/walk. Sign up online at this RUNSIGNUP link. Prizes include overall prizes for top men and women in the 5K and 10K as well as masters divisions for the 5K and 10K. Additionally, age group winners will receive prizes. Race t-shirts are included in your registration fee.a Races begin at 10 AM at Newaygo High School with day of registration beginning at 8:30 AM. Packet pickup will this year be at Velocity in downtown Newaygo on Wednesday and Thursday evenings (if you go at this time, you will receive a 10% discount to purchase items at Velocity!) and Saturday morning prior to the race at Newaygo High School. Post-race food and drinks, including Wendy’s chili, are included in your race registration! Come enjoy a fun, competitive and unique race experience that will get your holiday cheer off right! Questions can be directed by email to admin@rivercountrychamber.com or by phone to race director Alexis Mercer at 231.286.0593.  Emergency agencies invite community to show support for hospital workers with blessing/lights/horns. Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 6 p.m. – all are invited to join
FREMONT, Mich., November 11, 2021 – Area law enforcement, fire departments and others are holding a “Lights On” celebration of gratitude for hospital workers on Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 6 p.m. Families and members of the community are invited to participate and display messages of thanks, as well as honk their horns and flash their lights during the event. For safety, everyone is asked to stay in their vehicles. Participants are invited to arrive between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. just prior to the 6 p.m. start. Community members are asked to use the north large parking lot across from the Emergency Department. First responder emergency vehicles will be using Maple, Gerber and Oak streets for staging. Local company Sounds R Us will broadcast the event on radio station 99.3, so participants can follow along and stay up-to-date with announcements by tuning in. Community members, hospital staff and others are invited to share messages of gratitude and inspiration, which will be read during the event, and can email them to Fremont Police Department Officer Matt Hendrie at mhendrie@cityoffremont.net. “I’d like to thank Matt Hendrie of the Fremont Police Department for organizing this event for our hospital team and all of the participating emergency services agencies,” said Drew Dostal, president of Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial. “We are nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and experiencing the longest sustained surge of COVID-19 patients yet. It has been tough on our teams and especially our frontline workers. Our teams are dealing with challenges at work, but also dealing with challenges at home and—for those with children at home—at school or with daycare. This has been a long and tiring effort. To have the community’s support means a lot to our team members.” Throughout the month of November, Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial has participated in a month of gratitude events and celebrations as part of Spectrum Health’s Grateful Giving campaign focusing on team member support. “We have really tried to utilize this month of Thanksgiving to communicate to our teams how valued they are, how much everyone appreciates their hard work, and just to recognize the extra effort in this latest COVID-19 surge where we have high census, our highest numbers of COVID-19 patients, and patients that are very sick,” said Kaley Petersen, director of foundation and community services at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial. “We appreciate our emergency agency partners and especially want to thank Matt Hendrie.”   Heroes United event honors those who served Photos by Lil De Laat Story by Ken De Laat They arrived early. And they arrived in droves. With Sounds R Us providing some patriotic plays as a backdrop, a huge horde of humanity streamed onto Main Street and piled into the park more than an hour before the festivities would begin. Fremont, always known for producing some seriously fine parades, hit it out of the park Wednesday afternoon as folks from throughout the area and beyond filled the sidewalks to take part in the festivities. Yes, the Clydesdales were coming. A chance for an up close look at the most famous and recognizable team of horses to ever haul a beer wagon drew massive crowds to the downtown streets. But they also came to honor those who have served. The men and women who wore the uniforms of our military and helped provide and preserve the freedoms we hold today. A number of veteran organizations provided a prelude to the much anticipated equine appearance, punctuated by a pair of impressive performances by the high school marching bands from Fremont and Grant. From the honor guard that led the parade to the bus from the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans the crowd applauded the groups of former servicemen and women from all branches of our military who proudly took in the well deserved accolades. Then came the Clydesdales. And talk about your pièce de résistance… The