 Family Health Care’s Child & Adolescent Health Centers located in Baldwin, Grant and White Cloud schools will be closed tomorrow, January 30.
At this time, all Family Health Care main clinics located in Baldwin, Cadillac, Grant, McBain and White Cloud will remain open with minimal staff. We request all patients call prior to their appointment. All evening appointments have been canceled. We will continue to monitor the weather and provide updates when appropriate.
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 From Newaygo County Emergency Services Director Abby Watkins
Avoid non-essential travel. STAY HOME IF POSSIBLE. White out conditions are expected with near blizzard conditions at times. Conditions are favorable for multi-car pileups and highway closures. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for Newaygo County until 1 pm on Thursday. Lake effect snow showers. Blowing and drifting snow. Additional snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches today through tonight. Additional snow accumulations possible Wednesday into Thursday with some blowing and drifting likely. Dangerously cold wind chills expected to develop this evening. Wind chills of 25 to 40 below zero expected tonight through Thursday morning. These conditions will continue to make travel very hazardous. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. FROSTBITE RISK HIGH
WINTER STORM SAFETY!
 Spectrum Health hospitals, surgeries, urgent care centers remain open
Jan. 29, 2019 (4 p.m.) – Due to winter storm warnings and extreme cold temperatures, all Spectrum Health Medical Group physician offices and all outpatient rehabilitation locations will be closed throughout Spectrum Health’s 13-county service area all day Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. In Newaygo County, Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial hospital in Fremont will be open, as will the lab and emergency department. Gerber Memorial will close the following locations on Wednesday:
Programs and classes may be cancelled this week - please call ahead to verify or visit our cancellations web page. Regular updates will be available on Spectrum Health’s website.  TrueNorth Community Services' offices, programs and services closed at 2 p.m. today and will be closed Wednesday, January 30, because of the extreme conditions caused by the winter storm.
This includes Camp Newaygo, the Center for Nonprofit Housing, Circles Newaygo County, our emPower heat and energy assistance program, housing services, Ridge Specialties, the TrueNorth Food Pantry and the Volunteer Resource Center of Newaygo County. We expect to resume regular hours on Thursday, January 31  TUESDAY JANUARY 29, 2019
From Newaygo County Emerency Services Director Abby Watkins: White out conditions are occurring with near blizzard conditions at times. Multiple accidents areoccurring across the County. Conditions are favorable for multi-car pile-ups and highway closures. USE EXTREME CAUTION. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for Newaygo County until 1 pm on Thursday. Lake effect snow showers. Blowing and drifting snow. Additional snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches today through tonight. Additional snow accumulations possible Wednesday into Thursday with some blowing and drifting likely. Dangerously cold wind chills expected to develop this afternoon. Wind chills of 25 to 40 below zero expected tonight through Thursday morning. These conditions will continue to make travel very hazardous. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions will impact the morning and evening commutes. The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. FROSTBITE RISK HIGH
 -From our friends at Family Health Care:
For the safety of patients and staff, all Family Health Care locations will be closing at 5 p.m. today, January 29, 2019. Locations include Grant, White Cloud, Baldwin, Cadillac and McBain.  Family Health Care’s office in Baldwin, as well as the Child & Adolescent Health Center in Baldwin Schools, will now be closing at 1 p.m. today.
 Gerber Memorial shuts all clinics, rehab as dangerous winter hits
Jan. 28, 2019, 11:45 a.m. – Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial is closing all physician offices and clinics for the rest of the day, Jan. 28, starting at noon because of dangerous winter weather and hazardous road conditions. Outpatient rehabilitation services in Fremont located at Tamarac and in Newaygo will also close. Tamarac will also close the building for the remainder of the day. The Gerber Memorial Cancer Center is currently open. Gerber Memorial’s Emergency Department will remain open. Gerber Memorial will provide an update around mid-afternoon. For primary care services, patients are encouraged to use Spectrum Health’s telemedicine service, MedNow. Patients may schedule an appointment via MedNow by calling 844.322.7374, through their MyHealth account and selecting the MedNow tile at the top or by downloading the app from SpectrumHealth.org.  Family Health Care will be closing all main sites at 5 p.m. today, January 28, due to weather. Locations include Grant, White Cloud, Baldwin, Cadillac and McBain.
