At the beginning of 2020, Nick Bigari (left) retired from the hardware business after nearly 45 years with his family’s store, now called Bigari Ace Hardware. He and his late brother Ron sold the business, which was started by their father Ernest in the mid-1970s, to his brother-in-law Tim Novak (right).

IRON RIVER — Through the years, the hardware stores owned by the Bigari family have undergone various transformations. There have been location changes, expansions and the passing of the torch from father to sons.
    On Jan. 1, 2020, another adaptation took place as long-time owner Nick Bigari retired after nearly 45 years in the business and his brother-in-law Tim Novak bought out the business from Nick and his late brother Ron.
    “I was kind of ready,” Nick said recently. “I was just getting tired and sore. And the dynamics changed in the store (relating to technology). And that’s change. It happens every day. Constant.”
    Change has been the name of the game with Bigari Ace Hardware, understandably so. When a business is as successful and enduring as the Bigari hardware stores, it’s natural that such changes occur.
    The Bigari hardware business began in 1975 when Ernest Bigari, Nick and Ron’s father, started the operation in the Riverside Plaza after he owned and operated Bigari Electric for decades. Two years later, Ernest took over the former City Cleaners dry-cleaning shop on Genesee Street and moved his store there.    
    In the early 1980s, the store expanded into the former Loo’s Oldsmobile dealership/garage next door. But as the business kept growing, the need for more space kept returning.
    Eventually, the Bigaris moved their store to its present location on Selden Road in 1992, though there have been expansions at that site as well.
    “It’s been steady,” Nick said of the various expansions. “And then in 2000, we doubled the size of (the Selden Road building).”

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CRYSTAL FALLS — The Crystal Fall City Council held its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Feb. 10 with a wider set of affairs to look into this month.
    During the meeting, the board discussed and heard updates on the Humongous Fungus Fest, county economic affairs, and also revisited the marijuana ordinance passed late last year.
    Starting the meeting, the Iron County Economic Chamber Alliance made a repeat appearance this month. This time, the board received the organization’s Executive Director Paul Schuytema, who started out by delivering a presentation on what activities the ICECA has been and continues to be involved in.
    In addition to trying to find additional revenue streams going forward, the ICECA also discussed other events or programs it planned to be involved in during the new year. One area the ICECA planned to address was “digital readiness” - or in other words how visible a particular area business is on the Internet. The Alliance also planned to help develop a program – in the form of an online training resource – which would help public-facing staff at local businesses direct anyone unfamiliar with the county to various points of interest, including providing assistance in finding food services, outdoor recreational areas and lodging.
    After Schuytema delivered his presentation – in the process taking questions from the board – Mayor Mike McCarthy delivered an update on the city’s readiness for the Humongous Fungus Festival. He said a meeting was held the previous week, and that an outline for the event has been developed as a result of that meeting.
    The event’s activities on Friday would be held on top of the hill in conjunction with the street music festival but would later return to Runkle Lake. Councilman Chris Nocerini said he talked with local sports personnel, as there are athletic activities planned around that time period, and those individuals indicated to him that they not only would plan around it but also actively supported moving the Fungus Festival down toward the lake. Other details were still being worked on, such as the parade and certain activities for the event.

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IRON RIVER—During its Feb. 11 regular meeting, the Iron County Road Commission took the first steps for its millage renewal, which it plans to hold in November during the general election.
    The current half-mill (0.5 mills) levy expires at the end of 2020; it was last approved by voters in 2016. It raises about $243,000 for the Road Commission each year.
    Funds raised in the townships will go to the commission. Money raised in the cities of Iron River, Crystal Falls, Caspian and Gaastra and in the village of Alpha will go to those local units.
    ● Bids were also opened for a pair of tandem trucks. There were two bidders (U.P. International and U.P. Truck Center), each offering two body package options (Monroe and Truck Equipment).
    The bids were very close—ranging from $243,700 to $247,196—and a special meeting was planned on Feb. 26 to go over the bids and award the contract.

