Capital News Service
showing absenteeism rates two times higher for students who are homeless.

Funding boost will help Michigan students who are homeless

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HOMELESS: Michigan students without homes will gain more than $2 million in funding from the federal stimulus package, according to the Michigan Department of Education. The one-time funding boost from the American Rescue Plan will give more than $100,000 to Kent, Berrien and Oakland intermediate school districts and more than $225,000 to Wayne. We interview a woman who was homeless growing up in Ypsilanti, the Student Advocacy Center of Michigan, a Lansing homeless student coordinator, the Michigan League for Public Policy and the Michigan Department of Education’s coordinator of federal funds for homeless students. By Vladislava Sukhanovskaya. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE and ALL POINTS.

Arts & Entertainment

Senior and student matches help ease isolation

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PERFECT PAIR: A new project is connecting Michigan senior citizens living in assisted care facilities with university students who have shared interests. Emily Lerner and Rachel Alessio, while at the University of Michigan, started the Perfect Pair as a virtual project when the pandemic peaked in May 2020. It aims to reduce seniors’ loneliness and renew interest in life. We talk to an MSU doctor, former UM students who started the match project and an Ann Arbor senior/student pair. Northville, Farmington Hills and MSU references. By Vladislava Sukhanovskaya. For DETROIT, WKAR, LANSING CITY PULSE and ALL POINTS.

Capital News Service
Estimating the cost of two approaches to protecting children from water contaminated by lead.

Drinking water filters eyed as better option to testing in schools and day care centers

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LEADINWATER: Children’s health advocates are pushing to install drinking water filters in Michigan schools and child care centers instead of using a costlier system of testing for lead in the water. The move could cost about $55 million in the first year, but that’s still cheaper than the “test and tell ” method that includes testing of all drinking water fixtures and then replacing those that test positive for lead above a set action level. By Vladislava Sukhanovskaya. FOR ALL POINTS

Capital News Service

September is best time to get your flu shot before the season begins

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FLU VACCINATION: Health officials expect this flu season to be worse than last year, when COVID precautions helped tamp down the spread of influenza. September and October are the best times to get your shot to stay ahead of the flu but the shots can be helpful even toward the end of the flu season, next spring and summer. We talk to an immunization specialist with the state, the head of the Barry-Eaton health department and an MSU doctor. By VLADISLAVA SUKHANOVSKAYA. For LANSING and ALL POINTS.