 From our friends at Newaygo County Emergency Services!!
All Newaygo County Government Offices and Courts are closed today, Monday, January 28, 2019 due to a Winter Storm Warning, which is in effect for Newaygo County until 7 pm. Heavy snow is expected with total snow accumulation of 8 to 12 inches and winds gusting as high as 40 mph. These conditions will make travel very hazardous or impossible. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions will impact the morning and evening commute. The extremely cold wind chills as low as 25 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. Scattered power outages are possible. Avoid non-essential travel. If you do have to travel, carry emergency supplies in your car in case you get stuck. WHAT TO EXPECT Dangerous travel is starting to occur aross much of Lower Michigan. The heaviest snow in West Michigan will fall in our area. The worst weather conditions (heaviest snowfall rates, lowest visibility, highest winds) is expected to occur from just before the morning commute through midday, but tricky travel conditions may persist into the evening as clean-up efforts continue. Extremely cold temperatures will follow the heavy snow Tuesday through Thursday. Wind chills will be well below zero, making time spent outdoors potentially life-threatening. Frostbite may occur under 15 minutes. WINTER STORM SAFETY!
 Spectrum Health hospitals, surgeries, urgent care centers remain open
Due to winter storm warnings and forecasted extreme cold temperatures, Spectrum Health Medical Group physician offices, ambulatory clinical locations and all outpatient rehabilitation facilities will be closed until noon on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019. Pending weather updates, the offices may remain closed the remainder of the day. Patients are advised to call their physician’s office with questions. All hospital services, surgeries, urgent care, stand-alone walk-in clinics and convenient care sites are open. Walk-in clinics and convenient care sites that are part of a physician office will be closed. See below for a detailed list: Clinics that will BE CLOSED: Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Walk-in Clinic NEWAYGO /(Convenient Care) Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital Walk-in Clinic LUDINGTON /(Convenient Care) Spectrum Health United Hospital Walk-in Clinic –GREENVILLE/( Convenient Care) Spectrum Health Pennock Walk-in Clinic – IONIA (Convenient Care) Spectrum Health Reed City Hospital Walk-in Clinic – REED CITY(Convenient Care) Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital Walk-in Clinic – Big Rapids Spectrum Health Walk-in Clinic – Caledonia Walk-In Clinics that WILL BE OPEN: Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Walk-in Clinic FREMONT /(Convenient Care) Spectrum Health Walk-in Clinic – 426 Michigan Street Spectrum Health Walk-in Clinic – Hudsonville All Urgent Care sites Occupational Health locations For primary care services, patients are encouraged to use Spectrum Health’s telemedicine service, MedNow. Patients may schedule an appointment via MedNow by calling 844.322.7374, through their MyHealth account and selecting the MedNow tile at the top or by downloading the app from SpectrumHealth.org. Regular updates will be available on Spectrum Health’s website.  Another Round of Extreme Cold and Snow to Impact Michigan LANSING, January 25, 2019- With a second round of arctic temperatures forecast to impact the entire state next week and significant snowfall in the Lower Peninsula, the Michigan State Police (MSP) is encouraging state residents and visitors to be extra cautious when going out in the extreme cold. “With the National Weather Service forecasting another period of sub-zero temperatures and snow, it’s important that Michiganders take steps to stay safe during this stretch of cold weather,” said Capt. Emmitt McGowan, deputy state director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and commander of the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD). “If you must be outdoors, be sure to dress appropriately and wear a warm coat, hats and gloves and have an emergency preparedness kit in your vehicle.” The National Weather Service is forecasting up to six inches of snow in much of the Lower Peninsula from Sunday to Monday night. Beginning Monday night and lasting through Friday all of Michigan will experience sub-zero overnight low temperatures and daytime highs around 0 degrees. Exposure to these temperatures could potentially cause frostbite and hypothermia, create hazardous driving conditions and cause frozen pipes. To stay safe during cold weather:
Motorists are encouraged to check travel conditions and weather reports before driving atwww.michigan.gov/roadconditions. Major road closures can be found at www.michigan.gov/drive. The MSP/EMHSD asks that you tune into local news and/or view these websites rather than calling your local MSP post or 911 for travel conditions. To prevent frozen pipes:
