Wayyy better quality… IT’S APPLE SEASON BOYS‼️ pic.twitter.com/3xNCfp4QX9

— Daniel Hartman (@hartmand45) September 30, 2017

They say an apple a day keeps the dentist away. However, using apples to keep himself out of the dentist chair isn’t a major concern for Michigan college student Daniel Hartman.

Around the world, 60% to 90% of young children, as well as almost 100% of adults, find themselves with dental cavities at some point. For Hartman, cavities aren’t the thing he’s thinking about when it comes to his oral health. You may be wondering what is so great about apples for Hartman, and the answer goes much further than just keeping up-to-date with his health — weirdly strong teeth.

In a viral video, people throw apples toward Hartman and he catches them in his teeth.

The video of the Jackson College student has been liked on Twitter more than 140,000 times and has been retweeted 53,000 times. It shows Hartman stopping around different parts of the college campus and catching the apples in his mouth.

People have been concerned that Hartman may actually be doing more harm than help for his teeth with the apple catching. According to CBS Detroit, Hartman says on his personal Twitter account that catching the apples in his mouth “only hurts when you miss.”


People have also been wondering if his teeth are okay because obviously catching whole apples with your mouth is very risky. But, don’t worry! Hartman’s teeth seem to be staying strong. Casey Kirkbride, the self-proclaimed apple tosser, posted a video that shows Hartman’s teeth actually intact and together.

Hartman’s mother, on the other hand, isn’t too keen on her son catching the flying fruit with his mouth. The college student posted a screenshot of a text from his mom on Twitter that shows her saying “Umm…we kinda paid a lot of money for those teeth!!”

If there are any of you out there who may be interested in trying this trick, be wary. Refinery 29 reports that Hartman says right in his Twitter bio that he is “not accountable for anyone’s apple-related injuries.” So apple tossers, catchers, and would-be viral stars, proceed with caution.

Only half of all U.S. adults say they visit their dentist every six months, and that means there are far too many Americans who aren’t following recommended guidelines for oral health. Whether it’s due to high costs or lack of convenience, it’s a problem that Michigan lawmakers have sunk their teeth into. The state Senate has now passed a bill that will make dental care more accessible to patients by authorizing and licensing “dental therapists” to perform many of the same duties currently handled by dentists.

The legislation, which won Senate approval 25 to 15 in early October, would essentially create a new, mid-level dental professional position known as a dental therapist. These therapists would be able to practice the basic dental care functions (like including simple teeth extractions and dental fillings) for which dentists are currently responsible. The bill includes the training and educational requirements that would have to be met before they could become licensed and also lays out in detail the sort of agreement the therapist would be required to have with a supervising dentist in order to practice.

Proponents believe that this new position could help close the care gap that exists in many rural and underserved areas of Michigan. Amy Zaagman, executive director of the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health, explained to Michigan Radio that dental therapists would be able to practice only in areas that have dental shortages or in safety net settings. They may also practice in facilities wherein at least half of their patients meet certain low-income requirements.

Still, not everyone is in favor of the bill. The Michigan Dental Association is strongly opposed to the legislation. Their stance is that the problem lies not in a shortage of qualified dentists but in low Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Bill Sullivan, the vice president of government affairs for the MDA, told Michigan Radio, “If the reimbursement rate could be increased, the dentists are there to provide the care. They’re there to provide the care if they will at least not lose money every time they see a patient.”

Others point out that even if there are enough dentists to feasibly go around, the fact that there are few affordable options available to low-income residents would essentially have the same effect: neglected dental care. And in an opinion piece published in the Oakland Press, columnist Michael Van Beek points out that without affordable preventative care, a lot of residents have to either endure their pain or go to the emergency room — an even more colossal expense. In fact, a 2014 study found that 7,000 Michigan patients went to the ER in 2011 for symptoms that resulted from preventable dental issues. The costs of hospital visits can be astronomical: in 2013, the average cost of just one day spent in a U.S. hospital was $4,293, and even just a night in the ER can cost upwards of $1,000 in some cases. These oral problems can also result in missed school or work and a poorer quality of life. In addition, an increase in untreated dental issues can actually drive up prices throughout the health care market in general, making it even harder for those in underserved populations to access the care they need.

Currently, 77 of Michigan’s 83 counties contain at least one area deemed as having a dental shortage, which translates to millions of local residents who do not have regular access to this type of care. The House Health Policy Committee will vote on the bill, known as S.B. 541, next. If passed, Michigan will join the ranks of Minnesota, Maine, and Vermont, which have already authorized and licensed dental therapists throughout their states.

In Detroit, a unique neighborhood is changing lives. Detroit’s Tiny Homes project has been lead by Cass Community Social Services and features a neighborhood of 250 to 400 square-foot homes off Elmhurst Street and the John C. Lodge Freeway.

This project began with the purpose of helping low-income residents work their way into home ownership. The tiny homes are being rented out for just $1 per square foot. Prospective residents who are able to show proof of employment have the opportunity to make rent-to-own arrangements as well.

The executive director of Cass Community Social Services, Rev. Faith Fowler, said rent payments cover everything except electric bills, which can reach $35 during the coldest months of winter.

“They’re not paying for the house, they’re paying for the program and we use their money to pay their taxes, their water, their insurance and security monitoring,” Fowler said, “…It’s been a really, sort of thrilling thing to happen as our country has been struggling with so many things right now that can be depressing.”

