If you are in immediate need of a police officer call Newaygo County Dispatch at 231-689-5288, this will reach the nearest available police officer. If it is a life threatening emergency dial 911. 

Utilize our drop box, online payment systems and mail to make bill payments. Click here to pay bills online. 

Avoid going out. If you need to come in to City Hall, please call ahead to make an appointment and we will be happy to schedule a time.

To register to receive free text and email alerts from Newaygo County Emergency Services, text NewaygoES to 888777 or visit https://local.nixle.com/register/. 

TrueNorth Community Services will offer curb-side pick up at their food pantry located at 6308 S. Warner Avenue in Fremont, from 8:30am-4:30pm daily. 

Bailey Christian Church is offering free breakfast and/or lunch to children and families. Please feel free to contact the BCC office at 231.834.5919 or baileychristianchurch@gmail.com.

Newaygo County Commission on Aging offers meal delivery to seniors who qualify. Call 231-689-2100 for more information.

Gene’s Grocery will be offering free curbside assistance and delivery for seniors. Please call 231-834-5784 to place an order.

Dollar General and Family Dollar will both open exclusively to seniors for shopping between the hours of 8-9am.

Grant Public Schools will be providing breakfast and lunch for families to pick up at multiple locations throughout our district between the hours of 11:00 AM and 12:00 noon. The meals will be provided for any child ages 0-18, or up to age 26 for young adults with special needs.
The meals will be for pick-up only (Grab and Go). Those locations are:

• Grant Middle School South Parking Lot located at 96 East 120th St. in Grant
• Bailey Christian Church Parking Lot located at 17635 Pearl St. in Bailey
• Bridgeton Township Hall Parking Lot located at 11830 Warner Ave. in Grant
• Lake Forest Mobile Home Park Clubhouse/Office Building Parking Lot located at 9502 South 2nd St.
• Blythefield Hills Baptist Church Parking Lot located at 7077 E. 120th St.

Newaygo Commission on Aging offers transportation for seniors who have medical appointments. They will continue to offer transportation at this time. Call 231-689-2100 for more information.

Family Healthcare will be implementing pharmacy curbside pick-up services. Please call pharmacy staff if you need refills or have a prescription to pick-up. At this time, only customers who are in the building after an office visit with a Family Health Care provider, including a dental or mental health provider, will be granted access to the pharmacy. Please feel free to contact your Family Health Care Pharmacy staff for more information during regular business hours. https://www.familyhealthcare.org/covid19/

Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial

Visitor Restrictions: The hospital has revised their visitor policies to align with Executive Order 2020-007. Until April 5, 2020, no visitors will be allowed at any locations (hospitals, outpatient locations, and long term care facilities) for all local healthcare systems. For special circumstances, one approved visitor will be allowed in situations involving patients undergoing surgery, and pediatric, maternity, end of life or critically ill patients.

OUTPATIENT REHAB: Rehab services will be significantly scaled back and staff are calling people with appointments to postpone or reschedule. The changes to rehab begin Tuesday, March 17 through March 27, and will be evaluated weekly. For more information, contact rehab in Fremont at 231.924.3195 and in Newaygo at 231.652.5079.

LAB: The outpatient lab located at Gerber Memorial’s hospital will be relocated to Tamarac, 1401 W. Main, Fremont, starting on Tuesday. Hours for the relocated lab, which will remain open to the public, are: Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The lab will be closed Saturdays and Sundays.

DIAGNOSTIC: Gerber Memorial is cancelling all non-urgent outpatient diagnostic exams, including mammograms, MRIs, CT scans, walk-in X-rays and other services. Diagnostic mammograms and breast biopsies, as well as procedures ordered as urgent, will continue to be performed. Hours will vary for different services. For questions, contact: 231-924-1365

HOSPITAL ENTRANCES: In an effort to better screen visitors during the coronavirus pandemic, Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial is keeping only a few entrances open for staff, patients and visitors. Starting today, patients and visitors can access the hospital only through the entrance at the Emergency Department.

Gerber Memorial employees can enter through two other entrances, off Maple Avenue and between the hospital and Professional Office Building. Those entrances are open for a limited period during the day, Monday through Friday, and can be accessed only with a valid employee badge and appropriate COVID-19 risk factor screening.

All other entrances will be locked. Designated parking areas will not be affected: Visitor lots will remain for patients and visitors, and employees will still park in employee lots.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-10 to temporarily expand eligibility for unemployment benefits. This executive order is effective immediately and until Tuesday, April 14 at 11:59pm. Under the governor’s order, unemployment benefits would be extended to: 

• Workers who have an unanticipated family care responsibility, including those who have childcare responsibilities due to school closures, or those who are forced to care for loved ones who become ill. 
• Workers who are sick, quarantined, or immunocompromised and who do not have access to paid family and medical leave or are laid off. 
• First responders in the public health community who become ill or are quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19. 

The State is also seeking solutions for self-employed workers and independent contractors who traditionally do not have access to unemployment insurance. Access to benefits for unemployed workers will also be extended: 

• Benefits will be increased from 20 to 26 weeks. 
• The application eligibility period will be increased from 14 to 28 days 
• The normal in-person registration and work search requirements will be suspended.  

Eligible employees should apply for unemployment benefits online at Michigan.gov/UIA  or 1-866-500-0017. A factsheet on how to apply for benefits can be found here.  

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) call center stands ready to support businesses looking for assistance through other available state programs. For more information, visit MEDC’s website: www.michiganbusiness.org or call 888.522.0103.  The Michigan Small Business Development Center can also provide resources for small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Visit their website https://sbdcmichigan.org/small-business-covid19/ for additional information. 