For more information on how to prepare before, during and after an emergency or disaster, visitwww.michigan.gov/miready or follow MSP/EMHSD on Twitter at @MichEMHS.   The first group of volunteers attending orientation for the new Fremont Recycling site Volunteers attend Fremont Recycling site orientation. As the February 6th date approaches for the opening of the new recycling site in Fremont final preparations are being made. The first round of excited and energetic volunteers got their first overview of the site and orientation included a brief history, the facility layout and the protocols for the new site. Volunteer procedures were shared, discussed and demonstrated and attendees also heard a presentation from Newaygo County. Volunteers received information on proper recycling and ways to educate the general public to be more efficient in their recycling efforts. Great detail was focused on what can and, more importantly, what cannot be recycled. After the opening on February 6th. The scheduled times open will be Wednesdays 1-5pm Saturdays 9am-2pm and Mondays 10am-1pm. For information on volunteering or information on recycling you can call the Newaygo Board of Public Works. 231-689-7213.  New Fremont site opens February 6! By Doug Harmon So you heard that after a nearly two year sabbatical recycling was making a return to Fremont? You heard right. Months of talks and planning with multiple agencies and organizations will finally result in a recycling center for the Fremont area beginning on Wednesday February 6th from 1pm-5pm. The site will also be open on Saturdays from 9am-2pm beginning February 9th and, Mondays from 10am-1pm beginning February 11th. Thanks to the cooperative efforts involving the Newaygo County Board of Commissioners, Newaygo County Board of Public Works, the Newaygo County Drain Commissioner, The City of Fremont,The Fremont Area Community Foundation, NCRESA, Cartright Recycling, 3R’s, The Newaygo County Road Commission and Paul Mellema of Fremont Mini Storage, the long awaited return will come to fruition with a new spot for the local community to drop off their recyclables. Paul Mellema has donated a location for the site at the Fremont Mini Storage 56th and M82/Stewart St in Fremont. Access will be from 56th St. (5510 address). The site will be fenced and have operating hours to help alleviate the volume and contamination problems of the past. The new location will be a prototype center to determine if fenced in areas, scheduled times of operation and knowledgeable volunteers will alleviate the contamination issues that continue to plague recycling efforts . Cameras will also cover the site 24/7 to assist in identifying dumping and illegal use. Mellema storage has donated the land and a beautiful new office facility for volunteers to assist and educate users and now the Board of Public Works is reaching out to the community for volunteers to help run the center. The BPW is also partnering with NCRESA with students in the Transition program at the Education and Activity Center involved in the recycling efforts. Should enough volunteers come forward the center would be able to increase the hours of operation. For information on how to become a volunteer or any questions regarding recycling please contact the Newaygo County Board of Public Works at 231.689.7213 The former Fremont location saw significant abuse of illegal dumping including but not limited to, garbage, construction material, mattresses, used motor oil, flammable liquids, propane tanks and many other non-recyclable materials. This kind of illegal dumping prompted the closure of the Fremont site in 2017 as well as the former Hesperia site in 2016. The future success of the site will depend on the legal and appropriate use of the recycling center. Want to help sustain recycling efforts in Newaygo County? You can pitch in by making a contribution that will directly fund the drop off sites. Please make checks payable to: Fremont Area Community Foundation and write Newaygo County, recycle services in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to: Fremont Area Community Foundation, 4424 W. 48th Street, Fremont, Michigan 49412. You can also give online through the Community Foundation's website: facommunityfoundation.org. Click on the "Give Today" button located at the top of the page. Please include Newaygo County, recycle services when asked the purpose of your gift.   MDHHS updates status of public assistance benefits, Medicaid during partial federal government shutdown LANSING– Michigan residents still can apply for and receive Medicaid and public assistance benefits such as food and cash assistance; Women, Infants and Children (WIC); State Emergency Relief and child care reimbursement despite the partial federal government shutdown. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is clarifying the status of the programs, which receive federal dollars but are administered by MDHHS. The state has determined there will be no impact to the availability of benefits through these programs in February even if the shutdown continues. There has been no official determination made on March benefits. “The partial federal government shutdown has understandably created concerns from families that rely on federal safety net assistance administered by MDHHS,” said Terrence Beurer, deputy director of Field Operations Administration for MDHHS. “Programs that feed Michigan residents are a primary concern of the State of Michigan, and we have heard misinformation being spread about the immediate impact of the shutdown. We want people to know that MDHHS is prepared to continue to provide this assistance and that funding remains in place through the end of February.” Below are updates on the status of various federally funded programs administered by MDHHS:
State government generally can operate seamlessly for about 45 days after a federal shutdown begins. With the shutdown now beyond 30 days, the State Budget Office, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office and MDHHS are assessing the impact beyond 45 days and into March. Further information will be released as it becomes available. Anyone who has questions about all programs above other than WIC can find contact information for their local MDHHS office by going to www.michigan.gov/contactmdhhs. Anyone with questions about WIC can find contact information for their local WIC agency by going towww.michigan.gov/wic.   Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed motions to withdraw from four federal lawsuits against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), originally filed by her predecessor.
At Nessel’s direction, the state is withdrawing from the following cases:
 Gerber Federal Credit Union Now Accepting Essays for $2,750 in Cash Scholarships FREMONT- Gerber Federal Credit Union (Gerber FCU) is pleased to support its young members by awarding scholarships to 3 high school seniors this March: First Place - $1,750 and publication of essay submission at www.gerberfcu.com, Second Place - $750, Third Place - $250. To be eligible, applicants must be Gerber FCU members and current high school seniors planning to attend an accredited technical school, community college, trade school, four-year accredited college or university or an apprentice program. 300-500 word essays on the topic “What do you think is the largest risk to financial health for teens and young adults today? What steps should be taken to reduce this risk?” must be submitted by email, mail or in-person no later than February 15, 2019 at 5pm ET. For more information about the Gerber FCU scholarships, please visit www.gerberfcu.com/scholarships.   Community Invited to Learn About Local Barriers to Employment Join a community discussion on January 24 to learn more about what keeps people out of the workforce and how our community can help. The Circles Newaygo County Big View meeting will feature an overview of the top employment barriers in our area and an update on key legislation from several state and federal lawmakers. Talent 2025—an organization working to ensure an ongoing supply of world-class talent for West Michigan—will share its research on local barriers to employment, including education and skills, childcare, transportation, and substance use. Also attending will be Michigan State Senator Jon Bumstead, State Representative Scott VanSingel, Peter Dickow representing U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Mary Judnich representing U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Matt Kooiman representing Congressman Bill Huizenga. They will discuss key legislation and policies in place to move more Michigan residents into the workforce. The evening will include opportunities for conversation with legislators. The Circles Big View meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. at United Church of Christ in Newaygo (432 Quarterline Street) on January 24. A community meal will be served at 6 p.m. and the program begins at 6:40 p.m. To RSVP for dinner, contact Lindsey Slater at Fremont Area Community Foundation at 231.924.5350 or lslater@facommunityfoundation.org by January 22.   On Monday, January 14 at 7pm the Newaygo City Council will be reviewing a request for special use for two addiction recovery wellness homes in downtown Newaygo during their regular meeting at City Hall. There was a full house at city hall last week Tuesday when the Planning Commission reviewed the request at a public hearing and received a great deal of public comment on the matter including those who delivered supportive statements as well as some who shared concerns about the houses being located downtown. Mike Helmer of Randy’s House, the program requesting the action, addressed questions during the meeting. The week before, an informational meeting was held at Loomis Lodge where Helmer and other staff of Randy’s House delivered a presentation on the program, currently operating 4 such homes in Greenville. The Planning Commission voted to pass the matter on to the Council with some amendments including limiting the number of vehicles allowed at the locations and compliance with the building code’s rule regarding square footage. The planned residences are located at 48 Justice and 68 Quarterline.  