Midwest
Detroit Public Schools bring out the latest weapon in arsenal to fight chronic absenteeism: Laundry machines
Steep payouts, ice cream, mini-breaks and – laundry machines?
Schools are incentivizing kids to come to class as chronic absenteeism remains a major post-pandemic concern, but the lattermost – taking effect in Detroit Public Schools – might sound a bit unconventional without context.
“I have the opportunity to come to the school and wash my son’s clothes,” parent Melania Willis, whose son is a senior at a local high school where she works as a security guard, told WXYZ-TV in The Motor City.
“I do stay in an apartment and it’s hard for me sometimes to put money on the card because they close at a certain time,” she added.
6.5 MILLION STUDENTS CHRONICALLY ABSENT AFTER THE PANDEMIC, NEW STUDY SHOWS
Washing machines are being installed in public schools in Detroit to help some students from lower-income households. (iStock)
The machines found their way into local schools thanks to the help of Detroit Public Schools Foundation President Kerrie Mitchell and charitable donations and a GE Appliances investment.
Willis said installing the washers and dryers helps kids from less privileged households, including one who has no running water at home and is bullied regularly.
Though unclear if she was referencing the same student, she noted that one student who doesn’t have laundry machines at home approaches her and often asks her to take her clothes to the washing machine.
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH AMERICA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS? ENROLLMENT DROOPS AND CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM TELL A DRAMATIC TALE
Classrooms have had more than a few empty seats since the COVID-19 pandemic as some districts struggle to get them back to class. (Getty Images)
“One student came to me like, ‘I don’t have a washing machine at home. Do you mind if you take my clothes to the washing machine, to the laundromat?’ So, I took it and brought it back to her,” she recalled.
In another instance, Davis Aerospace Technical High School teacher Janine Scott said she noticed a student she thought had poor hygiene actually just needed to have his hoodie washed, and the problem extends to other students, especially of younger age groups, as well.
Older age groups reportedly avoid the embarrassment by either finding ways to cover up the scent or staying out of class altogether.
Detroit Public Schools have been hit hard by the chronic absentee epidemic, with two-thirds of students falling into the category of those who miss at least 10% of the school year, according to education website Chalkbeat.
RATES OF STUDENTS SKIPPING CLASS REMAIN STUBBORNLY HIGH SINCE COVID CLOSURES: ‘THE PROBLEM GOT WORSE’
The same report said more than half of the district’s 108 schools now have the appliances installed.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts across the U.S. have struggled to get kids back into classrooms, with some taking measures to reel them back in.
Ohio lawmakers floated an idea to get kids in class – and across the graduation stage – by incentivizing their attendance with payouts, but the bill ultimately stalled.
Some Rhode Island schools incentivized good attendance with rewards like ice cream socials and extra recess time, according to Chalkbeat.
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The Indianapolis Colts announced the addition of 12 undrafted free agents for the rookie minicamp beginning Friday:
>> Cam Ball, DT, Arkansas: Appeared in 50 games with 31 starts, making 138 tackles, 12.5 for loss with 3 sacks at 6-4, 310 pounds. Ball was a team captain last season, named to the 2025 AFCA Good Works Team and on the 2024 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.
>> Austin Brown, S, Wisconsin: Received a $272,000 guarantee, a source told IndyStar. The 6-0, 199-pounder played in 50 games with 24 starts), totaling 142 tackles with eight passes defensed. Brown was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten choice (2023-25) and named CSC Academic All-District in 2025.
>> Tahj Chambers, LB, Mississippi: Played in 15 games in one season at Mississippi with 45 tackles and three passes defensed. The 6-2, 231-pounder also played in 43 games at Missouri State with 196 tackles, 17 for loss, 3.0 sacks and eight passes defensed. Chambers made the MVFC honor roll in 2022 and 2024 and was selected to the Missouri State AD’s Honor Roll in Fall 2022 and Fall 2024.
>> Sahmir Hagans, WR, Duke: The 5-11, 188-pounded played in 57 games at Duke with 152 catches for 1,586 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hagans also returned 24 kicks for a 31.5-yard average and two touchdowns and five punts for a 30.6-yard average with a score. He was a second team All-ACC selection as a return specialist in 2025 and named to the 2022 ACC All-Academic Team.
>> E.J. Horton, WR, Purdue: Played in 41 games between Purdue, Florida Atlantic, West Virginia and Marshall in a college career that began in 2020. He made 53 catches for 735 yards and four touchdowns.
>>Mitchell Melton, DE, Virginia: Played at Virginia and Ohio State as a 6-3, 253-pound defensive end with 60 tackles, 16.5 for loss, 8 sacks, 4 passes defensed and 3 forced fumbles. Last season he started 14 games at Virginia and was honor mention All-ACC.
>>Lincoln Pare, RB, Texas State: At 5-8, 190 pounds, Pare played in 38 games with 2,454 yards and 25 touchdowns on 477 carries, plus 78 receptions for 644 yards and 3 scores. Prior to earning second team All-Sun Belt last season, Pare played at Arkansas State. His last name is pronounced Pair-ee.
>>Nolan Rucci, OL, Penn State: At 6-8, 314 pounds, Rucci was a tackle at Penn State and Wisconsin, making 18 starts. He was honor mention All-Big Ten.
>> Raylen Sharpe, WR, Arkansas: At 5-9, 173 pounds, Sharpe was a receiver and ball carrier at Arkansas, Fresno State, Missouri State and Houston with 181 catches for 2,413 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus 12 carries for 122 yards and he threw a touchdown pass. He was honor mention All-Mountain West in 2024 and first team All-MVFC in 2023 while also running track in 2021 at Houston.
