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Michigan 4-H State Award Spotlight: Justin Yarger

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Michigan 4-H State Award Spotlight: Justin Yarger


Justin Yarger has been recognized as an outstanding 4-H member in the Michigan 4-H State Awards Program.

Justin Yarger is 18 years-old and in his ninth year in the Michigan 4-H program. He is a member of Monroe County 4-H and has been a junior superintendent with the Monroe County Fair for five years. Justin is also treasurer for the Shooting Sports Association and serves on the Caprine Council as Sergeant in Arms. Over his years of 4-H involvement, Justin has participated in shooting sports, the goat sponsorship program and communications. In 2023, Justin won the senior Michigan 4-H State Award for Shooting Sports.

A Michigan 4-H State Award is the highest honor bestowed on a Michigan 4-H member and provides an opportunity to receive recognition for their engagement in rich learning experiences that result in outstanding knowledge and life-skill development. State award applications are divided into four categories: Mark of Excellence essay contest (11-12 years old), junior state award (13-15 years old), senior state award (16-19 years old) and group awards (13-19 years old).

“Being in 4-H has helped me reflect on who I am, but also helped me feel confident enough to step out of my comfort zone,” said Justin. “From my experience in 4-H, I have realized that I have grown as a person but also developed many crucial life and career skills.”

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In 2023, Michigan State University Extension recognized outstanding 4-H members in the Michigan 4-H State Awards Program following the opening session of 4-H Exploration Days on June 21. Learn more about winner, Justin Yarger


How did you become involved in 4-H?

My dad grew up showing horses through Washtenaw County and later became a part of the Monroe County 4-H program. My older sister was inspired by my father’s 4-H stories and made the decision to join 4-H in Monroe County. After watching how my sister grew as a person and hearing the stories from my dad, I wanted to broaden my horizons and join 4-H.

What other projects have you participated in outside your award area?

I participate in [4-H communication projects such as] extemporaneous, show and tell, public speaking, demonstrations and performing. I also have participated in rockets, scale models and tin punch. One of the biggest opportunities that I was offered was the goat sponsorship program. Within this program, I was allowed to show and take care of goats without owning them.

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What are some skills you’ve learned in 4-H?

From my experience in 4-H, I have realized that I have grown as a person but also developed many crucial life and career skills. Because of 4-H, I am better at communicating, cooperating with others and problem-solving.

How has 4-H helped you grow as a leader?

Participating in 4-H shooting sports has allowed me to expand my leadership opportunities. Being in 4-H has helped me reflect on who I am, but also helped me feel confident enough to step out of my comfort zone. There are many opportunities at county practices, tournaments, and meetings to help mentor younger members. These experiences have positively influenced me enough to create a sporting clays team at our local high school.

What are some ways you give back to your community through 4-H?

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Pennies for Turkeys is an annual activity that I participated in to raise money for low-income families. The Teen Ambassadors 4-H Club and the Veterans of Foreign Wars teamed up to raise money to buy turkeys and distribute them to people who are less fortunate. It felt great knowing that we helped some families and made our community a better place during the holiday season.

Another way that I have given back to my community through 4-H is participating in Relay for Life and supporting an organization called Aid in Milan. Relay for Life teams raise money for the American Cancer Society and they bring canned foods for Aid in Milan. Overall, it is a great chance to work with 4-H members, but to also help the community for a greater cause.

What unique opportunities/experiences have you had through 4-H?

One unique experience is participating in the Trunk or Treat that is put on by the Teen Ambassadors 4-H Club. The purpose of this is to expose other community members to what 4-H is. I enjoy discussing how 4-H is developing youth, but also helping the community.

How has your 4-H involvement influenced your future plans?

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My involvement in 4-H has helped me step out of my comfort zone. I have learned about the career options of exploring the fields of engineering, math or physics. I have realized that I have grown as a person but also developed many crucial life and career skills.

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Michigan

Michigan's Newest Lakeside Inn Is Giving Gilmore Girls Traditional, But in the Midwest

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Michigan's Newest Lakeside Inn Is Giving Gilmore Girls Traditional, But in the Midwest


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From dreamy decor to top-notch amenities, Domino’s “Wish You Were Here” series is your first-class ticket to the most design-driven getaways around the world. Whether you’re looking to steal away for a few days or just steal a few ideas for back home (we encourage both, for the record), check out where we’re checking in.

I was born and raised in the Midwest (specifically outside of Chicago), which means I spent summers exploring Lake Michigan’s shores for family vacations. So when I pulled up to the newly renovated Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, Michigan, why did I feel like I was suddenly starring as an extra in an episode of Gilmore Girls?

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Courtesy of Wickwood Inn

That magic is partly due to the charming town but also thanks to Martin Horner and Shea Soucie of Soucie Horner, their Chicago-based design firm, who bought the 1937 home two years ago and turned it into a modern inn befitting of Stars Hollow.