January 9th Newaygo County Board of Commissioners Meeting By Charles Chandler On Wednesday, January 9th Mr. Brian Kolk the new Chairperson gaveled in the first Board of Commissioners’ meeting of 2019. The roll call introduced four new Commissioners. They included Mr. Burt Cooper representing District 1, Mr. Ken DeLaat representing District 5, Ms. Brenda Bird representing District 6 and Mr. Mike Kruithoff representing District 7. The meeting agendas were approved and Chair Kolk proceeded in an orderly manner with the new commissioners voting on motions, resolutions and presenting comments and committee reports. For the first meeting with a new Chair and four new Commissioners the County business was taken care of in an effective and efficient manner. Regarding the Changing of the Guard, several new or recently promoted County Employees were introduced to the Board. County Treasurer Ms. Holly Moon introduced Kimberly Foster a new employee in the Treasurer’s Office. Kimberly is familiar with the office having been an intern while in High School and for a brief stint worked there full-time. After graduation and college, she moved to Shepherdsville, KY with her husband. While there she held various positions at Amazon rising to a department lead. The Foster Family decided to move back to Newaygo County in November, and Treasurer Moon stated that she was thrilled to have Kimberly back in the Department. County Register of Deeds Mr. Stewart Sanders introduced three employees from his department that was new or recently promoted. Karen Totten new Chief Deputy Register. She and her husband moved back to the White Cloud area from the East side of the State. Karen is a former Meijer Store Manager. She has been in the Register of Deeds office for 3 years. Deputy Register Nicole Visser started with the Department on July 31st of 2018 and was most recently the Office Manager for Best Homes in Newaygo. She and husband reside in the Newaygo Area. New Register Amy Nelson was previously employed by Spectrum of Grand Rapids and resides in the Newaygo area. County Clerk Jason Vanderstelt introduced Amanda Hunter as new Deputy Clerk – Elections Administrator. Amanda comes to the County Clerk’s Office from the Building Department, with high recommendations. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Grand Valley State University. The Commissioners welcomed and congratulated the new and newly promoted County employees. White Cloud City Manager Lora Kalkofen was re-appointed to the Brownfield Authority Board for a three-year term. Standing Committee Reports Commissioner DeLaat presented the Finance Committee business. During the Finance Committee reports Ms. Holly Moon presented a brief overview of the investment policy for Newaygo County to the new Commissioners as required by Public Act 20. In brief the Policy focuses on three objectives. Safety: the preservation of principal while mitigating credit and interest rate risks. Liquidity: ensuring that the investment portfolio remains sufficiently liquid to enable the Treasurer to meet all reasonably anticipated operating requirements. And Return on Investments: Designing the Counties’ investment portfolio so that through budgetary and economic cycles and considering risks makes money over the long term. Treasurer Moon explained further how she structured investments and discussed the impact of current market volatility. The Board approved the proposal to extend the contract with Rehmann Robson LLC for auditing services for three years, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The Proposal was supported by County Administrator Wren. Miscellaneous Committee Reports Commissioner Maike reported that he had recently attended a Newaygo County Community Collaborative (NC3) meeting. In this meeting of a group of area business executives had attended and are working to help curb poverty in Newaygo County. One initiative is developing ‘Randy’s House’ located in Newaygo City. Commissioner Maike also mentioned a planned expansion of the HarbisonWalker International, Inc Refractory facilities located at 1301 East 8th Street, White Cloud, MI and in Everett Township. Commissioner Trapp reported that the Board of Public Work had a meeting and they are getting close to having an operational prototype of a Recycling Facility in Fremont. Commissioner Trapp mentioned that the Fremont Area Community Foundation