impressive beasts, decked out in their Budweiser finest and overseen by the watchful eye of a well mannered Dalmatian from atop the carriage, drew an audible and appreciative reaction from the citizenry. They cantered by at a pretty fair pace, coming to rest after circling the park and stood proud, taking in the admiration of those gathered about the team. The United Way of the Lakeshore made this event happen as part of their season of caring annual campaign. Heroes United would be repeating the parade performance in Muskegon on Thursday with a concert to follow. But on Wednesday, the eve of the day itself, the celebration was centered in this Newaygo County town and filled with folks of all ages who came to honor the men and women who spent parts of their younger years in service to this country. Oh, and the horses. They came to see the horses too.    Newaygo County RESA is accepting sealed bids for the construction of a pole barn to be used for the Agriscience program. Interested contractors are encouraged to attend a pre-bid meeting that will be held at the building site at 4747 West 48th Street Fremont MI 49412, behind the Career Tech Center on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. November 23, 2021. All sealed bids to be mailed or hand delivered to the Education Service Center building at above address no later than 2:00 p.m. December 6, 2021. Bids shall be clearly marked “Ag Pole Barn Bid”. Questions regarding this project should be directed to rergang@ncresa.org.  A short chat with the Supe
Superintendent Jeff Wright announced Monday afternoon that Newaygo Schools would be closed beginning the following day until reopening Tuesday November November 16th. We contacted Mr. Wright to ask about the closure. “We have been short staffed to begin with and substitutes are pretty much unavailable these days. Combined with a number of staff being out for a variety of reasons including illness it left us without the ability to be able to provide what we needed for our students. We really made an effort to try to see if we could have other staff do some multi tasking and take over some of the duties but no matter how we worked it we just did not have the coverage we needed. “With the elementary closed and 36% of our students in the elementary school, we would not meet the 75% attendance threshold to have the day count as a school day.” N3-Why not go into virtual learning? “Connectivity issues prevent us from moving over to virtual learning. Our teachers continue to check in on students that might be needing some help during this time but going virtual on such short notice wasn’t really feasible.” Superintendent Wright added: “I want to express appreciation to our parents. We realize this presents a great deal of challenges for them but for the most part they have really stepped up and been very supportive. "This is an outstanding school district and our parents and families are a huge part of making it so.” And again, school will resume on Tuesday November 16th.  Applications open today for a bipartisan $350 million grant program to support childcare businesses and provide bonuses for thousands of childcare professionals.
LANSING, Mich. Nov. 8 — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the launch of the Child Care Stabilization Grant that will distribute $350 million in grants to give every full-time childcare professional a $1,000 bonus and keep childcare programs open and serving kids. “Childcare is the backbone of a strong economy, “said the Governor. “Childcare professionals and programs go above and beyond every day to care for our kids, helping them learn and grow in a safe environment,” With the Child Care Stabilization Grant application now open, licensed childcare providers are eligible to apply and should visit Michigan.gov/childcare to review frequently asked questions and apply. Childcare professionals will be awarded bonuses directly from their employer and do not need to apply. “Childcare professionals are trusted to help our youngest children learn and grow, but their compensation doesn’t reflect the value they bring to our children and communities,” said Kimberly Zehnder, owner of EduPlay Discovery Center in Frankenmuth. “Most teacher’s assistants make a little over minimum wage because that is all that the programs can afford. I’m grateful these grants include bonus pay for childcare professionals because they work very hard caring for our littlest learners. Parents need us so that they can keep working, and it breaks my heart to hear of good programs closing, and parents unable to find care.” Child advocates to unveil new one-stop center to fight abuse, empower families in 4 W. Michigan counties
WHITE CLOUD, Mich. – Two organizations championing the safety and wellbeing of children will unveil a new one-stop facility providing comprehensive services designed to help fight child abuse and empower families at an unveiling and groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 17. Open Arms Child Advocacy Center and Newaygo County Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect’s new Center for Hope and Healing is a 23,000-square-foot building in White Cloud. The new center will be at 601 N. Evergreen Dr., White Cloud, MI 49349, just north of White Cloud on M-37. Once fully renovated, The Center will provide a welcoming, safe and private environment for families in Newaygo, Mecosta, Osceola and Lake counties. The Center for Hope and Healing will feature dedicated spaces for a range of services to prevent abuse and neglect, including:
