The Oakland County Board of Commissioners continues to grieve for the families and entire community impacted by the tragic school shooting that occurred at Oxford High School on Tuesday, November 30.
As details emerge surrounding the events of the day, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office remains the most accurate source of information. In addition, the Oakland Community Health Network has offered suggestions for families and individuals to manage stress or trauma associated with a local crisis, which can be found at https://bit.ly/OCHNCrsTips.
If you or someone you know needs extra support right now, call or text the Common Ground Resource and Crisis Helpline at 1-800-231-1127 or chat online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.commongroundhelps.org.
Oakland County’s Health Division has added booster dose appointments to its community and school-based COVID-19 vaccine clinics in response to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention approving the Pfizer and Moderna booster doses for all adults 18 years old and older. In addition, the Health Division’s North Oakland Health Center in Pontiac and South Oakland Health Center in Southfield will have some appointments available for booster doses from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday running through December 17. Appointments are strongly recommended for any location.
For more information or to schedule an appointment for a booster dose, visit www.OaklandCountyVaccine.com or contact the Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533.
The Health Division continues to offer pediatric, first, second, third, and booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine at community clinics throughout the county. For more information about vaccine appointments and resources, please visit www.OaklandCountyVaccine.com.
Oakland County has awarded 42 non-profit organizations nearly $8.5 million in Oakland Together Mental Health and Wellbeing Non-profit Grants to expand mental health services to Oakland County residents.
The grants, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, are a response to the acute mental health challenges faced by many during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an additional $1.2 million-plus will be shared with high performers among these 42 non-profit organizations.
Three levels of grants were awarded: operational grants from $50,000-$100,000, expansion grants from $100,001-$250,000, and community grants from $250,0001-$500,000. The United Way for Southeastern Michigan is administering the grants on behalf of Oakland County.
Legislators from Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties met at the Tri-County Summit on Friday, November 12 at the Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores to discuss issues facing the region, plus opportunities to work together.
The summit was particularly timely, as many of the sessions focused on infrastructure opportunities just days before President Joe Biden signed the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill into law.
The event featured six sessions, including presentations and panel conversations about infrastructure, the environment, business, and mobility. Participants and moderators included individuals from all levels of government as well as local media hosts, and a recording of the event can be found at bit.ly/TriCountyVid2021.
The Tri-County Summit was first hosted in 1998 to create a forum to identify common issues for cooperative action. Previous topics have included mental health, criminal justice, transportation/transit, economic development and regional quality of life. Specific issues that have been addressed together include home foreclosures, green infrastructure improvement, reports on the region’s economic outlook and the “Silver Tsunami.”
Oakland County Michigan Works! is launching a first-of-its-kind program that provides residents enrolled in the state’s Futures for Frontliners and Michigan Reconnect programs with funding to cover the costs of books, supplies and other related expenses, as well as supportive services such as transportation and childcare, as they return to school to obtain an advanced degree or credential. Futures for Frontliners, targeting essential workers without college degrees or credentials during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Michigan Reconnect, focusing on residents 25 years old or older with less than an associate degree, cover tuition costs for participants, but not other expenses associated with returning to school or completing a training program.
Futures for Frontliners is a state scholarship program for Michigan residents without college degrees who worked in essential industries during the state’s COVID-19 shutdown in the spring of 2020. The scholarship provides frontline workers with tuition-free access to a local community college to pursue an associate degree or a skills certificate.
Michigan Reconnect is a scholarship program for residents 25 and older who pay tuition to attend one’s in-district community college, or a large tuition discount for attending an out-of-district community college. Persons interested in a skills certificate from a private training provider can received a $1,500 scholarship toward enrollment in an approved training program.
Oakland County residents who are enrolled in these state of Michigan programs and in need of such supportive services should contact their local Oakland County Michigan Works! service center to schedule an appointment to discuss with a career advisor. Oakland County Michigan Works! operates service centers in Novi, Oak Park, Pontiac, Southfield, Troy and Waterford.
To schedule a meeting, call 248-858-5520 and select the office nearest to you.
Oakland County Parks and Recreation (OCPR) gift cards can make great gifts this holiday season and are available online or in-person.
Reloadable gift cards, which must be redeemed in person, can be used toward Annual Vehicle Permits at eight parks, including three dog parks; green fees at five golf courses; camping fees at two campgrounds; programs at two nature centers; and waterpark admission. Cards can be loaded with any dollar amount, starting at $10, and are rechargeable for future fun.
Gift cards are good five years from the day of purchase or last reload, so gift recipients can redeem them at a park when it is convenient for them. They can be purchased at Addison Oaks County Park, Glen Oaks Golf Course, Independence Oaks County Park, Lyon Oaks County Park, Red Oaks Nature Center, Waterford Oaks County Park and White Lake Oaks Golf Course. The gift cards can also be purchased online at www.OaklandCountyParks.com or via phone by calling 248-858-0916.
The Oakland County Health Division has several recommendations for safely celebrating the holidays this season.
Because attending gatherings to celebrate events and holidays increases your risk of getting and spreading COVID-19, the safest way to celebrate is virtually or outside and at least 6 feet apart from others. If you are not fully vaccinated and aged 2 or older, you should wear a mask in indoor public places. In general, you do not need to wear a mask in outdoor settings, but in areas with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and for activities with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.
Before enjoying festivities, you may also consider having conversations ahead of time to understand expectations for celebrating together and know when to wear a mask. If celebrating indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible. You can use a window fan in one of the open windows to blow air to the outdoors. This will pull fresh air in through the other open windows.
For more information, including safe traveling best practices and when it may be time to reconsider hosting or attending in person festivities, visit https://bit.ly/OCHDHolidaySafety.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners website, Facebook page, YouTube channel and commissioner newsletters are great ways for residents to stay engaged with the Board.
Those who follow the Board @oakgov.boc on Facebook will see photos from events and information from around the county.
Subscribing to the Board’s YouTube channel allows followers to receive notifications when Board meetings are live and easily find recent videos. The channel can be found by searching for the “Oakland County Board of Commissioners” or going to bit.ly/YouTubeBOC.
By visiting www.oakgov.com/boc, constituents can watch Board and committee meetings and access the latest news, meeting calendars, information about each commissioner and more. Constituents can also sign up for their commissioner’s newsletter by clicking “Sign Up for my Newsletter” on the commissioner’s county website. They can find their commissioner by visiting www.oakgov.com/boc.
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