NEWAYGO COUNTY – In light of the current state of emergency, and in accordance with the State Court Order, the Newaygo County Trial Courts have an approved LAO (Local Administrative Order) for closure to the public beginning March 18, 2020 and going through April 3, 2020.   

The public may visit countyofnewaygo.com in the Circuit Court menu for access to forms for certain essential services. The public may submit any filings by going to countyofnewaygo.com under the Contact Us tab and select Email Us. The public may select Circuit Court and send an email. The Court will then respond with how filings may be uploaded.  

The public will be encouraged to mail in new filings as mail will be reviewed and processed daily. Motions seeking ex parte relief, and any other motions, can be filed via fax or email to the appropriate court for handling. The public may also utilize the appropriate court’s contact numbers below.  

The following essential and/or emergency services will be dealt with by the appropriate court and staff members will be available in each court to assist the public with questions as staffing levels permit. Only essential clerking and staff operations will be processed during this time. 

Incarcerated defendants will be reviewed on a daily basis and arraigned for both 27th Circuit and 78th District Courts. Arraignment attorneys will be contacted as needed. Proceedings related to such arraignments such as bench warrants and violations of probation will also be considered an essential function for both Circuit and District court. 

The 27th Circuit Court and 78th District Court shall provide trials and sentencings for incarcerated defendants only due to the increased risk for jurors in large numbers being summoned for duty. 

Due to the reduced ability to safely have counsel and court staff present in the courtrooms the postponements required by this LAO will be excluded from speedy trial requirements as the Newaygo Courts have determined that the benefits of such postponements outweigh the defendant’s/respondent’s right to speedy trial pursuant to MCR(C)(6) and MCR 3.942 (A).  

The 27th Circuit Court shall provide civil services as essential functions: emergency show cause and injunctive orders, infectious disease cases, personal protection orders (initiating cases, hearings for denied personal protection orders, motions to terminate personal protection orders and arraignments on alleged personal protection orders), hearings for respondents unable to bail out after arraignment, parental consent waivers and the signing/preparing of any emergency orders necessary for the safety and/or well-being of a litigant or child.  

The 27th Circuit Court – Family Division will continue to provide the following essential services to the public including emergency proceedings for abuse/neglect cases including, but not limited to, permanency planning hearings, preliminary hearings, scheduled trials and dispositional hearings for detained youth. · The 27th Circuit Court’s Domestic Relations Division shall facilitate the submission of motions seeking ex parte relief, and will present the motion and prepared order to the court for review as necessary for the safety and well-being of a litigant and or child/ren.  

The 78th District Court shall uphold its normal probable cause conferences and preliminary exams for all lodged defendants and a 21-Day waiver shall be requested from all defendants who are represented by counsel. Pursuant to MCR 6.110(B) the court may adjourn a preliminary hearing examination for good cause. 

The Newaygo County Probate Court shall continue to provide the following essential services to the public such as emergency proceedings for decedent estates, trusts, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, mental illness and judicial admission proceedings. 

Please see the complete Local Administrative Order for more complete details or contact the appropriate court using the information below: 

Circuit Court Email: wjarvis@co.newaygo.mi.us
Phone: (231) 689-7251 Main Phone: (231) 689-7252 Fax: (231) 689-7015
District Court Email: dmr@co.newaygo.mi.us
Phone: (231) 689-7228 Main Phone: (231) 689-7257 Fax (231) 689-7258

Newaygo County Community, Michigan Attorney General Nessel has sent warnings out about the current scams taking place in Michigan or neighboring states.

1. Spot imposters. Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity, or a company you do business with. Don’t send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request — whether it comes as a text, a phone call, or an email.  
2. Do online searches. Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
3. Don’t believe your caller ID. Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.
4. Don’t pay upfront for a promise. Someone might ask you to pay in advance for things like debt relief, credit and loan offers, mortgage assistance, or a job. They might even say you’ve won a prize, but first you have to pay taxes or fees. If you do, they will probably take the money and disappear. 
5. Consider how you pay. Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, but some payment methods don’t. Wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram is risky because it’s nearly impossible to get your money back. That’s also true for reloadable cards (like MoneyPak or Reloadit) and gift cards (like iTunes or Google Play). Government offices and honest companies won’t require you to use these payment methods.
6. Talk to someone. Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert — or just tell a friend.
7. Hang up on robocalls. If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report it to the FTC. These calls are illegal, and often the products are bogus. Don’t press 1 to speak to a person or to be taken off the list. That could lead to more calls.
8. Be skeptical about free trial offers. Some companies use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you every month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, research the company and read the cancellation policy. And always review your monthly statements for charges you don’t recognize.
9. Don’t deposit a check and wire money back. By law, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. If a check you deposit turns out to be a fake, you’re responsible for repaying the bank.
10. Sign up for free scam alerts from the FTC at ftc.gov/scams. Get the latest tips and advice about scams sent right to your inbox.

• ONLY CALL 9-1-1 TO REPORT EMERGENCIES!   Emergency operators and phone lines are needed to support this incident, please continue to monitor Nixle for updates or call 2-1-1 (not 9-1-1) for general safety information.
• DO NOT GO TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT FOR TESTING! Please DO NOT show up at an emergency department or urgent care center unless it is a life threatening emergency and you need immediate medical care. Anyone with severe or life-threatening symptoms should call 911.
• VIRTUAL SCREENING FOR COVID-19 IS AVAILABLE BY CALLING 616.391.2380! Spectrum Health is offering free virtual COVID-19 screenings to those who have symptoms and may be concerned they have the virus. The purpose is to prevent the spread of illness by enabling people to seek the information they need from their homes, while making it easy and convenient for them.
• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE RELEASED!   Continue monitoring your radio, Nixle, and Newaygo ES’s Facebook Page for additional information.
• THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!