>>Geno VanDeMark, C, Alabama: Earned starts at right guard, left guard and center at 6-4, 314 pounds. Also played 18 games, with eight starts at Michigan State.
>>Jordon Vaughn, RB, Abilene Christian: He’s 6-3, 228 pounds and rushed for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns on 179 caries in 30 games. Also played at Wyoming for two seasons.
>>West Weeks, LB, LSU: The 6-2, 230-pound linebacker appeared in 54 games between LSU and Virginia with 164 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 5 sacks.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
Springfield-area nursing homes fined thousands of dollars to end 2025
Multiple Springfield-area nursing homes were fined during the fourth quarter of 2025.
The State Journal-Register
SPRINGFIELD – Four times a year, an Illinois agency releases a report showing violations against nursing homes, and how much the facilities were fined.
The Illinois Department of Public Health recently released its fourth quarter report that spans from October to December of 2025.
Here are facilities within about 45 minutes of Springfield that were fined for violations.
Arcadia Care on the Hill, Springfield
Address: 555 W. Carpenter Road
Fined: $25,000
Survey date: Sept. 17, 2025
What: The facility failed to ensure competency of the Professional Nursing staff when that staff failed to provide one resident in a crisis condition the correct medication. The resident did not receive his glucagon when needed, resulting to his blood sugar dropping to a critical low. The resident was taken to the hospital and subsequently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
Arcadia Care on the Hill, Springfield
Address: 555 W. Carpenter Road
Fined: $2,200
Survey date: Oct. 17, 2025
What: The facility failed to send the results of a urinalysis and urine culture in a timely manner to one resident’s urologist. This failure resulted in a nonverbal resident being taken to the emergency room where he was diagnosed with a UTI. IDPH said the failure caused pain, discomfort and invasive interventions during a hospital visit.
After readmission, the facility failed to reassess the resident for warning signs of sepsis for multiple days prior to having a change in condition on Feb. 20, 2024. The resident was again taken to the emergency room and diagnosed with a UTI and sepsis.
Additionally, facility staff failed to complete change in condition documentation which included current vital signs and assessment of two residents reviewed for change in condition. These residents were also taken to the emergency room.
Curtiss Court, Springfield
Address: 2883 S. Taylor St.
Fined: $1,100
Survey date: Aug. 7, 2025
What: IDPH found the facility failed to identify two occurrences of abuse for a resident, failed to verbally notify administrator of abuse allegations per policy, failed to investigate abuse allegations and failed to protect individuals from alleged perpetrator. This failure resulted in the resident feeling targeted and anxious.
The facility also failed to prevent elopement for one resident with a known history of elopement and allergy to bee venom without an EpiPen. This failure resulted in the person walking out of the door unsupervised. Local first responders then found the resident on the asphalt in a parking lot, playing in a puddle of water, around 0.4 miles from the facility and without their EpiPen.
Arcadia Care, Auburn
Address: 304 Maple Ave.
Fined: $2,200
Survey date: Aug. 27, 2025
What: The facility failed to ensure room temperatures were within the heat index/apparent temperature guidelines inside the facility and did not exceed 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The facility also failed to follow their Heat Emergency Policy as residents were not moved out of their rooms when temperatures were reached over 81 degrees for four residents. This failure resulted in residents being left in rooms with the heat index, indicating extreme caution to the residents.
Sunny Acres Nursing Home, Petersburg
Address: 19130 Sunny Acres Road
Fined: $2,200
Survey date: July 26, 2025
What: The facility failed to protect a resident from staff-to-resident mental and verbal abuse for two residents. These findings resulted in a Certified Nursing Assistant yelling at a resident and causing them to feel belittled, to feel like a child, and feel verbally abused, according to IDPH.
Taylorville Care Center, Taylorville
Address: 600 S. Houston St.
Fined: $1,000
Survey date: Aug. 15, 2025
What: The facility failed to conduct pre-employment screening and obtain results of fingerprint checks to determine if employees had a prior criminal history that would disqualify them for employment.
Sunrise Skilled Nursing & Rehab, Virden
Address: 333 S. Wrightsman St.
Fined: $2,200
Survey date: Sept. 4, 2025
Based on interview, observation, and record review, the facility failed to provide supervision to prevent falls for one of three residents reviewed for falls.
Sunrise Skilled Nursing & Rehab, Virden
Address: 333 S. Wrightsman St.
Fined: $25,000
Survey date: Oct. 14, 2025
What: IDPH said the facility failed to properly transfer a resident for appropriate safe transfers. This failure resulted in the resident having a fall, sustaining a right hip fracture and ultimately passing away.
Lincoln Village Healthcare, Lincoln
Address: 2202 N. Kickapoo St.
Fined: $4,400
Survey date: July 20, 2025
What: IDPH found three residents experienced symptoms after not receiving prescribed opioid medication, indicating the health facility failed to perform proper pain assessments and implement pain relieving interventions when residents were not receiving their prescribed medicine.
Lincoln Village Healthcare, Lincoln
Address: 2202 N. Kickapoo St.
Fined: $25,000
Survey date: Sept. 10, 2025
What: IDPH said a resident was taken to the hospital after the facility failed to protect a wound from insect contamination.
Fair Havens Senior Living, Decatur
Address: 1790 S. Fairview Ave.
Fined: $25,000
Survey date: Aug. 13, 2025
What: The facility failed to ensure physician orders were accurately transcribed and implemented for one resident reviewed for blood glucose monitoring. These failures resulted in the resident being hospitalized.
Arc at Hickory Point, Forsyth
Address: 565 W. Marion Ave.
Fined: $25,000
Survey date: Sept. 3, 2025
What: A resident fell and suffered multiple fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. IDPH said the facility failed to ensure fall interventions were in place to prevent the resident from falling.
Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@usatodayco.com.
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