had been a strong supporter of the Recycling Facility and the ongoing efforts to find a long-term solution to Newaygo County’s Recycling needs. Drain Commissioner Dale Twing of the same meeting also reported that he was working with Newaygo County ISD to recruit volunteers to staff operations at the prototype Recycling Facility. Commissioner Twing described the features and amenities at the facility and stated there will be a press release forthcoming when the opening date for the Recycling Facility is determined. Administrator’s Report: Administrator Wren reported on the proceedings of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission and noted that the County had received their Grant Agreement from the State. More details will follow as Newaygo and other Counties work through the details of the Grant Agreement with the State. Commissioner Wren is currently interviewing candidates for the Indigent Administrator Position. It is being recommended that the County Building Department move in a new direction in order to provide ongoing Building Inspection services to County residents, contractors and other users. The Townships have been notified of the proposed new direction. Contract(s) to that effect will be presented to the Finance Committee next week and then to the full Board after that. The Board will have an opportunity to review and approve all service contracts. Newaygo County in collaboration with eight other Counties is close to finalizing negations with a Forensic Pathologist to bring those services to the Morgue in Big Rapids. This will be the first-ever County or Publicly operated Morgue in the State of Michigan. The County has received generous awards from the Fremont Area Community Foundation (FACF). Those were in the sum of $500,000 for the construction of Michigan Dragon Trail at Hardy Pond, $75,000 match for recycling services, and a $630,000 loan at 1 percent for improvements at the Central Dispatch Facilities. The County appreciates the generosity and continued partnership with the FACF. There has been $8,298.00 added to the budget for the Crime Victims’ Rights program for the fiscal year 2019. Of that amount about $3,000. been allocated to Ancillary Direct Victim’s Needs program. Public Comment: County Prosecutor Worth Stay discussed details of the Crime Victims ‘Rights Program. Specifically, the Ancillary Direct Victim’s needs which include, request and reimbursement for travel cost, replacing broken locks, or broken windows and cost to damaged security systems. Prosecutor Stay discussed the policy for informing victims about the program and the various forms and procedures for getting work done and paying vendors for those services. Miscellaneous: The Board of Commissioners quickly and with thanks from the Administrator and other Commissioners for her service reappointed Abigail Watkins as Director of Newaygo Emergency Services Director. And quickly approved of 2018 Edition of Newaygo County Emergency Operation Plan that is developed and managed by Director Watkins. Adjournment: As a benchmark for their first Commissioner Meeting each of four new Commissioners was asked by the N3 Correspondent what their goals were or what they hoped to accomplish in their first term of office. The answers follow. From Commissioner Cooper: “I've always been a supporter of Public Safety (Emergency Services, Law Enforcement, Dispatch, and Disaster Support) and Veterans services (retired military and former Newaygo County Veterans Affairs Committee member), having been personally involved in or interacted with all these areas. Now, I'm looking forward to supporting them at a Commissioner-level. In addition, supporting job training and economic growth for Newaygo County by serving on the boards of Michigan Works-West Central Board and the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission.” From Commissioner DeLaat: “I hope to effectively represent the interests of the people who elected me as their commissioner. A large part of this involves helping to ensure the financial health of our county while continuing to provide the necessary services our community requires. This is a continuing and ongoing challenge as the need continues to grow while resources are often limited.My hope is for our board to support efforts being made locally to face the challenges of workforce development, affordable housing, and the changing economic landscape. The area looks to experience growth in the near future and we need to be prepared for what that growth will mean to our communities.” Commissioner Bird: “As far as my goals for this job, it is the same as my way of life; to serve people to the best of my ability. Holding fast to the right and focus on doing good!” Commissioner Kruithoff: “My goals as a commissioner are to help keep our County going in a positive direction, being on the physical and Economic Development Committee, I look forward to improvements and repairs on our County buildings and parks and continue to make Newaygo County a tourism destination. I look forward to serving our County as a Commissioner. Thank you.” The next Board of Commissioners Meeting will be held on January 23. The County Offices will be closed on January 21 to observe Martin Luther King Day.  