McLaren named a top heart hospital

For the fourth year in a row and fifth time overall, IBM Watson Health has named the Petoskey-based McLaren Northern Michigan among the nation’s top 50 cardiovascular hospitals, the hospital said in a news release.

Hospitals on that list perform better than similar hospitals on several clinical, operational, and financial benchmarks, the release said.

“This distinction belongs to each and every member of our McLaren Northern Michigan family,” Todd Burch, president and CEO of McLaren Northern Michigan, said in a statement.

Retailers hopeful despite sales slip

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration is focusing on workplace safety in the construction and manufacturing industries to ensure compliance with COVID-19 workplace safety rules, the agency said in a news release.

“Our goal is to educate before we regulate, and by MIOSHA increasing their presence in these industries where we see outbreaks, we can better ensure employers are following the MIOSHA Emergency Rules,” Michigan COVID-19 Workplace Safety Director Sean Egan said in a statement. “We must remain vigilant to guarantee that Michigan’s businesses can stay open, workers can keep working, and we can continue to see economic recovery.”

Michigan has seen a sharp increase in cases across the state and outbreaks in both the construction and manufacturing industry, including 28 new outbreaks reported on Nov. 12, and the tracking of 63 ongoing outbreaks in these industries.

To report health and safety concerns in the workplace, visit Michigan.gov/MIOSHAcomplaint.

Bavarian Inn matriarch turning 99

Dorothy Zehnder, matriarch of the family that built the famed Bavarian Inn Restaurant in Frankenmuth, turns 99 on Dec. 1, the family said in a news release.

She still works six days a week in the Bavarian Inn kitchen.

“Dorothy loves people,” says granddaughter Katie Zehnder Weiss. “She loves to cook and bring joy to people with our many menu offerings.”

Fans of Dorothy are invited to send her birthday greetings by email: events@bavarianinn.com. Dorothy will remain inside the Bavarian Inn kitchen and not greet the public on Dec 1 because of the coronavirus.

The Bavarian Inn dining room is closed because of coronavirus restrictions, but takeout is available 11 to 7 p.m. daily from the Bake Shop and the Castle Shops below the restaurant are open for shopping.