MSP urges residents not to text and drive after multiple-car collision
NILES, Mich. โ The Michigan State Police department is reminding residents to not text and drive after a distracted driver was involved in a multiple-vehicle collision Monday. The crash was captured by a MSP trooperโs dashcam near Niles, on Michiganโs southwest side. According to the National Highway Trafic Safety Administration, distracted driving killed nearly 3,000 people in 2018 -- 1,730 drivers, 605 passengers, 400 pedestrians and 77 bicyclists -- and injured about 400,000 people. Click below link to learn more.https://t.co/nZ4evR3dOU pic.twitter.com/LOiMET1Iyo โ MSPSouthwestMI (@MspSouthwestMI) November 23, 2020A Plymouth high school student is getting national attention for a project spotlighting the dangers of distracted driving. With the support of Students Against Destructive Decisions and Lear Corporation, students across the nation were invited to create videos and memes to drive the message home.
More coronavirus (COVID-19) testing sites open in Michigan under Neighborhood Testing initiative
An additional five coronavirus (COVID-19) testing sites are opening this week throughout Michigan as part of the states Neighborhood Testing initiative. In addition to no-cost COVID-19 testing sites throughout the state, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is partnering with community members to operate testing sites at locations such as churches, community colleges and nonprofit organizations. This week, five new no-cost COVID-19 testing sites will open in Detroit, Lansing, Niles, Saginaw and Wayne. The state announced last Wednesday a plan to open more than 30 neighborhood testing sites throughout Michigan over the next few weeks. You can find more no-cost testing sites in Michigan online here.
Hiring soared in May as mass layoffs eased
They remained extraordinarily high in April, at 7.7 million, but in May they fell back to pre-pandemic levels of 1.8 million. While that is the most hires on records dating back to 2000, it wasn't nearly enough to offset the roughly 19 million layoffs in March and April. The JOLTS report provides gross totals of hiring and layoffs, while the monthly jobs report, which also includes the unemployment rate, is a net figure of total jobs gained or lost. On Thursday, the jobs report showed that employers added a net total of 4.8 million jobs in June, after a gain of 2.7 million in May. Employers advertised 5.4 million jobs in May, about 10% higher than in April, but still below pre-pandemic levels of about 7 million.
Criminals stealing unemployment benefits as claims surge
Criminals are seizing on a surge in job losses to steal unemployment benefits from Americans nationwide. The uptick in crime complicates an already tough situation for millions of financially strapped Americans and overwhelmed state unemployment offices. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)Criminals are seizing on a surge in job losses to steal unemployment benefits from Americans nationwide. This complicates an already tough situation for millions of financially strapped Americans and overwhelmed state unemployment offices. Since mid-March, 42.7 million people have applied for unemployment benefits, though some have been rehired as states allow businesses to reopen.
Michigan tattoo shop shut down for not sterilizing piercing equipment
NILES, Mich. โ A tattoo shop in west Michigan had its license pulled because piercing equipment was not being sterilized. The equipment at Paparazzi Tattoos and Piercing in Niles was only being sanitized. Anyone who has been a customer at the shop is urged to get blood tests to check for HIV and hepatitis B and C.The shop will remain closed until inspectors confirm changes have been made.