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CRYSTAL FALLS — The Iron County Board of Commissioners met on Feb. 11 for its monthly meeting, which received lighter traffic than the room had become accustomed to in the fall and early winter months of last year. However, the meeting was quite active, even more so than many of the finance meetings, lasting 2 1/4 hours. Two issues in particular took up the bulk of this time, a full hour’s worth between the two of them: a presentation by the Iron County Housing Commission and a final decision on full and elected pay bonuses.
    The first of the two featured words delivered by IC Housing Commission Executive Director Steve Gagne, in his first in-regular meeting address with the board after 40 years of service. He asked the board to assist the commission with its requisition program. He said that if the county did not, it would end up having to ask the board for “a lot of money.” Gagne said that if current funding projections hold true, the Housing Commission would be in “deep trouble.”
    At the moment, Gagne said that things were stable due to current spending priorities by the Trump administration, an increase in its budget in excess of 40 percent. However, the funding is not expected to last forever, and even the increases that the Housing Commission has seen over the past few years would not be able to ameliorate issues that have been building since the turn of the century. More recently, since the sequester during the Obama administration, Gagne said that the Housing Commission has had to lay off half of its maintenance staff, and a third of the office staff to deal with current budget realities.

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It was a day of sun and fun as sledders joined in the Cardboard Classic on Feb. 22 at the Caspian Ski Hill. Bob Anderson (left) gave an extra boost to young Jackson for the lead as Miguel Barrett added momentum for Alyczander as the youngster positioned themselves for a ride down the hill.

CRYSTAL FALLS — Interviews scheduled this Saturday will help Forest Park’s School Board decide who the district’s next superintendent will be.
    The new person will take the place of the current superintendent, Becky Waters, who is retiring effective June 30. During the school board’s Feb. 24 regular meeting, four candidates were selected for interviews.
    Mike Hill, regional president of the Michigan Leadership Institute, which conducted the candidate search, reported that 10 people applied for the position. The board went into executive session for two hours before selecting four of them for interviews.
    The four are:
    --Rico Meneghini, K-8 principal at the Norway-Vulcan schools.
    --Travis Depuydt, K-12 principal at the Carney-Nadeau schools.
    --Patrick Browne, principal at Notre Dame Academy High School in Green Bay, Wis.
    --Christy Larson, superintendent at the Belmont (Wis.) Community Schools.
    All four will be interviewed on March 7 at Forest Park Elementary School: Browne at 6:30 a.m., Meneghini at 9 a.m., Depuydt at 10:30 a.m., and Larson at 12:30 p.m. The interviews are open to the public.

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IRON RIVER — With a new starting time of 4:30 p.m., the Iron River City Council meeting on Feb. 19 resulted in approximately 25 people coming to observe the city government. However, additional residents by necessity leads to additional opportunity for critique. This bore itself out at the meeting, where roughly half of the run time consisted of citizens expressing dissatisfaction with this year’s snow clearing efforts, across a mix of audience attendees.
    Early in the meeting, after a brief public hearing on amendments to zoning and rental inspection ordinances, Dave Sankey of K&D Service expressed concerns regarding the degree of plowing that had occurred in proximity to his auto repair business. As the first public comment period progressed, many other residents also informed the board of instances of inadequate plowing within city limits of the winter of 2019 going into 2020.
    The mix of the group involved in this discussion was diverse, ranging from regular audience participants in council meetings to people who had not been frequent attendees in the past. This variety also extended to those with experience in local government, with Iron County Commissioner Ray Coates adding his voice in with the crowd’s.
    These expressions of dissatisfaction were by no means limited to the audience, as city board members Rodney Dood and Ronjo Leonoff also made some pointed statements on the matter as the meeting progressed. Those board members and the audience reiterated their concerns after the meeting, during the second public comment period.

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IRON RIVER — Flying almost completely under the radar during a hyperpolitical year, Michigan’s presidential primary will take place next Tuesday, March 10.
    The vote, taking place after the highly publicized Iowa caucus, New Hampshire primary and the Super Tuesday primaries on March 3, will select delegates to this summer’s national conventions.
    Iron County voters will also decide the fate of three county-wide millage proposals: one renewal and two new millages.
    The renewal is for the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department, which is asking voters to approve its operating millage of 0.42 mills for four more years (2021 through 2024). The current levy will expire in 2020, and the millage would raise $210,268 in its first year.
    The two new millages include a separate proposal for the Health Department and another for the Iron County Veterans Committee. The amounts are small: each is for less than a 10th of a mill (less than 10 cents per $1,000 of taxable value).
    The Health Department is asking for an additional 0.05 mills for five years, 2020 through 2024, to fund the department’s operations. If approved, it would raise $25,959 in its first year.
    The other proposal is to fund the county Veterans Committee for four years (2020 through 2023). That question asks voters to approve 0.075 mills, which would raise $38,938 in its first year.
    Michigan holds its presidential primary on the same day as the states of Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington.
    The Michigan vote is a closed primary: When voters arrive at their polling places, they must ask for a ballot with either Democratic or Republican candidates.
    Their choice of party will be public record, but it will only affect the March 10 presidential primary. When the state primary takes place on Aug. 4, that will be an open primary; voters do not have to declare in advance which party they are voting. (But they can still only vote for one party’s candidates.)
    There are 15 candidates listed on the Democratic presidential ballot and four on the Republican ballot. The names include many who have dropped out of the race—too late to be removed from the ballot.
    The Democratic candidates are: Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Michael R. Bloomburg, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Joe Sestak, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren, Marianne Williamson and Andrew Yang.
    The Republican candidates are Mark Sanford, Donald J. Trump, Joe Walsh and Bill Weld.

