LANSING, MI — The State of Michigan is warning unemployed workers to avoid using non-official State of Michigan websites that solicit fees or personal information in order to apply for unemployment benefits.
Recently, customers have reported receiving solicitations by email where they are asked to provide personal and financial information or are charged fees to file unemployment claims.
The Agency urges claimants to file unemployment insurance claims using the official State of Michigan website at www.michigan.gov/uia.
When filing a claim for unemployment benefits, individuals must be sure they are on the actual State of Michigan website. The website for Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency is www.michigan.gov/uia. If a website requests credit card information or attempts to register you for a kit for state or federal unemployment benefits or work search services, know that this did not originate from Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency.
Customers also have the option of filing their unemployment benefit claims by phone at UIA’s toll-free claims telephone line, 1-866-500-0017. Phone applications can be filed weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Additionally, UIA’s website is available to accept unemployment claims between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Customers should visit www.michigan.gov/uia and select “File an Unemployment Claim Online.”
The Agency communicates with claimants directly through their claim web accounts, which clients create when they register at its website. To register for an online claim web account, visit www.michigan.gov/uia and select “UIA Online Services for Unemployed Workers.” Users will be taken to a login page where they can register and create their online account with the Agency.
For more information about LARA, please visit www.michigan.gov/lara. Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/michiganLARA, “Like” us on Facebook or find us on YouTube www.youtube.com/michiganLARA.
Capital Area Humane Society Enters
ASPCA Rachel Ray $100K Challenge To Save Animal Lives
Community Support Needed for Chance to Win $100,000 Grand Prize and Save More Lives
LANSING, MI – Beginning April 5, 2012, the Capital Area Humane Society (CAHS) will be a participant in the Qualifying Heat of the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. CAHS is competing for a chance at more than $500,000 in grant funding, including a grand prize of $100,000.
The 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge is a nationwide competition for animal shelters (and their communities) aimed at getting more animals adopted or returned to their owners than ever before. This first phase is the Qualifying Heat where registered shelters compete to accumulate the most online votes from their supporters.
The 50 shelters with the most votes become the official contestants for the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge.
“The Capital Area Humane Society is excited to be a part of the Qualifying Heat with a chance to become a competitor in the ASPCA $100K challenge,” said Julia Palmer, CAHS President and CEO. “Our community has been instrumental in all that we’ve done as an organization for more than 75 years in mid-Michigan and we’re hopeful they will continue their support in this important 12-day voting period.”
“Above and beyond the potential monetary awards, which of course would be very impactful,” Palmer continues, “the goal of this competition is to challenge shelters to drastically increase the number of adoptions during the busiest three months of the sheltering year – August, September and October.”
Supporters of the Capital Area Humane Society can help by voting online at VoteToSaveLives.org. Voting is free with a registered email address and supporters can vote daily. Information and a link to the voting site are also available on the CAHS website AdoptLansing.org. Voting takes place from April 5-16, 2012.
The Capital Area Humane Society will be distributing information on this challenge on Facebook, Twitter, at a Michigan State University James Madison Student Government Rent-a-Pet Thursday, April 5, and at select locations including downtown Lansing, MSU campus, and LCC campus this week.
The Capital Area Humane Society shelter for adoptions and surrender is located at 7095 West Grand River Avenue, Lansing and the CAHS Spay & Neuter Clinic offering low-cost public spay and neuter surgeries is located at 5919 South Cedar Street, Lansing. A non-profit organization, the CAHS mission is to promote the humane treatment of companion animals through protection, placement, education and example.
Annual Rankings Show Where Michigan Does Well, Needs Improvement on Residents’ Health
LANSING, MI – According to the third annual County Health Rankings, released yesterday, April 3, by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Michigan continues struggle with obesity, and some infant mortality indicators, while improving upon other health factors. This year, Leelanau County was ranked as the number one healthiest county in Michigan.
While the numbers are not staggering, there continues to be a steady increase in the rates of adult obesity and physical inactivity in Michigan. Further, more babies are continually being born at a low birthweight. The good news is that these rankings allow Michigan counties to see where they can improve, and many communities have begun to do so.
“The annual County Health Rankings are a call to action for communities to work together to develop policies and programs that help people lead healthier lives,” said Olga Dazzo, Director of the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH). “The Rankings underscore the need for Michigan residents to continue to collectively address serious health concerns such as obesity in Michiganders and the rise of our infant mortality rate.”
The County Health Rankings rank the overall health of nearly every county in all 50 states, using a standard way to measure how healthy people are and how long they live. This year’s Rankings include several new measures, such as how many fast food restaurants are in a county and levels of physical inactivity among residents.
Michigan’s Rankings, available at www.countyhealthrankings.org/michigan, includes a snapshot of each county in Michigan with a color-coded map comparing each county’s overall health ranking. Nearly every county is ranked on health outcomes, how healthy we are, and on health factors, how healthy we can be. Communities and individual counties are encouraged to visit the County Health Rankings website for information on their local health rankings.
Among the many health factors that researchers look at include rates of adult smoking, adult obesity, excessive drinking among adults, and teenage births; the number of uninsured adults, availability of primary care physicians, and preventable hospital stays; rates of high school graduation, adults who have attended some college, children in poverty; community safety; limited access to healthy foods; rates of physical inactivity; and air pollution levels.
“The County Health Rankings show us that much of what influences our health happens outside of the doctor’s office. In fact, where we live, learn, work and play has a big role in determining how healthy we are and how long we live,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of RWJF. “The good news is that businesses, health care providers, government, consumers and community leaders are already joining forces in communities across the nation to change some of the gaps that the Rankings highlight.”
April 3 also marks the release of the call for applications for the Roadmaps to Health Prize, a component of the County Health Roadmaps project that recognizes and honors the efforts and accomplishments of U.S. communities working at the forefront of health improvement. Up to six winning communities will be honored in early 2013 and each will receive a $25,000 cash prize. More information can be found online at www.countyhealthrankings.org/prize
Source: Press releases.
This was printed in the April 8, 2012 – April 21, 2012 Edition
