Battle Creek held a free children’s health and lead fair Oct. 10 as $1.3 million in state money extends abatements

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Calhoun County families could sign up for blood lead testing, get soil screened and pick up health information Saturday at a free children’s fair in Battle Creek, part of the city’s lead poisoning prevention campaign this month.

The Children’s Health & Wellness Fair ran 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 10 at Full Blast Recreation Center, 35 W. Hamblin Ave., according to the city. More than 25 local health and wellness groups were expected, along with vision screenings, games and giveaways. Pastrami Joe’s provided a free lunch.

Four lead services were on site. The city’s Community Development Division screened families for its Lead Safe Program. The Calhoun County Public Health Department scheduled blood lead tests and explained them. The Department of Public Works answered questions about replacing lead service lines, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services screened soil samples through its SoilSHOP program.

The fair is paid for with a four-year federal lead hazard reduction grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Part of that grant goes to education and outreach, and it is set to pay for 70 lead abatements across the county between 2026 and 2030, the city said.

On top of that, the city and Community Action have received another $1.3 million from the state’s Medicaid-funded Childhood Health Improvement Program. It covers up to 21 lead inspection risk assessments and 21 abatements through September 2027.

Since 2018, the city and Community Action have removed lead hazards from more than 220 housing units in Calhoun County, according to the city. City staff handle homes inside Battle Creek; Community Action handles the rest of the county.

Questions about the city’s lead programs go to Emily Arntz, the lead programs coordinator, at 269-966-3465.

Updated Oct. 13, 2026: The Oct. 10 Children’s Health & Wellness Fair has passed. Fair-day language has been changed to the past tense. The city’s lead-abatement funding details are unchanged.

Updated Oct. 13, 2026: The headline and summary were changed to the past tense for events that have already taken place.

Sources:
City of Battle Creek News Flash, “City joins Calhoun County, community partners in declaring October Lead Poisoning Prevention Month,” Oct. 1, 2026, accessed Oct. 8, 2026, http://battlecreekmi.gov/m/NewsFlash
Photo: Battle Creek CVB, “Full Blast waterpark slides,” June 2, 2009, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), cropped and color-corrected, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Full_Blast_waterpark_slides.jpg

Battle Creek

Tags: Battle Creek · News · Festivals · Development · Parks and Recreation · Budget and Taxes