A good base of snow and some sunshine added to an enjoyable day for Snowfest 2020 at Crystella Ski Hill on March 1. The event was sponsored by the Iron County Sheriff Office’s D.A.R.E program, Crystella Ski Hill and Iron Endurance.

LANSING — Convicted murder Kelly Marie Cochran’s application for leave to appeal the June 11, 2019 judgement of the Michigan Court of Appeals was denied by the Michigan Supreme Court on March. 3.
    In a statement of the order, the Court said it was “not persuaded that the question presented should by reviewed by this Court.”
    An appeal by application for leave requests the review of specific details, facts of the case, and laws supporting a decision, rather than asking for a review of the decision itself.
    Cochran, 37, was found guilty for the 2014 murder of Christopher Regan in Caspian. Cochran had previously appealed her conviction by an Iron County jury, but the Michigan Court of Appeals denied that appeal and affirmed the jury’s decision.
    Cochran was convicted in February 2017 of first-degree murder, conspiracy to mutilate a dead body, concealing the death of a person, larceny in a building and lying to a peace officer.  
    Cochran is serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole with the Michigan Department of Corrections at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Pittsfield Township.

CASPIAN — By a unanimous 5-0 vote at its Feb. 19 meeting, the Caspian City Commission approved terminating the agreement with the Iron County Amateur Hockey Association (IAHA) on March 1 because the hockey association did not pay the city the annual insurance fee for the multipurpose building by that date.
      At the city meeting, City Manager John Stokoski said he had been in touch with an IAHA member who said the association wanted to see the insurance policy to determine what it covered.
      City attorney Dennis Tousignant noted that the $3,324 premium through the Michigan Municipal League (MML), which the hockey association pays, covers $2.6 million for the building and $150,000 for its contents. The policy does not cover liability to IAHA, he added.
      Tousignant said that USA Hockey covers the hockey association members, but it does not cover spectators or other non-hockey association skaters.
      Tousignant noted that he’s been working with MML and that it said IAHA needs to have a liability release form. He added that the IAHA needs to have its own liability insurance policy and that policy needs to be provided to the city.
      Commissioner Gary Sabol added that it’s the city that decides the type of insurance coverage for the building, which is owned by the city.

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IRON RIVER / CRYSTAL FALLS — Two Iron River residents were charged with multiple drug offenses after an arrest on Feb. 13 in Iron River.
    David Lee Hunt, 41, and Paige Jeannine Nichols, 26, were hit with the same four charges – possession with intent to deliver less than 50 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine and fentanyl (a 20-year felony), possession with intent to deliver less than 50 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl (a 20-year felony), possession of 25 grams or more but less than 50 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine and fentanyl (a 4-year felony) and possession of 25 grams or more but less than 50 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl (4-year felony).
    Hunt was also given a habitual offender fourth notice, which makes him subject to life in prison if the primary offense has a penalty of five years or more or 15 years or less if the primary offense has a penalty under five years.
    According to a press release from the Iron River Police Department issued on March 3, Iron River police officers made a traffic stop at approximately 3:30 p.m. on a vehicle in which a subject who had an outstanding felony warrant for absconding bond was in. During the arrest, a large amount of crystal methamphetamine was found on the subject.

