By Hayg Oshagan

Director of New MI Media

LANSING, MI -- What is it?  Every 10 years, every state redraws all of its district election maps. For MI, that’s 110 MI House district maps, 38 MI Senate district maps, and 13 U.S. Congressional district maps. Once these are drawn, you elect your MI House, MI Senate and U.S. Congressional representatives based on which district you live in. If more of us who share a culture or history live in the same district, we will have more votes and we will be more able to elect a representative who speaks for us. For that to happen, though, districts have to be drawn so that we are kept together, drawn so that they don’t split our communities up. 

Former Lansing resident, Nathaniel Jontèè Dèyshann Risper resides in Tampa, Florida with his husband, Antonio Corso.
 

Dara Mayhoe wrote a book about her life and encourages other to do the same. 

Courtesy photo

Stephen Alexander participating in a solo skydive jump for
Father's Day at Tecumseh Skydive in 2015.

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Portuguese tradeswoman selling dried fruits and nuts in the national dress. Nazare.

Photo by Dreamstime/TNS
 

Left to right:  Bernice Embry enjoyed picking sunflowers with her granddaughter, Tamara Jones Bills, and her husband, Ulysses Embry, at Uncle John’s Cider Mill in St. Johns, MI.

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Black and white, photographic magic lantern slides depicting the Tuskegee Institute at the turn of the 20th century were
discovered in the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Collection.

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Rina Risper, President & Publisher of The New Citizens Press (Pandemic photo 2020)

Dear Readers,

I cannot tell you how I feel while watching the news and what is happening to innocent Black males.  I called my son, Amir, who is 19 years old just to hear his voice and he did not pick up.  I felt a surge of panic and thought, “He should be home by now.” 

Richada B. and her daughter, Aleigha H., who is in the 7th grade, love spending one on one time together!

Nationwide — Army Second Lieutenant Caron Nazario, who is Black and Latino, was reportedly held at gunpoint and pepper-sprayed by police during a traffic stop in Windsor, Virginia last December. He has since filed a lawsuit against the officers.
 

By Landis Lain

To vax or not to vax. That is the question. I struggle with the answer. Everybody has a different opinion. I do not trust the government of he who shall not be named. The science is so abrupt. I wear my mask every time I go out. I am terrified.
 

Big flavor from this meatball recipe.  Your family will have this on the monthly meal rotation.  Try meatball subs for lunch or a spaghetti and meatball dinner with garlic Texas toast.

The Social Security Administration has a long history of outreach and coordination with advocates and community-based organizations across the nation.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing to work with advocates and community-based organizations is essential to reaching the country’s most vulnerable populations, including individuals with low income, limited English proficiency, mental illness, or those facing homelessness. 


 

WATERBURY, CT — As protests erupted around the country in response to  the shooting deaths of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, 26-year-old Breonna Taylor and 46-year-old  George Floyd, many parents have had to have a tough, but necessary conversation with their  children about systemic racism and why organized demonstrations for racial justice are still  happening. 
 

By Frank S. Washington

DETROIT, MI – It is hard to improve a top-notch vehicle, but Volvo managed to do just that. We’re talking about the Volvo V90. To be specific, the T6 AWD Inscription.

 

Photo by Terricks Noah

By Dr. Gina Lynem-Walker, Associate Medical Director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan 

The body’s immune system is incredibly complex and keeping it well-regulated relies on many factors – including diet, exercise and sleep. How much alcohol an individual consumes is also a factor. When the body processes alcohol, multiple organs are affected in different ways – all of which have negative impacts on the immune system. As more and more people turn to alcohol to cope with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to understand the potential harmful impacts of alcohol on the body’s ability to fight off diseases. 

Photo by Uriel Mont

By Kathy Valentine

For those with small potential garden spaces, poor or contaminated existing soils or perhaps just a balcony for plants, raised beds are a great solution. For those of us with aging knees and hips, raised beds are easier to plant, tend and harvest. An additional advantage of raised bed gardening is that soils warm up faster in spring and can be planted earlier. That also means covering before a frost will be important.
 

By Jill Schlesinger

A year ago, the nation's housing market, like the rest of the economy, went into a deep, COVID-induced freeze. By the summer, the real estate industry had adjusted to socially distanced open houses and buyers were trying to get ahead of what would become a long year of work and school from home.
 

Photo by Samuel Sweet

By Cathy M. Rosenthal,
Tribune Content Agency

Dear Cathy,

I have a Pomeranian named Winston who I am very bonded to. My boyfriend has a labradoodle named Puddles who is very sweet but needs lots of love and attention. We have all been living together for a year now. Any time I'm giving Winston attention, Puddles inserts herself between us and pushes him out of the way. With my boyfriend traveling a lot for work, I'm trying to split my attention between them, but Winston often gives up and walks away from our snuggle sessions. I can tell my little guy is getting frustrated. He has started to stand on the couch and bark at Puddles almost compulsively. He's also started pooping inside. I don't know how to split my attention between them fairly when it's just me, and I don't know how to calm Winston down when he's clearly upset that Puddles is in his space. Please help. - Karen, Costa Mesa, California

 

By Dr. Daneen Skube
Tribune Content Agency

Q: I have a long-term business associate and am thinking of just sending an email terminating him. I don't want to damage my reputation but it's uncomfortable to talk to people about issues. Besides I shouldn't have to justify. Is there?