Child abuse and neglect investigations in OACAC’s and NCPCAN’s service areas continue to go up. OACAC’s existing facility in Big Rapids and NCPCAN’s facility in Newaygo are too small to accommodate the growing number of families or more abuse and neglect victims. The existing facilities also offer only minimal privacy and comfort to children. Additionally, during disease outbreaks, cramped locations increase the risk of infection spread.  Says MCCA surplus $$ should go to residents with auto insurance
LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer called on the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) to deliver refund checks to every Michigander with auto insurance. This refund is possible in part because of the historic, bipartisan auto insurance reform signed into law by the governor in 2019 and would return money to every Michigander with auto insurance. Gov. Whitmer: “The over $5 billion surplus accumulated by the MCCA belongs to Michiganders and should be put in people’s pockets immediately with a refund check As we stay-laser focused on growing our economy and ushering in a new era of prosperity we need to use every resource we have to help people thrive. A refund check to working families will help us continue to put Michiganders first and drive down costs.” Auto Insurance Reform In May 2019,the Governor signed Senate Bill 1 into law, instituting historic, bipartisan reforms to fix Michigan’s broken auto insurance system. The bill saves drivers money by:
 Julie Burrell was recently honored by colleagues for her outstanding accomplishments in promoting Newaygo County's economic development An Economic News Update From The Right Place
By Julie Burrell, Business Development Manager, Newaygo County Economic development is sometimes hard to describe, but in a nutshell… We thrive on relationships, we connect businesses to resources, we focus on collaboration, and we are here to ensure our local employers succeed. This column is designed to share the timely information our community needs to continue being a place where people and businesses can prosper. People ReThink West Michigan is back! This year, Hello West Michigan will host a virtual event on November 10th . Employers across West Michigan are encouraged to participate, but space is limited! Learn more and reserve your employer booth today! Unemployment rates in Newaygo County, currently at 4.6%, continue to lag slightly behind the State of Michigan, at 4.4%. However, our rates are much better than the national average of 5.3%. Creating a robust internship program is one way to fill the future talent pipeline. In a recent article from our colleagues at Hello West Michigan (HWM), they shared that now is the time to begin planning for 2022 opportunities to engage young talent. Read the article here. Local employers are invited to join any of HWM’s Employer Internship Trainings – register here. Michigan Works! West Central is available to assist any Newaygo County employer. From help crafting job descriptions to hosting job fairs in-person again, they are here to serve as a valuable resource for our business community! Check out their new website for location and contact information. Created to help those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, MiLEAP is a program designed to develop meaningful opportunities for people to connect to the labor market. MiLEAP participants will receive individualized competency-based assessments, learning plans, skills assessments, and more. Michigan Works! West Central is leading this effort in our region. Find out more information here. It is more important than ever to increase focus on retaining your existing team members. Providing an opportunity for enhanced education is one way to show appreciation, and there are a few options to do so without footing the entire bill. Coming this fall, the Going Pro Talent Fund is available for training programs and apprenticeships. The Fremont Area Community Foundation’s Adult Scholarships program, which is open for applications year-round for Newaygo County residents, are available for undergrad study, certifications, credentials, and apprenticeship programs. Additionally, the Michigan Reconnect program pays a portion of the cost of tuition for eligible adults in Newaygo County pursuing an associate degree or skills certificate. Place Now, more than ever, PLACE is the differentiator for attracting and retaining employees. Consider including a focus on the quality-of-life Newaygo County offers in your job postings, including seasonal information like the best ways to do fall in Newaygo County. More general information specific to Newaygo County can be found here, and check out this great video put together by the team at The Right Place, highlighting what it’s like to live and work in beautiful West Michigan. Prosperity Pure Michigan Business Connect is offering a grant program designed to break down barriers preventing Michigan businesses from winning purchase orders. Up to $15,000 is available. Learn more and apply here. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s International Trade program has a wealth of expertise and resources available, including their MI-STEP grant program. Up to $15,000 is available to assist with export-related expenses. Learn more here. Michigan State University’s Industrial Assessment Center invites small and medium-sized manufacturers and commercial building owners to participate in their no-cost technical assessment, providing resources to save energy, improve productivity, and reduce waste. Learn more and apply here. Applications are now open for the Women Up & Pitch contest, hosted by Michigan Women Forward. Women entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply prior to November 10th for a chance to win $10,000. We are gearing up for our 4th and final Grow North event of 2021, designed to help connect and enhance knowledge of local entrepreneurs. The session on November 18th focuses on excelling during the holiday season in order to survive the slow Q1 we often experience in rural communities. We are partnering with the Muskegon Innovation Hub, River Country Chamber of Commerce, SBDC, and SCORE for this session. Special guests include Shelly Staeven from Downtown Threadz! Register to attend here: https://fb.me/e/Exl013v9 EPA just announced an invitation for communities to apply for Recreation Economy for Rural Communities planning assistance. This program is open to any municipality or nonprofit to apply and focuses on communities with large natural assets such as our beautiful rivers and lakes. Applications are due November 22nd. More info here. Join the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC) team and DTE Energy for a virtual event on Wednesday, November 3rd, from 3:00-4:00 pm, focused on supply chain opportunities in renewable energy. DTE is looking for civil construction services, electrical contracting, storage and transportation service, manufacturing services including racking and fabrication, and more. Register here: https://pmbc.connect.space/dte-renewable-energy-event/details Join the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC) team and Ford Motor Company for a virtual supply chain matchmaking event providing Michigan businesses opportunities to meet with buyers to discuss purchasing needs. Ford Motor Company is seeking companies to provide IT, Marketing, Transportation, and more. Learn more and register here: https://pmbc.connect.space/ford-motor-company-matchmaker/forms The FCC established the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program earlier this year. Broadband assistance for low-income residents offers a one-time discount of up to $100 on a laptop, desktop or tablet, and up to $50 per month on broadband services. More info can be found here. Consumers Energy has launched the Power MI Fleet program, helping commercial customers transition to electric fleet vehicles. For more information, visit the Power MI Fleet  “Love is a vessel that contains both security and adventure, and commitment offers one of the great luxuries of life: time. Marriage is not the end of romance, it is the beginning.”- Esther Perel In a former career that included facilitating couple counseling sessions I was occasionally asked “So what makes you some kind of expert on marriage, anyway?” And while familiar with the dynamics of relationships and possessing some knowledge of techniques that could at times provide a bit of a boost for faltering marriages, I always admitted that my part in assisting them had more to do with objectivity than expertise. And that I was certainly no expert on marriage. No one is. Each committed relationship is as unique as the individuals who create the coupleship. And successful unions tend to be couples who have a lot in common. As well as those who are nearly polar opposites. That’s right, a meat loving carnivore and her staunch vegetarian husband face the challenges of mealtime while their neighbors, a pair of sushi lovers revel in their raw fish feast. Or maybe he loves U of M and she went to State but their friends met at halftime of a Notre Dame game in the season ticket section. It’s all in how the twosome experiences their journey because, above all, marriage is indeed a journey. Ideally a lengthy and fascinating adventure voyage accompanied by your best friend. Not always easy, not always even close to easy, but part of the package is getting through some perilous times and weathering the changes each person experiences over the passage of time. And despite 48 years of experience I’m still no expert. But man, it has been one great ride. Here are those who recently signed on for their own journey: Krystal Newhouse, White Cloud & MaKail Root, Big Rapids Chelsea Sidlauskas, Fremont & James Johnson, Newaygo Edward Welch, White Cloud & Joanne Hensley, White Cloud Ashley DeVries, White Cloud & Chris LaFond, White Cloud Jordan Chase, Fremont & Rebecca Somers, Fremont Jacob Mayle, Newaygo & Sydnie Grinzinger, Newaygo John Stempien, Coldwater & Nicole Gee, Traverse City Heather Turner, Fremont & Rhonda Turner, Morenci Becky Snippe, Fremont & Kevin Payne, Cedar Springs Devin Grimwood, White Cloud & Jaydene Vanavery, White Cloud Allan Beye Jr. White Cloud & Kianna Beye, White Cloud  Temporary change expected to continue until November 7th