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CRYSTAL FALLS — Forest Park students in grades 8-11 participated in the annual Career Fair, hosted by the Forest Park School District and sponsored by the FP Curriculum Committee and the Iron County 4-H program.
     The Career Fair takes place every year to help students begin thinking about their futures. This year, the Curriculum Committee surveyed the students to find out what careers in which they were interested in learning. Based on that data, the students decided on 13 different areas of interest. The students were then asked to “register” for their top five career choices.
    “A very special thank you to all the volunteer presenters,” said Deb Divoky. “When asked to participate in our Career Fair, they were very eager to spend their time talking with our students especially when they found out that the students requested to learn about their career.”
    Volunteer presenters included:  
    -- Business/Finance: Jessica Phillips, realtor; Katie Clark, banker; Jen Williams, insurance agent; Mike Divine, title & abstract; Stephanie Nocerini, financial advisor
    --Law and Legal System: Joseph Schwedler, judge; Lori Willman, court reporter; Mia Arcand, probation/parole officer; Lindsay Arcand, Juvenile Division; Ryan Boehmke, Undersheriff; Daryl Waters, attorney
    --Medical Field: Scott Santilli, pharmacist; Fortune Tuchowski, medical technologist; Jody Baeten, nurse; Toni West, X-ray tech; Dave Borsch, nurse anesthetist
    --Health and Wellness: Dr. Eric Kushion, dentist; Dr. Kim Scarlassara, chiropractor; Melissa Weston, Health Department nurse; Michael Smithson, athletic trainer/physical therapist
    --Healthy Mind and Body: Jamie Carollo, cosmetology; Michelle Kenney, massage therapist; Vicky Pruitt, pastor-media; Seth Waters; pastor/musician/fly fishing tour guide; Elisa Anderson, behavior coach, professional and school counseling.
    --Recreation Directors: Amanda Rasner, Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp director; Joe Frieberg, Bewabic State Park supervisor; Lindsey Anderson, Victorian Heights Services, media/public relations for the Iron County Medical Care Facility
    --City/State/County: Brad Toivonen, county; Jeff Hagglund, state; Tammy Hendrickson, city
    --DNR: Ryan Aho, law enforcement; Shannon Kritz, law enforcement; Ryan McGillviray, wildlife technician; Jake McWethy, fish technician
    --Business/Retail: Randy Peterson, Crystal Steelhouse; Chris Ponchaud, Ponchaud Construction and Slivensky’s; Shane Bandola, mechanic at Sartori’s Service Station.
    --Food Service: Jeff Ofsdahl--Angeli’s manager; Earlene Rex, Tasty Rex Bakery; Scion Petrick, Curious Pig.
    --Business Owner/Service: Gene Giuliani, Greencliff Lawn & Landscape; Tom Williams, Williams Redi-Mix; Nick Simbob, HVAC.
    --Military: Mike Bjork, U.S. Air Force veteran and retired CIA officer; Jason Van Sickle, retired Coast Guard; Sarah Lincicome, ROTC.
    --Engineers: Jeff Bal, mechanical engineer for GEI Consultants; Matt Sundquist, electrical engineer for Systems Control; Jason Gasperich, research and development director for Connors Sports Flooring; Andrew Jones, mechanical engineer for Connors Sports Flooring.
    “We at Forest Park School District truly appreciate your willingness to work with the youth of Iron County,” Divoky said. “We are excited about the number of community members volunteering for this great event.”  
    Divoky also thanked the Dickinson Area Community Foundation and the Iron County 4-H program for supplying lunch for presenters and students, Subway in Crystal Falls for its help and donations, Crystal Fresh Market for its donation of water and Angeli’s for its abundant donation of chips.

IRON RIVER — The West Iron County public schools will be closed from March 16 through April 5 because of a mandate from the state in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, commonly referred to as the coronavirus.
    “West Iron County Schools has been preparing for this mandatory shutdown,” Superintendent Chris Thomson said in a letter to WIC families. “To keep families as informed as possible during these uncertain times, I would like to lay out our plans so far.”
    The plans include:
    --all buildings will be closed to staff from March 14 to March 17. Only a limited amount of kitchen staff will be permitted in the building.
    --due to the expectation of the state that lunch be made available to those in need, families will be given the opportunity to access student lunch. Beginning Monday, March 16, families can report to the Stambaugh Elementary School gym door from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to receive a takeaway lunch. A breakfast item will be included in this lunch. These lunches will be provided during the week of March 16-20 and again during the week of March 30-April 3.
    --on March 18, custodial staff and support staff will return to work to begin the process of deep cleaning the buildings and buses. All classrooms will be completely cleaned. Buses will be cleaned as well.
    “The situation is changing rapidly, and we will do our best to keep you informed about changes as they come,” Thomson said. “Know that we are always following the recommendations of the Michigan Department of Health. We know this is an inconvenience, but it is what the state of Michigan believes will mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Please stay healthy and well-informed during this time.
    “We will get the kids back in school as soon as we can.”