Vintage desk with four bird prints above

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn

Before the pair could make any cosmetic changes, they first had to consider the building’s history: Since the ’90s, the colonial structure was already a beloved inn run by adored cook Julee Rosso, author of The Silver Palate Cookbook. “When we bought the inn, we were very conscious of [Rosso’s popularity and returning guests], but we also had to make it our own,” Horner says. So instead of taking down walls and turning the 11-room property into a sleek Scandi hotel, they paid homage to the legendary former owner by working in details that were already there, like the art and furniture, which they reupholstered or repurposed. (The bathrooms however? Those were gutted and replaced with new tile and marble.) 

View into bathroom with blue vanity

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn
Wood paneled guest room with clawfoot tub in room

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn

The rest of the inn’s “jewelry,” as Horner calls it—like the bamboo bed frame in the room I stayed in—came from epic vintage shopping trips, Facebook Marketplace hauls, and even Horner and Soucie’s own homes. In fact, no two guest rooms are exactly the same other than the lighting, bedding, and Waterworks faucets. To further keep consistency, they went with a soothing, neutral Benjamin Moore paint palette. (Fan favorite White Dove was their go-to in most areas.) New Vispring mattresses appear in each guest room, too. 

Bamboo bed frame with white bedding and green pillow

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn

In the lobby and dining room, a fireplace and wood-paneled walls adorned with one of Rosso’s original tapestries, create cozy spaces in which to convene before a day spent exploring the area’s wineries and art galleries (prioritize Ox-Bow, trust me). Plus the backyard and screened-in gazebo are the perfect places to sip cocktails or indulge in the lobby’s complimentary chocolate chip cookies. 

Traditional-style room with lamp and chair

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn
Open shelving with bowls and fresh fruit and vegetables on counter

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn

The result almost feels delightfully non-Midwest, and certainly not beachy, even though the inn is just steps from the Kalamazoo River, where you can rent a candy-colored retro boat for an afternoon (highly recommend). Instead, the quiet luxury vibe paired with former Oprah Winfrey chef Rose Duong’s refined menu and the warm welcome from general manager Susan Michele make the whole experience decidedly Midwest. The only thing missing is Luke’s Diner.

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Ferndale man receives first beating-heart transplant in Michigan

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Ferndale man receives first beating-heart transplant in Michigan


Michigan’s first two beating-heart transplants took place at Henry Ford Health in Detroit recently.

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On his 58th birthday, Ken Miller of Ferndale was given the news that he would be undergoing the first-ever beating-heart transplant in the state.

Now, he is in the process of recovering. 

“I didn’t expect to be feeling this well,” Miller said. “I’m feeling great and blessed.”

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Miller had been in heart failure for more than a decade. He spent 25 days in a hospital bed, on a machine, prior to receiving his new heart –and a kidney– on May 31.

“I’m really excited about this outcome and excited about how well this heart worked,” said cardiac transplant surgeon at Henry Ford Health, Dr. Kyle Miletic.

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Ken Miller of Ferndale underwent Michigan’s first ever beating-heart transplant on May 31, 2024. (Provided by Henry Ford Health)

Heart transplantation has come a long way.

Generally, a donor heart is good for about four hours, which limits how far away a donor heart can come from. However, the “heart in a box” technology has been a breakthrough – which is a mini heart lung machine that keeps the heart beating.

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But still, the heart has to be stopped, twice, before being transplanted.

“We are always very concerned every time we have to stop the heart. Now, it’s inevitable. It’s going to have to be stopped once at the donor hospital to put it on this box, but the problem is we have to stop it a second time,” Miletic said.

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That can be problematic. But with the beating heart transplant technique, the donor heart does not have to be stopped a second time; it keeps beating.

“We hooked the donor heart up to his own blood stream. Once it came from the box, his blood was providing that blood and the nutrients to his new heart, and we sewed it in again as it was beating,” Miletic said.

Henry Ford surgeons performed a second beating-heart transplant just last week. That heart came from about 2,000 miles away.

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“Despite being the furthest distance we’ve ever traveled – really woke up right away with no issues, and that patient is doing extremely well and has excellent cardiac function,” the doctor said.

The new technique is not only revolutionary for heart transplant patients, but liver and lung patients as well.

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As for Miller, he’s ready to get back on his feet and back to his family.

“I look forward to just being able to move, walk, go upstairs,” he said. “All the things we take for granted.”



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Storms close Michigan’s Adventure for the day

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Storms close Michigan’s Adventure for the day


FRUITLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Storms Tuesday morning forced Michigan’s Adventure to close for the day.

The park closed “due to a power outage and inclement weather,” it announced on its Facebook page. It said most tickets for Tuesday will be honored through Labor Day.

“Thank you for understanding,” it wrote.

A line of strong storms swept through West Michigan Tuesday morning, leaving tens of thousands without power. Damage from the storms included downed trees and broken windows at a Grand Rapids post office.

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Consumers Energy crews will be working throughout the day to restore power. Some may not have power back until Wednesday, a Consumers Energy spokesperson told News 8.

Michigan’s Adventure isn’t the only West Michigan closure. Some local schools and churches, including many in Kent County, have canceled summer activities for the day.



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