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11<div class="jssor-article-img_PRV"><a href="a-asthma-childrens-asthma-impact-day-inspires-local-youth-to-breathe-eas-p8431-100.htm"><img class="imgs_PRV" src="/05-08-2026-07-57-57-am-6899990.jpg" alt="A 4 Asthma Children's Asthma Impact Day Inspires Local Youth to Breathe Easier and Lead Healthier Lives" /></a></div>
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13<div class="articleheading_PRV"><h1 class="pageheading custompageheading" style="display:block;"><a class="text_PRV" href="a-asthma-childrens-asthma-impact-day-inspires-local-youth-to-breathe-eas-p8431-100.htm">A 4 Asthma Children's Asthma Impact Day Inspires Local Youth to Breathe Easier and Lead Healthier Lives</a></h1></div>
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15<div class="date_div">
16<div class="pagebyline layout_pagebyline" style="padding-right:0px;">Dr. Desmond Murray<span style="color:#222222;padding-left:3px; padding-right:3px;">?</span></div>
17<div class="pageissuedate layout_pageissuedate">Fri, July 31, 2026</div>
18<div>
19<span class="pagesourceline layout_pagesourceline">Benton-Michiana Spirit News</span>
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22<div class="body_PRV">The A 4 Asthma Children's Asthma Impact Day brought area youth together for a day of learning, inspiration, and fun while teaching them how to better manage asthma, recognize environmental triggers, and help others living with the disease. Princella Tobias, Program Director of the A 4 Asthma Program under Building Excellence in Science and Technology (BEST), welcomed participants and thanked them for investing in their health. She noted that the event was the first of several youth initiatives made possible through funding from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Office of Environmental Justice, in partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health. Traveling from Chicago were Dr. Susan Buchanan, M.D., M.P.H., and Danielle Westnedge of UIC. Dr. Buchanan co-founded the A 4 Asthma Program with Tobias and continues to support the program's mission of reducing asthma disparities through education and environmental justice. Motivational speaker Ardale Clark shared his personal asthma journey, encouraging youth to never let asthma limit their dreams. Dr. Buchanan and Tracy Clare, R.N., of the Berrien County Health Department taught participants about asthma, healthy breathing, and environmental triggers. Clare also introduced families to the Health Department's children's programs and led interactive breathing activities, including the popular Straw Blowing Challenge. The youth then walked from the A 4 Asthma offices to Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park, visited the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue for photos, and stopped at the A 4 Asthma booth during the Benton Harbor Farmers Market for healthy snacks and additional asthma education. Representatives from EMERGE Michigan traveled from Lansing to help youth create public service announcements while documenting the A 4 Asthma Program's work in the community. The event was coordinated by LaShunn Harper, A 4 Asthma Coordinator, in memory of Rickey Lee Dumas III, who died from an asthma attack on May 2, 2026. Harper and Imyn Burton lead the program's Asthma in the Schools, Asthma in the Church, and Asthma in the Parks initiatives. Also participating were Ellis Mitchell, the program's Veterans and Senior Citizens Ambassador, and Asthma Ambassadors Marlain West and Thomas Polk, who assisted throughout the day. The event concluded with the children taking the A 4 Asthma Pledge and receiving certificates, educational materials, asthma resources, and giveaways to encourage healthy living and asthma awareness.</div>
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28<div class="jssor-article-img_PRV"><a href="a-asthma-in-action-p8400-100.htm"><img class="imgs_PRV" src="/17-04-2026-08-46-41-am-9500214.png" alt="A 4 Asthma in Action" /></a></div>
29
30<div class="articleheading_PRV"><h1 class="pageheading custompageheading" style="display:block;"><a class="text_PRV" href="a-asthma-in-action-p8400-100.htm">A 4 Asthma in Action</a></h1></div>
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33<div class="pagebyline layout_pagebyline" style="padding-right:0px;">Benton Spirit News<span style="color:#222222;padding-left:3px; padding-right:3px;">?</span></div>
34<div class="pageissuedate layout_pageissuedate">Fri, May 8, 2026</div>
35<div>
36<span class="pagesourceline layout_pagesourceline">Benton Spirit</span>
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39<div class="body_PRV">A 4 Asthma is featured in this week’s edition of the Benton Spirit Newsp

