Smoke-free on Saturday

Most Michigan workplaces including bars and restaurants go smoke-free at 6 a.m. Saturday.  Some smokers,  businesses and private clubs aren’t happy about the ban. But state officials say most people support the ban because of its health benefits.  The law comes with some notable exceptions. Gambling floors at Detroit’s three casinos are exempt from the ban. So are the state’s 20 casinos run by Indian tribes, which aren’t subject to the state law.  Cigar bars and tobacco specialty shops that meet certain criteria also are exempt.  Citizens who note a smoking violation are asked to first contact the business owner or manager to deal with the problem. If that fails, a complaint can be filed with local health departments.  (AP)

Health Advisory is cancelled

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency (CHA) has cancelled the Health Advisory issued Wednesday (April 28th) regarding body contact with the St. Joseph River downstream of the Broadway Street Bridge in Three Rivers. The Health Advisory had been issued as a result of elevated fecal coliform counts in the treated sewage effluent being discharged into the St. Joseph River.

The Three Rivers Clean Water Plant has notified the CHA of results of fecal coliform bacterial tests made of the river at the Broadway Street Bridge and at the Constantine Street Bridge. These sample results indicated that the fecal coliform bacteria level in the river are now considered acceptable for body contact.

If you have any questions regarding matter please contact the Three Rivers office of the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency at (269) 273-2161.

Previous information on this matter can be found at the Community Health Agency website, at www.bhsj.org.

Elkhart – Man in trash bin

Police in northern Indiana say a man who was apparently sleeping inside a large trash bin narrowly missed being crushed by a garbage truck.  Police Lt. Ed Windbigler says an Elkhart Truth newspaper carrier spotted the 42-year-old man on top of the garbage truck about 4 a.m. Thursday and yelling for it to stop. Windbigler says the man fell to the pavement before emergency crews arrived and underwent surgery for injuries that included a possibly lacerated liver and spleen.  Windbigler says the truck’s driver had compacted its load just before dumping the bin holding the man or he likely would have been crushed.  (AP)

TR Health financials improve

2009 was a “huge improvement” financially for Three Rivers Health compared to 2008.

That’s one of the observations shared during the Three Rivers Health Authority Board meeting Thursday morning (April 29th) as representatives of Plante & Moran, PLLC reviewed the hospital’s audit report for 2009.

According to the report, Three Rivers Health had an operating loss of about $400,000 in 2009 compared to a loss of almost $3 million in 2008. The bottom line for 2009 was a loss of $589,000 compared to a loss of about $3.1 million the previous year. Auditors said, “2008 was a really, really tough year, and there has been significant improvement in 2009 based on the difficult decisions that this board and management have made.”

Plante & Moran issued an “unqualified opinion” regarding the audit, the highest evaluation of the hospital’s accounting processes.

During a post-meeting interview, Bill Russell, president and CEO, expressed pleasure with the report. He noted that there were “no deficiencies” and it was “a good year in the books.” He said the audit reflects “that there is integrity in our accounting processes and we feel really good about that.”

Regarding the bottom line for 2009, Russell said, “Last year was a better year. It wasn’t where we wanted to be, but a much better year than the previous year, and this year is going to be a considerably better year than last year. We anticipate to be operating above the line. We’re going to leave the red environment and move into the healthier environment of black ink so that’s a good thing.”

The meeting also brought some encouraging signs in the March financial reports showing net income for the month of nearly $100,000 ($97,535). Although it was more than $140,000 ($140,188) under budget, there was a “black ink” performance for the period that shrank the year-to-date loss for 2010 to just under $213,000 ($212,894).

In reviewing the March numbers, Steve Andrews, vice-president of finance, said, “March ended up pretty close to where we thought it would be.” He said March was the “highest admission month in quite some time” at 150, identical to a year ago. He noted that lab procedures in March were higher than the prior year and budget, indicated that home health visits were also up, and said other outpatient visits exceeded budget in March.

Regarding FTE’s, Andrews said March was the first month that the impact of recent adjustments were noticeable and indicated the effects will continue to be seen over the next three months.

Andrews said that “most notable” in the report was the fact that outpatient revenue for the month exceeded budget.

As far as April is concerned, Andrews said the “best case scenario” is that there is “probably going to be a slight profit.”

MDOT – Reduced road program

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) said Thursday (April 29th) that the state is moving forward with plans to implement a reduced 2011-2014 road and bridge program. At the State Transportation Commission’s meeting, MDOT said it was working with state and local transportation agencies to advance a reduced State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Due to declining state gas tax and vehicle registration revenues, MDOT is faced with a shortfall of at least $84 million to match available federal funding beginning in 2011. MDOT first announced the possibility of a reduced program in February.

Under the reduced highway program, MDOT will have to delay 100 pavement improvement projects, leaving more than 375 miles of road in need of repair untouched. More than 575 bridge repair projects will be delayed. Capacity Improvement/New Roads funding will be reduced to $10 million a year. In Ottawa County, portions of the Holland to Grand Haven bypass will be delayed, including work along M-231, I-96 and US-31. Reduced safety funding will significantly impact the replacement of traffic signs and the replacement and retiming of traffic signals.

Commissioners were told that MDOT is submitting two programs to the Metropolitan Planning Organizations in order to keep potential projects moving through the federal approval process in time for the 2011 construction season in case matching funds become available. One would be a program reduced by approximately $600 million per year, while the other would be a $1.25 billion program that would include the ability to match federal aid. Because its funding crisis remains unsolved, the department needs to begin program development in May to accommodate the six months required to complete the federal planning process and advertise and let projects for bid. MDOT says there will be delays in restoring the full program if the Legislature acts after May 1 to approve a revenue increase for transportation.

“We are required by federal law to balance our program to the funds available, but we continue to look for ways to minimize the impact that a reduced program would have on Michigan residents, job creation and Michigan’s economy,” said State Transportation Director Kirk Steudle. “We continue to seek creative solutions but we face the reality of having to cut $600 million annually, beginning in 2011, and seeing the revenue from federal fuel taxes paid by Michigan taxpayers going to Ohio and other states that are able to match federal funds.”

Even if the department receives the $84 million it needs to match federal aid for the 2011 program, the state will face substantial decline in its road and bridge conditions and rail freight, passenger transportation and aviation programs. According to a Transportation Funding Task Force report in November 2008, Michigan needs to at least double its current investment in transportation to provide an adequate level of service, let alone an improved one.

Road improvement in Sturgis

Sturgis area residents may have noticed construction signs popping up again on North Centerville Road this week – a sure sign road construction is on the way.

Starting early next week (week of May 3rd), work begins in earnest on the reconstruction of North Centerville Road from West Lafayette Street north to the Sturgis city limits. Work will include pulverizing the existing pavement, reshaping the pulverized material as the new road base, and laying new pavement.

The project is funded through the State of Michigan’s Small Urban Grant Program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more commonly known as stimulus funding. Funding from the State and Federal government amounts to $425,500 and covers 86 percent of the project’s construction costs, with the City responsible for the project engineering costs and the remaining construction costs.

Pulverization and shaping on the road is scheduled to begin next Monday (May 3rd), and the project is scheduled to be completed by May 28th. A detour route is in place that takes north-bound traffic east on West Lafayette to North Clay, north to Memorial Drive, east to North Nottawa, then north to Wait Road. South-bound traffic should use the reverse route. During construction North Centerville will be open to local traffic, allowing access to Kirsch Municipal Airport and businesses located along this stretch of North Centerville.

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