East Lansing was covered in a smoky haze during the last week of June due to wildfires raging through Canada, and the poor air quality forced organizers to reschedule the East Lansing PRIDE event from June 30 to July 22.
The Zeigler Kalamazoo Marathon (formerly the Borgess Run for the Health of It) — in part — is set to return in person in April 2022. “I think we’re all really excited, you know,” said Carrie Drake, the marathon’s race director, “having to go virtual was really hard for the community and that was early spring 2020 so a lot of people were feeling uncertain about COVID.”
“The full marathon will be back in 2023, just given some of the organizing team transition,” said Drake. “We’ll have the half marathon, the 5k and the 10k back all this year.”
Even though only a few of the events will be held this year, organizers expect a huge turnout: between 3.5 to 4 thousand runners. The 2020 cancelation
In 2020, the Kalamazoo Marathon was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and marathon organizers informed runners via social media and on the Kalamazoo Marathon website once they figured out what exactly was going on with the pandemic, said Blaine Lam, co-creator of the Kalamazoo Marathon who retired from organizing the race during the pandemic
“We saw the effects that it had on the Kalamazoo Marathon with its absence,” said Eric Blackwell, a past Kalamazoo Marathon participant, “Economically it’s huge for the city to not have that, but it was pretty difficult for the running community.”
“You know you train and you’re getting ready for these events and then it doesn’t happen. It’s such a huge emotional letdown,” said Blackwell, “To be forced out of an event like that is pretty difficult.”
Although the 2020 Kalamazoo Marathon was abruptly canceled, that didn’t stop the running community from encouraging one another to stay active.
Residents of Walled Lake, Michigan are spooked about a Halloween with the COVID-19 pandemic. Home to 7,000 residents, parents students and doctors are preparing for a safe holiday. Halloween and COVID-19
“Very interesting,” said Dr. Alka Jain when asked. “I have a 12-year-old (who) wants to go trick-or-treating, so we had to figure out a plan for her. Everyone is on a different spectrum with COVID-19.
COVID-19 has created chaos all over the world, including a place you might not expect: grocery stores. Shoppers have been scrambling to buy whatever is left, but there isn’t much. “I’m here ‘til like 10 and I don’t see it slowing down that much,” Meijer employee Dylan S. said. But the hot commodity isn’t a run on turkeys, it’s toilet paper. “Every store you go to, it seems like everyone’s bought toilet paper,” Jean Schlicklin said. “They’re trying to restock them, but they can’t get them restocked quick enough.”
Toilet paper isn’t the only thing people have stocked up on.
Michigan made history as the first state to move toward a flavored nicotine vaping ban on Sept. 4, with other states like New York, Massachusetts and Oregon following shortly after.
With an increase in vape-related deaths being reported across the nation, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) with the help of her Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun concluded that underage vaping constitutes as a public health emergency.
Under Whitmer’s orders, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued rules detailing the ban, including the prohibition of flavored nicotine products in stores and online and misleading marketing strategies claiming the products are “safe.” Whitmer also ordered the Michigan Department of Transportation to outlaw vape advertisements on state billboards.
Timeline of the 2019 Michigan vape ban. Graphic by Claire Heise. “As a governor, my No. 1 priority is keeping our kids safe,” said Whitmer in a statement on Sept.
Every year, influenza becomes a large illness that overtakes many people’s health. According the the American Hospital Association, on average, 25 million people get infected with influenza every year. Five to 50,000 people die every year from this illness. The best way to prevent this: getting your flu shot. Every year, the flu changes and so does the vaccination. The AHA says it takes about two weeks for the vaccination to work in your body. Getting it done early is recommended. The University Physician on campus offers free flu clinics for faculty and staff. The first one was located in the MSU Main Library. Kate Comby is a retired librarian from MSU and she still drives to campus to get her flu shot every year. “It’s been a routine for me for years,” said Comby. She’s been getting her flu shot every year since she was in college. She worked at MSU and came into contact with the illness because she was surrounded by students who were sick.
In a new “Hunger on Campus” report, it says that 1 in 5 college students qualify as hungry, and Olin Food Pantry is doing something about those numbers.