39aper, highlighting practical ways to manage asthma and improve everyday health. It covers community support, lifestyle changes, and simple steps to reduce common triggers. Readers can also find helpful resources and programs aimed at better asthma care.</div>
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45<div class="jssor-article-img_PRV"><a href="berrien-county-health-department-shares-tick-safety-tips-for-people-and-pet-p8408-100.htm"><img class="imgs_PRV" src="/13-05-2026-08-25-40-am-1368725.jpg" alt="Berrien County Health Department Shares Tick Safety Tips for People and Pets During Lyme Disease Awareness Month" /></a></div>
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47<div class="articleheading_PRV"><h1 class="pageheading custompageheading" style="display:block;"><a class="text_PRV" href="berrien-county-health-department-shares-tick-safety-tips-for-people-and-pet-p8408-100.htm">Berrien County Health Department Shares Tick Safety Tips for People and Pets During Lyme Disease Awareness Month</a></h1></div>
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50<div class="pagebyline layout_pagebyline" style="padding-right:0px;">Benton Spirit News<span style="color:#222222;padding-left:3px; padding-right:3px;">?</span></div>
51<div class="pageissuedate layout_pageissuedate">Mon, April 27, 2026</div>
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53<span class="pagesourceline layout_pagesourceline">Benton Spirit</span>
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56<div class="body_PRV">The Berrien County Health Department is providing tick prevention tips to community members and their pets in recognition of Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to people through the bite of a blacklegged tick. As of 2026, 98% of Michigan’s counties, including Berrien County, have a known or potential risk of Lyme disease, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Ticks like to inhabit shady, moist wooded and brushy areas, in high grass or ground that is covered in fallen leaves. They are generally most active during the warmer months from April through September or when temperatures are above 40 degrees. “Each year, we work to share tick prevention tips with community members so they can safely enjoy our county’s beautiful trails, beaches and other outdoor areas,” said Nick Margaritis, BCHD’s environmental health services manager. “Young ticks can be as small as a poppy seed, making them hard to spot, and most people don’t feel them bite. This is why checking yourself, your loved ones and your pets for ticks after time outside is one of the best ways to protect against bites and Lyme disease.” To help prevent tick bites this season, the Health Department offers the following tips for community members: · Wear long, light-colored clothing to easily spot ticks. · Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET or other approved ingredients. · Treat clothing and gear with permethrin, an insecticide. · Stay on the center of hiking trails, avoiding brush. · Examine clothing and gear after being outdoors. · Check your body for ticks once you’re indoors. Using a mirror, make sure to check: -In and around the hair and behind the ears. -Under the arms. -Inside the belly button. -Around the waist. -Between the legs and behind the knees. · Shower as soon as you can after coming indoors. “Pets are just as vulnerable to tick exposure as people, especially if they spend a lot of time in grassy or wooded areas,” Margaritis said. “Regularly checking your pet can reduce the risk of ticks being brought into your home.” To protect pets from tick bites, community members are encouraged to: · Regularly use a flea and tick preventative for pets. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation and instructions. · Check pets for ticks after coming indoors through visual and hands-on inspections: -Run your hands over their body and feel for any bumps. Pay close attention to areas around their ears, chest, underbelly, legs and feet as well as in between their toes and around the tail. · Lyme disease immunization is available for dogs. Ask your veterinarian if this is a good choice for your pet. If you find a tick on yourself, a loved one or a pet, use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and slowly pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Then, wash the bite and your hands with soap and water. A common misconception is to use petroleum jelly, heat, nail polish or other substances to get the tick to detach from the skin. These methods are not advised 