Emergency Services Director Abby Watkins addresses the Board.  January is School Board Recognition Month. This is a time to recognize the individuals who approach their volunteer work like it is a full-time job and with extraordinary dedication to public schools. They are citizens whose decisions affect our children and build our community. School boards are charged with making decisions that can sometimes be quite difficult, or require sifting through a great deal of information. They contribute hundreds of hours each year leading our schools. Collectively, school board members across the state spend more than 7,500 hours on professional development to keep well-informed of the latest trends in educational leadership, are deeply involved in community activities and spend many hours at extracurricular events. Through their dedication, governance, advocacy and collaboration with other school district staff, they are building the future of education in Michigan. This month, we encourage all members of the community to thank a board member. Please take this opportunity to show your appreciation for these servant leaders and begin to better understand how local trustees work together to prepare today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders. The men and women serving the public schools in Newaygo County are: Big Jackson Public School: Charlotte Lockerby, Laura Johnson, Brad Crawford, Sue Jones, Lynn Ulman Fremont Public Schools: Ed Wosinski, Terri Blake, Rick St. Peter, Matt Hendrie, Jennifer Scott, Kevin Kaastra, Crystal Calkins Grant Public Schools: Kris Lesley, Shawn Moore, Neil Geers, Dianne Ring, Damon Arsenault, Jill Niewiadomski, George Brown Hesperia Community Schools: Scott Wenberg, Ryan Good, Michelle K. Allen, Julie Burrell, Alan Daniels, Mary Sturtevant, Mark Kraus Newaygo Public Schools: Vince Grodus, Bret Brummel, Reid Sherwood, Melissa Swinehart, Morgan Heinzman, Thomas Frisbie, Jami Schultz White Cloud Public Schools: Holly Bowman, Megan Cruzan, Keith Derks, Elaine Engel, Jim Jones, Mindy Mench, Harry Stevens Newaygo County RESA: David Hewitt, Ed Haynor, Karen Kasankiewicz, Laura Johnson, Sarah Robinson  Western & Southern Financial Group announced the completion of its purchase of Gerber Life Insurance Company, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Nestlé S.A., on Dec. 31, 2018.
The purchase includes a long-term license to use certain Gerber Life intellectual property, including the Gerber Life name and logo, in connection with certain financial services. The deal brings a leading direct-to-consumer life insurer and renowned brand to Western & Southern’s diversified family of financial services businesses. The $1.55 billion purchase was announced by Nestlé and Western & Southern in September. Gerber Life, headquartered in White Plains, New York, brings its valuable product offerings and focus on protecting families to the Cincinnati-based company that began selling life insurance door to door 130 years ago and is now one of the strongest life insurance groups in the world. “We are thrilled to welcome Gerber Life to our family of companies,” said John F. Barrett, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Western & Southern. “As we said when we announced the purchase agreement, this iconic and trusted consumer brand is a compelling fit for Western & Southern, which has always been a human institution serving human needs with tailored financial solutions that are easy for our clients to understand. Our two companies share a common mission of providing financial strength and security to the ones we love.” Founded in 1967 as a financially separate affiliate of the Gerber Products Company, “the baby food people,” Gerber Life specializes in providing simplified life insurance products to underserved middle-income families as well as medical stop-loss insurance to small and medium-sized businesses. Nestlé, the largest food and beverage company in the world, acquired Gerber Products and Gerber Life in 2007. Gerber Life’s $52 billion of life insurance in force and 3.6 million individual life policies will expand Western & Southern’s policyholder base and enhance its product profile by increasing its ratio of life insurance business to annuity business. Approximately 500 associates make up Gerber Life’s workforce, distributed between the company’s headquarters in White Plains and an operations center in Fremont, Michigan. Current plans call for all to remain in place. |
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February 2019
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