FREMONT, Mich. (Oct. 26, 2021) – Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial today announced temporary adjustments to lab hours at the hospital in Fremont. The temporary hours are:
Gerber Memorial Lab Manager Julie Ward recommended individuals use the self-scheduling online service to lock in their appointments and for their convenience. Self-scheduled appointments are available at the hospital Mondays to Fridays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule a lab appointment online, go to mychart.spectrumhealth.org. Then schedule a lab appointment and select a location, such as “Gerber Memorial.” The adjusted lab hours began Oct. 25 and are expected to last until Nov. 7. To call the lab at the hospital: 231.924.1363  Clydesdales Coming to Fremont
Heroes United is a special event as part of United Way of the Lakeshore’s season of caring and their annual campaign. This year, they are paying special tribute to heroes. For the tribute the Budweiser Clydesdales & Local Veteran Community Groups will participate in the parade. “Heroes United is a celebration of veterans,” says UWL President & CEO, Christine Robere. “It is also a celebration of United Way. This special event is a thank you to people that have been heroes in serving this community and our veterans who have served this country. There will be two parades. The first will be held November 10th in Downtown Fremont, and the second parade will be held November 11th in downtown Muskegon. Our hope is that everyone will feel welcome to view the parade and honor the parade participants. Following the Muskegon veteran’s parade, we will also hold a concert at Mercy Health arena.” The Fremont Heroes Tribute Parade will occur Wednesday, November 10th beginning at 4 PM. The parade route will begin on S. Stewart Avenue, turn down Main Street, and end at the Veterans Memorial Park where food trucks, snacks, and refreshments will be available. “This celebration is a very special event at the mid-point of United Way of the Lakeshore’s annual campaign. As part of our season of caring, we make it a priority to show our community that there are wonderful ways to participate as volunteers and/or as donors. We hope the community will join us in celebrating all our heroes.”  City Manager Jon Schneider:
“The State of Michigan has very strict regulations regarding lead and copper as it relates to drinking water systems. Under Michigan regulations, there are requirements to inventory the different types of pipes in a water system and over several years eliminate certain pipes and components that could contribute to lead being present in the water. “The City of Newaygo has very good water and meets all state requirements regarding the chemical makeup of the water. However, we are still required to visually verify and inventory the pipes in our water system, which is an expensive process since it requires digging many holes throughout town to expose and verify pipe type. “We are grateful to the State of Michigan for awarding a grant of $86,423 to offset the cost. The grant was awarded under their Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) program.” The City of Newaygo Police Department (NPD) along with their staff are excited to announce its completion of the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (MLEAC) accreditation process. The Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) and the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) have pursued this concept and the development of the MLEAC. The attitudes, training and actions of personnel of Michigan’s law enforcement agencies best reflect compliance with the 108 standards contained in this program. Newaygo Police Department was the thirty-seventh accredited agency, state-wide.  Wondering where to get a test done quickly and for free? NC RESA will host District Health Department #10 COVID-19 Testing Clinics beginning this week. Why get tested? As of Wednesday October 20, all of the counties in District 10 remain in the high transmission level categories. There are currently 116 confirmed Delta variants in the DHD#10 jurisdiction: 18 in Crawford, 1 in Kalkaska 2 in Lake, 3 in Manistee, 32 in Mason, 9 in Mecosta, 13 in Missaukee, 6 in Newaygo, 19 in Oceana, and 13 in Wexford. Hospitals continue to experience elevated capacity levels, as there are 7 COVID-19 inpatients in Munson Cadillac, 11 in Munson Grayling, 6 in Munson Manistee, 19 at Spectrum Health Big Rapids, 8 at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial, and 8 at Spectrum Health Ludington. According to DHD#10 reports as of Saturday October 16th 50.4% of eligible Newaygo County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The only county with a smaller percentage of residents given the vaccination is Mecosta at 46.1%.  |
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