CRYSTAL FALLS — Forest Park schools will be closed from March 16 through April 5 because of a mandate from the state regarding the effort to stem the spread of COVID-19, commonly referred to as the coronavirus.
    Superintendent Becky Waters released the following statement:
    “The absolute safety, health and well-being of our students and staff are of the utmost importance at all times. The state of Michigan has mandated all schools close. In addition to our high standards for cleaning, over the next three weeks, our transportation and custodial staff will work together to deep clean the school, including classrooms, desks, cubbies, gyms, locker rooms, busses, ducts, etc. Teachers will be realigning their curriculum to ensure all standards will be taught during the remainder of the school year. We will share information if the school calendar needs to be adjusted as information from the state comes in.
    “Only staff will be allowed in the building. Activities including pickleball, weight room, walkers, sports awards program, drivers’ education, all community and gym/extracurricular activities, etc. will be suspended until school resumes on April 6. The food service and transportation department is working on meal preparation and delivery for all students. Local and federal health authorities indicate that the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are the same recommendations for preventing the spread of the flu virus. We encourage our families and community to all take preventative measures to minimize the spread of communicable diseases. Thank you for your support in ensuring our students and community are safe and healthy.”

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced March 12 that in order to slow the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan, she is ordering the closure of all K-12 school buildings, public, private and boarding, to students starting Monday, March 16, until Sunday, April 5. School buildings are scheduled to reopen on Monday, April 6.
     As of March 15, the number of presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Michigan was 53.
     “This is a necessary step to protect our kids, our families, and our overall public health,” Whitmer said.
    “I am working with partners across state government to ensure educators, parents, and students have the support they need during this time, and to ensure our children who rely on school for meals have access to food.
    “I know this will be a tough time, but we’re doing this to keep the most people we can safe. I urge everyone to make smart choices during this time and to do everything they can to protect themselves and their families.”
     “Closing our K-12 school buildings is the responsible choice that will minimize the risk of exposure for children, educators, and families and mitigate the spread of coronavirus,” said Michigan State Superintendent Michael Rice. “The Department of Education will continue to work closely with our partners in state government to help our students and educators in each school district get through this time. This is about protecting the most people in Michigan.”
     Governors across the country have taken similar steps to close schools and ensure the protection of children and families in their states.
     “Closing our school buildings is the smart thing and the right thing to do for the public’s health,” said Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Deputy for Health and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun. “These actions will help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan. I will continue to work with Governor Whitmer and our four COVID-19 task forces to ensure we protect our children, our families, and our communities.”  
    Patients with confirmed infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath.
    The best prevention for viruses, such as influenza, the common cold or COVID-19 is to:
    • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If not available, use hand sanitizer.    
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.    
    • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.    
    • Avoid contact with people who are sick.    
    • If you are sick, stay home, and avoid contact with others.  
     Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

While parents were busy gathering information at the Parenting Fair at the West Iron District Library on Feb. 22, youngsters were crafting, reading and playing games. The event was sponsored by the WIDL, the Iron-Dickinson Child Advocacy Network Council and the Dickinson-Iron Health Department.

CRYSTAL FALLS — Due to the recent Executive Order 2020-14 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the March 31, 2020 deadline to pay 2017 and prior years’ taxes has been extended to May 29. Statutory interest shall continue to accrue during this extended redemption period.
    Iron County Treasurer Melanie Camps said her office is encouraging certified payments for all delinquent taxes by mail, online at www.ironmi.org or by calling 1-844-471-9644.

CRYSTAL FALLS — Effective March 17, the Iron County Sheriff’s Office announced that it will be closed to the public until further notice in an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
    With the presence of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in the United States, several agencies are implementing preventative measures. These measures are in place to help prevent the spread of this virus.
    “As you may be aware, COVID-10 can be carried by individuals who show no symptoms, and thus be transmitted to others,” Iron County Sheriff Mark Valesano said in a news release. “The safety of our employees and inmate population is of the utmost importance. After careful consideration, we have decided to take the proactive steps listed below. These steps will remain in place until further notice. These measures will not affect the deputies in protecting the public or assisting the public.”
    1. The lobby to the Iron County Sheriff’s Office/Correctional Center will be closed to the public until further notice. If you need assistance, call:
    Sheriff’s Office-non-Emergency Administrative Line - 875-0650
    Correctional Center – 875-0651
    Emergencies – 911
    2. The Sheriff’s Office will not be processing background checks or pistol license applications until further notice. If you need a Permit to Purchase a firearm immediately, make arrangements by calling Administrative Assistant April at (906) 875-0650.
    3. Civil Process payments and request for papers to be served should be directed to Administrative Assistant April at (906) 875-0650 or mailed to Iron County Sheriff’s Office, 2. S. Sixth St. Suite 18, Crystal Falls, MI 49920.

