December 24, 2020
It’s crunch time for shoppers picking up those last minute items for Christmas. This year, Meijer has seen a huge increase in people buying items for the kitchen as families look for ways to bond and create memories together at home. Meijer Group Vice President Matt Craig spoke to Michigan News Network.
“Baking, making the turkey dinner…it’s a memory driver, an experience,” Craig said. “I have four little girls at home. My wife, Jessica, and the girls make cookies so much, and so I come home and there’s fresh cookies and brownies. I think we’re seeing that trend across all the households where people are spending time cooking together. It’s really a beautiful thing for families.”
December 24, 2020
For some, Christmas Eve means finding last minute gifts, prepping a meal, and getting ready for church. Catholic churches will be holding evening and midnight masses tonight. Father Adam Nowak told Michigan News Network it’s important because of all of the turmoil this year.
“We need to get together and pray together, like at mass,” Nowak said. “In this time of darkness and constant change and challenge, we need hope.”
All churches in the Archdiocese of Detroit will require parishioners to wear masks and social distance. Many churches have limits to the number of people who will be allowed in for the service.
December 18, 2020
The Michigan State University College of Nursing will be awarding degrees to 44 students during a virtual ceremony this weekend. Among them is Zach Collen, who is one of only four men in the graduating class. He told Michigan News Network his family is both proud and concerned about his chosen career during a pandemic.
“They’re happy that I’m graduating,” Collen said. “They know that I’ll be safe and I’ll do what I can, but they’re my family so they’ll always be here for me, no matter what I choose.”
In both 2018 and 2019, about 95% of MSU Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates went on to find jobs in the medical field. The MSU College of Nursing has about 7,500 living alumni, and more than 85% of them live in Michigan.
It’s been a growing problem this holiday season – people waiting for mail and packages that seemingly will never arrive. United States Postal Service spokesperson Elizabeth Najduch told Michigan News Network there have been issues.
“This has been an extraordinary year of unprecedented challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Postal Service has seen a significant increase in the volumes of mail and packages. So we do appreciate the patience of our customers, and our employees are so dedicated. They’re working around the clock.”
Najduch does not have the numbers on how much the mail volumes have increased or how long are the delays. However, she says that if you have something to send out, it’s best to get it in the mail as soon as possible.
December 18, 2020
If you haven’t wrapped up all of your gift buying yet, how about the gift of travel? That’s the suggestion from the vice president of Travel Michigan, Dave Lorenz, who told Michigan News Network this week there are a lot of places to see and things to do in Michigan, especially in winter.
“Up north, there is plenty of snow,” Lorenz said. “They’ve been making snow for quite a while because it’s been cold enough to do that, but then we had plenty of natural snow fall in northern Michigan. So one thing you might want to consider, even if you’re not a downhill skier, is making a reservation to stay and to enjoy the activities at one of our ski resorts.”