56since they may agitate the tick, causing it to push infected fluid into your skin. If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your health care provider, making note of when the bite occurred and where you most likely encountered the tick. BCHD routinely monitors for ticks in the warmer months by conducting drags at various locations across Berrien County. For more information about Lyme disease and tick bite prevention, visit Fight the Bite – Ticks & Mosquitos</div>
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62<div class="jssor-article-img_PRV"><a href="environmental-fridays-for-april-p8395-100.htm"><img class="imgs_PRV" src="/08-04-2026-09-46-36-am-2421312.jpg" alt="ENVIRONMENTAL FRIDAYS FOR APRIL 2026" /></a></div>
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64<div class="articleheading_PRV"><h1 class="pageheading custompageheading" style="display:block;"><a class="text_PRV" href="environmental-fridays-for-april-p8395-100.htm">ENVIRONMENTAL FRIDAYS FOR APRIL 2026</a></h1></div>
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66<div class="date_div">
67<div class="pagebyline layout_pagebyline" style="padding-right:0px;">Dr. Desmond Murray<span style="color:#222222;padding-left:3px; padding-right:3px;">?</span></div>
68<div class="pageissuedate layout_pageissuedate">Fri, April 3, 2026</div>
69<div>
70<span class="pagesourceline layout_pagesourceline">Benton Spirit</span>
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73<div class="body_PRV">The Environmental Fridays (EF) episodes for April 2026 will be Eve and the Environment (4.03, Cat Bohannon); Addressing Disparities in Asthma & Allergies (4.10, De De Gardner); Greening the Church (4.17, Ambrose F. Carroll); and Seas and Scenes: Love the Caribbean (4.24, Tabitha Stadler). You can view their photos and bios, among others, at our website: https://www.theenvironmentalfridays.com/environmental-fridays-schedule-and-speakers-bio We are very grateful to all our guest speakers, cohosts and attendees. We meet on Zoom every Friday at 9:30am EST until May 29, 2026. The meeting ID is 836 8866 0774 and passcode is 957246. Environmental Fridays is a labor of love and free to all. Students, professionals, and community. Our tagline is: "It is personal." If you missed the first three months of Environmental Fridays Season X you can access, view, and share them on YouTube. January’s episodes were Life in Extreme Environments (1.09); Guyana’s Forest Solutions to the Climate Crisis (1.16); Environmental Injustice in Prisons (1.23); and Environmental and Geopolitical Impacts of Rare Earths Production (1.30). February’s episodes were My Environmental Journey (2.06); Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (2.13); Importance of Marine Protected Areas (2.20); and Break the Cycle of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities in Africa (2.27). In March our episodes were Urban Farming Enterprises (3.06); Heritage Preservation, Indigenous Knowledge and Conservation (3.13); A Black Mother's Garden and African American Environmental Writing (3.20); and Natural Hazards and Cancer (3.27). The topics and dates in May will be Environmental Impact of the Fashion Industry (5.01); PFAS in Drinking Water: Making the Invisible Visible (5.08); Asa Wright Nature Center (5.15); Creating an Indigenous Medicine Garden (5.22); and Documentary Films and the Environment (5.29). MORE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL FRIDAYS Read more about Environmental Fridays at our website and in this published article: https://www.theenvironmentalfridays.com/ and https://doi.org/10.55668/jae0039 Everyone is welcome to join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/environmentalfridays YOUR FEEDBACK If you are interested or know others (individual, group, class, school, etc.) interested in supporting Environmental Fridays as a viewer, presenter, co-host or donor, please contact me, dr. desmond Hartwell Murray. Send your comments and feedback to [email protected] or [email protected]</div>
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81<div class="articleheading_PRV"><h1 class="pageheading custompageheading" style="display:block;"><a class="text_PRV" href="a-asthma-p8391-100.htm">A 4 Asthma</a></h1></div>
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84<div class="pagebyline layout_pagebyline" style="padding-right:0px;">Benton Spirit News<span style="color:#222222;padding-left:3px; padding-right:3px;">?</span></div>
85<div class="pageissuedate layout_pageissuedate">Fri, April 3, 2026</div>
86<div>
87<span class="pagesourceline layout_pagesourceline">Benton Spirit</span>
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90The Benton Spirit Newspaper continues its commitment to community health and awareness. In this week’s feature, explore insights from the A4 Asthma Program, including tips on improving indoor air quality and protecting families from common asthma triggers.</div>
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