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order (EO 2020-21) on Monday, March 23, directing all Michigan businesses and operations to temporarily suspend in-person operations that are not necessary to sustain or protect life. The order also directs Michiganders to stay in their homes unless they’re a part of that critical infrastructure workforce, engaged in an outdoor activity, or performing tasks necessary to the health and safety of themselves or their family, like going to the hospital or grocery store.  
     Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, for at least the next three weeks, individuals may only leave their home or place of residence under very limited circumstances, and they must adhere to social distancing measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when they do so, including remaining at least 6 feet from people from outside the individual’s household to the extent feasible under the circumstances.
     “In just 13 days, we’ve gone from zero to over 1,000 COVID-19 cases,” Whitmer said. “This is an unprecedented crisis that requires all of us working together to protect our families and our communities. The most effective way we can slow down the virus is to stay home. I know this will be hard, but it will be temporary. If we all come together, get serious, and do our part by staying home, we can stay safe and save lives.”
     “Taking aggressive action to protect our communities is the most important thing we can do to mitigate further spread of COVID-19,” said Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Deputy for Health and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun. “If we do this now, we can make sure our hospitals and healthcare workers are prepared to take care of the sickest people. It is crucial that people do the right thing by staying home and staying safe.”
     Executive Order 2020-21 prohibits all businesses and operations from requiring workers to leave their homes, unless those workers are necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations. Businesses and operations are to designate the workers that meet those criteria and must adopt social distancing practices and other mitigation measures to protect workers and patrons in the performance of that necessary in-person work.
     Workers that are necessary to sustain or protect life include those in health care and public health, law enforcement and public safety, grocery store workers, and more. Executive Order 2020-21 prohibits all businesses and operations from requiring workers to leave their homes, unless those workers are necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations. Businesses and operations are to designate the workers that meet those criteria and must adopt social distancing practices and other mitigation measures to protect workers and patrons in the performance of that necessary in-person work.
     Workers that are necessary to sustain or protect life include those in health care and public health, law enforcement and public safety, grocery store workers, and more.
    For a full list of these critical infrastructure workers, access the link to Executive Order 2020-21 (https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MIEOG/2020/03/23/file_attach...)
     Additionally, under Executive Order 2020-21, all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring among persons outside a single household are temporarily prohibited. People may leave the house to perform for limited, necessary purposes, and may engage in outdoor activities like walking, hiking, running, cycling, or any other recreational activity, consistent with remaining at least 6 feet from people from outside a person’s household and with other restrictions imposed by prior executive orders.
     Michigan is currently in the top five states in the nation in number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Several governors across the country have taken similar steps to protect their communities from the spread of COVID-19.
     Patients with confirmed infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough        and shortness of breath.        
     The best prevention for viruses, such as influenza, the common cold or COVID-19 is:  
    • If you think you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your health care provider. If you do not have a health care provider, call the nearest hospital.        
    • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If not available, use hand sanitizer.          
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.          
    • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.          
    • Avoid contact with people who are sick.          
    • If you are sick, stay home, and avoid contact with others.         
    • Stay at least 6 feet away from others when in a public setting.        
     Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.    
     For those who have questions about the state’s actions to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, call the COVID-19 Hotline at 1-888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.   
     Michiganders can apply for unemployment benefits if they have left work or taken a leave of absence because of self-isolation or self-quarantine in response to elevated risk from COVID-19 due to being immunocompromised, displaying the symptoms of COVID-19, having contact in the last 14 days with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, the need to care for someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, or a family care responsibility as a result of a government directive. Those temporarily laid off from work should apply for unemployment benefits online at www.michigan.gov/UIA or 1-866-500-0017.  
     Gov. Whitmer is working to ensure that children who rely on the food provided by schools will have the resources they need.
    On March 19, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved the governor’s request for a statewide Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) declaration, opening the opportunity to small businesses to access low-interest loans from the SBA. The application for disaster loan assistance is available at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. For businesses looking for more information on how to apply for an SBA EIDL loan or whether it is something they should consider, visit michiganbusiness.org/covid19.