GW: I have a sinking feeling about all this – especially after the photo shows how some people are going to trust their lives riding on some dime store junk blow-up gadget. It just isn’t going to be any good on anyone’s resume…

The annual Port Huron Float Down is scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 18, 2019 on the St. Clair River. This remains an unsanctioned marine event and poses risks to the participants and other
users of the waterways during the 7.5 mile /12 km course. The fast-moving current, large number of
participants, lack of lifejackets, alcohol consumption, potentially challenging weather conditions, water
temperature, and limited rescue resources can create difficult emergency response scenarios that can
result in serious injuries or fatalities.

The marine environment – motion, sun, wind, spray – accelerates the effects of alcohol consumption.
Alcohol can also increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold water – further impairing a
person’s judgment, vision, and reaction time.

Water temperatures during recent Float Downs averaged in the high 60s o F/ 17-19 o C. Immersion in
water below approximately 70 degrees o F/ 21 o C can lead to hypothermia that impairs physical
performance and degrades a person’s ability to self-help or swim. Early signs of hypothermia include
shivering and loss of coordination and judgment.

In 2014, a 19-year-old, experienced swimmer drowned during the event. The U.S. Coast Guard and
local, state and federal partners including the Canadian Coast Guard mounted a significant search and
rescue effort that was eventually suspended after 21 searches lasting more than 36 hours.

In 2016, high winds and a heavy downpour led to approximately 1500 participants requiring assistance
when they landed on the Canadian shoreline at Sarnia and Corunna, leaving them stranded, subject to
Canadian and U.S. border security and, often without identification, money and means of
communication. Some had injuries and were suffering from hypothermia.

This is an inherently dangerous activity, especially for minors. As first responders, the U.S. Coast Guard
and the Canadian Coast Guard recommend that people do not take part in this event. Participants are
strongly encouraged to take several precautions: Read more

The 24th annual Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Festival is set for Aug. 3-4 at Bay City State Park’s Saginaw Bay Visitor Center. Festival activities run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Read more

Kryptek Outdoor Group and CarbonTV Announce Sweepstakes for “INVICTUS”: A Customized 2019 Chevy Silverado worth nearly $100K

Kryptek Outdoor Group and CarbonTV have partnered on an epic sweepstakes where one lucky winner will win a 2019 Chevy Silverado Trail Boss named INVICTUS, fully customized and wrapped in Kryptek Typhon™ camo and valued at nearly $100,000. Enter up to twice daily at CarbonTV.Com now until December 15, 2019.

INVICTUS will be customized at the world-famous Prefix Corporation in Michigan. CarbonTV will be documenting the process with weekly video updates, allowing users to follow along and provide feedback. While the truck exterior will boast a full Kryptek wrap and aggressive upgrades, including a lift kit; the interior will be finely detailed with one-of-a-kind Kryptek accents. Viewers can interact with CarbonTV and Kryptek via social media to give their opinions on what upgrades they would like to see. The finished product will be revealed to the public upon completion. Read more

Project preproposals are due Aug. 30

An estimated $1.825 million is expected to be available through a new Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant opportunity that combines three previously separate programs and will provide targeted funding for a variety of activities including fish habitat conservation, dam removal and repair, resource assessment studies and access to recreation.

Joe Nohner, a resource analyst with the DNR Fisheries Division, said the department decided to unite those programs to make it easier for applicants to apply for and receive funding, for efficiency and consistency in grant management, to better incorporate stakeholder feedback and, ultimately, to improve outcomes for natural resources and human safety. Read more

Lt. Brandon Kieft, conservation officer with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, was the first law enforcement agent to arrive at the scene when a group of people reported that they believed they had found Gabriella Vitale, a 2-year-old girl who went missing Monday morning.

More than 20 DNR conservation officers were working the search and rescue operation with several other law enforcement agencies, including the Oscoda County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan State Police.

Kieft was at the search and rescue command center when the call was received Tuesday morning from the group of people who believed they found Gabriella.

Kieft headed to the area and arrived at the cabin where Gabriella was reported to be located, which is about one mile west of M-33 in Oscoda. There, he was able to positively identify the young girl as Gabriella Vitale around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. Read more

WASHINGTON – July 12, 2019 – The American Red Cross issued an emergency need for eligible individuals of all blood types to give now and help save patient lives following a busy Independence Day week. Currently blood donations are being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in—blood donors are needed to help avoid delays in lifesaving medical care. Schedule your blood donation appointment by visiting RedCrossBlood.org.

Fewer blood donors and blood drives last week have escalated the Red Cross call for all blood and platelet donors to help ensure hospital needs are met. More than 450 fewer blood drives were held than during a typical week the week of July 4 which may have led to as many as 17,000 fewer blood donations. AAA reported that nearly 49 million Americans—the highest recorded number—took trips would take trips to celebrate the Independence Day holiday, potentially making donors less available to give during the busy holiday week. Read more

Introducing the All-New FAT TIRE RidgeRunner

We took the advanced fire-link, 4-bar suspension platform from our ultra-capable RidgeRunner bikes and built it into a fat-tire version. Featuring 26×4.8” tires and 150mm of suspension travel, a wide-range 9-speed drivetrain and a 1000 or 750 watt motor; the new RidgeRunner is built for the most rugged terrain making it the ultimate exploration machine. Bikepacking, camping, accessing high mountain lakes: do it all quietly and efficiently using the electric pedal assist. Capable of hauling either one of the QuietKat trailers, you can bring all your gear with you for an adventure in the backcountry, an overnight expedition, or a multi-day bikepacking adventure.

The Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan History Center and the Eastern Market Partnership have agreed to relocate the Detroit home of Julia and Lt. Ulysses S. Grant from the former state fairgrounds to the corner of Orleans and Wilkins streets. There, after renovation, it will become a new resource for residents, schoolchildren and visitors.

The new location, which is part of the Eastern Market garden project, will include gardens and a small orchard. The setting will complement the house, whose major attraction – according to a letter Ulysses sent to Julia – was “a garden filled with the best kind of fruit … a long arbour grown over with vines that will bear fine grapes in abundance for us and to give away … currents [sic] and plum & peach trees.” Read more

Swansboro, N.C. – High Speed Gear®, manufacturer of Battle-Proven Tactical Gear™, is proud to release a new nylon medical pouch, the Tourniquet TACO®.

Built from Cordura® nylon, this pouch is designed to retain most windlass-style tourniquets, such as SAM® XT, C-A-T®, SOF® TT, and SOF® TT Wide tourniquets, in one pouch. This new TACO® includes HSGI’s® unique shock cord design with an adjustable, removable Velcro® flap, which enables open-top use. The pouch also features a “hand-up” flap design that lifts the tourniquet up when opening to make it easier to grab. The four rows of laser-cut MOLLE provide flexibility to mount the pouch 1” up or 1” down with the included (1) HSGI® Clip.

“Carrying a tourniquet has become commonplace in everyday life. High Speed Gear’s new Tourniquet TACO makes that easier to do with its soft design and easily-accessible Velcro® flap,” explained Bill Babboni, High Speed Gear Vice President of Sales and Operations. “We always want to make it easier to carry the gear you need day in and day out.” Read more