Each tiny house costs between $45,000 and $55,000 to build, with the foundation alone costing about $20,000. A new batch of four houses has just begun being built and are expected to be completed by early 2018. Much of the labor costs were waived as donations and Cass Community Social Services continues to cover material costs.

The rising popularity of tiny homes worldwide has lead to some really unique innovations. In one case, a tiny home designer, Ana White, came up with a one-of-a-kind solution to achieve maximum open space in the center of the 204 square-foot home.

To do this, White installed an elevation system to raise and lower the loft bed. With home elevator maintenance being suggested every 12 months, this was a cost-effective and smart solution to removing the bed, giving the house a more open floor plan.

Tiny homes can offer big benefits in a tiny space. With smart design options, tiny homes can offer a variety of storage solutions, while being decorative and often environmentally friendly.

More and more communities around the world are adopting tiny homes as a way to provide inexpensive homes for low-income families while giving them a home to be proud to own.

City officials have announced a proposal to invest $125 million in bond funds to rejuvenate Detroit neighborhood commercial passageways. The plan is part of a $137 million plan to upgrade 300 miles of roads and damaged sidewalks.

Mayor Mike Duggan plans to submit a proposal asking for approval for the sales bonds, with $80 million going towards structure and facility improvements and $45 million to improve roads and sidewalks. According to the city, the bonds will be paid back over the next several years through unbudgeted increases in state transportation revenue, which is received through state gas taxes and vehicle registration fees.

The city states that its annual share of state road revenue is going to gradually be increased over the next five years to reach its maximum of $95 million in 2021.

Officials say the city’s general fund will not be impacted by this bond sale and will not be used to pay back the bonds. The program will also not impact any other construction projects.

The city plans to spend the remainder of the total $137 budget over the next five years, continuing to improve roads and sidewalk sections.

In a statement Mayor Duggan said, “We’ve got the money now to think strategically. You can see how we’re going to rebuild … That’s the vision, that’s the plan.”

The targeted roads include Livernois, McNichols, West Vernor, and East Warren. Additional corridor improvements include the creation of bike lanes, street parking, and wider sidewalk. Landscaping is also included in the plan, which almost 90% of realtors encourage homeowners to put money into before selling.

Throughout the city, the plan would involve these areas:

• East English Village
• East Riverfront
• Eastern Market
• Grand River/Northwest
• Banglatown
• Brush Park
• Corktown
• Delray
• I-94 Industrial Corridor
• Islandview/Greater Villages
• Jefferson Chambers
• Warrendale and Cody Rouge
• Southwest/West Vernor Corridor
• Russell Woods
• Rosa Parks/Clairmount
• Osborn
• Livernois and McNichols

Councilman George Cushingberry called the proposal a “very unique public-private partnership.”

While neighborhood streets are being repaved, all identified damages sidewalks will also be replaced. Additionally, complaint-based and inspection locations with be prioritized by a variety of conditions.

According to Duggan and other officials, many of the commercial business corridors throughout the city are outdated. Duggan said the renovation plan would improve the attractiveness of the business districts and make them more pedestrian-friendly. Road and sidewalk work is expected to start early in 2018.

Currently in the United States, there are roughly 500 skateboarding parks in existence. These parks range from the conventional, with traditional rails and vert ramps, to the unconventional, which use vacant shipping containers to craft eccentric skate park designs. There are 11 million unused shipping containers in the world that could go towards creating new and improved skate parks across the globe, but regardless of the design, the number of skate parks is growing fast.

Although many cities have dozens of high quality places to skate, there are still plenty of cities, both major and minor, that don’t have a quality skate park yet. Despite a thriving skate culture, Detroit is one of those cities that doesn’t seem to have any great locations for its youth to skate — until now.

According to the Detroit Free Press, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk is finally bringing a skate park to downtown Detroit.

“It’s a long time coming for Detroit to have a state-of-the-art skateboard park, and we are proud to partner with Tony Hawk and others to make it happen,” said Helen Johnson, vice president of strategic investment at Quicken Loans, which is working in partnership with contemporary art gallery Library Street Collective for the skate park.

The Detroit News reports that the city’s young population is already enjoying themselves at this new modern skate park.

“We usually just skate in the streets,” said 20-year-old skater Christiana Smith. “Part of what we do is we have to go out and skate and film, and if we don’t have parks, we go to the streets.”

Smith and many of her peers have found it difficult to skate in the city streets legally. Luckily, Hawk’s 4,600-square-foot skate park is a great place for them to skate, hang, videotape, and have fun.

“I think it’s amazing,” she added. “It’s really awesome for Detroit so everyone can see our all-inclusive skate community and how that should reflect the real world. We’re a bunch of people coming from a bunch of different places, and we all accept each other. We do that through skateboarding.”

The skate park opened in late August and will stay open through January. During the winter, when a new Monroe Blocks development will begin, the skate park will be moved to a new location. Luckily, Hawk and the designers knew this was coming so designed the park so it can be easily moved.

Hawk, along with Smith and other Detroit skaters, were able to skate together and test out the park before it opened.

“Skate culture is something that really informed his studio practice,” said Anthony Curis, partner at the Library Street Collective. “Knowing that and, at the same time, knowing there’s been a growing need for skate parks in the city, we felt it was a perfect fit to combine the two as an awesome public space in downtown Detroit.”