Helmets to Hardhats Move Military Servicemembers to Construction Trades
Construction jobs are plentiful right now and veterans are being specifically recruited to fill those jobs with the Helmets to Hardhats initiative.
Helmets to Hardhats has been awarded a Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity grant totaling $250,000. The grant will support the Michigan Construction Apprenticeship post-Military Opportunity Program, MiCAMO.
The MiCAMO program will help active-duty and retired military service members, National Guard, reservists, and veterans get the training they need to transition to Registered Apprenticeships and fill Michigan’s skills gap.
Martin Helms, Helmets to Hardhats Executive Director, said, “Our outreach to military service members allows us to connect them to middle class, family-sustaining career opportunities.”
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Zaneta Adams said, “This program is exciting because it helps veterans realize the many opportunities to gain skills and sustainable income and enables them to increase the economic footprint in their communities.”
More information about Helmets for Hardhats is available at HelmetsToHardhats.org. To learn more about State Apprenticeship Expansion in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/Apprenticeship.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
“Wyatt’s Law” Makes Child Abuse and Neglect Information Accessible
“Wyatt’s Law” has been signed as part of a package of legislation that establishes a statewide child abuse registry and a statewide electronic case management system to track confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect.
The registry will be accessible to parents and guardians of Michigan children and would modify the procedure to amend or expunge inaccurate reports.
Wyatt’s law is named after Wyatt Hammel who was abused by someone who had a previous history of child abuse. The legislation was introduced by State Representative Kevin Hertel who acted on behalf of Wyatt’s mother, Erica Hammel, who has been advocating for the legislation for 7 ½ years.
Hertel said, “While Erica and Wyatt will always feel the impacts of child abuse, this law will bring justice for countless other families by helping prevent abuse before it can happen.”
Erica Hammel said, “What happened to Wyatt could have been prevented had pertinent information been easily accessible. Starting today, countless children’s lives in Michigan will be saved because that information is NOW easily accessible.”
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
Lesser, Marsh, Smith Chosen as Advocator, Innovator, and Educator of the Year
Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week and Port Huron Schools singled out three employees who have excelled in their professions with the Advocator, Innovator, and Educator of the Year Awards.
This year’s winners are Chuck Lesser, Tammy Marsh, and Susie Smith.
Chuck Lesser is the Principal of Keewahdin Elementary. He was chosen as the Advocator of the year for his work as principal at the district elementary school since 2016.
Tammy Marsh has worked for Port Huron Schools for 44 years. She serves as Executive Secretary at Port Huron High School. Marsh received the Innovator of the Year Award.
Susie Smith is a Kindergarten Teacher at Garfield Elementary. She has been a teacher in the district for fifteen years and has been at Garfield for twelve years.
The trio was presented with prizes from local businesses that were delivered by Superintendent Theo Kerhoulas, who said, “This is an exciting way for our district to celebrate our exceptional staff and show our commitment to their success. Making this announcement in the midst of national Teacher Appreciation Week makes this tradition even more special for Port Huron Schools.”
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
Turbo Tax Free Edition Users Could Get $30 Settlement
Turbo Tax offers a fast way to complete taxes without going to an accountant. But the online filing service has lost a lawsuit accusing the company of deceiving consumers into paying for tax services that should have been free.
The owner of Turbo Tax, Intuit, will pay millions of consumers who used Turbo Tax Free Edition for tax years 2016 through 2018 and were told that they had to pay to file despite being eligible to file for free through the IRS Free File Program.
Affected taxpayers will receive a direct payment of about $30 for each year that they were duped into paying for the “free” tax preparation. Those who are impacted will automatically receive notices with an explanation of the reimbursement process.
Affected Michigan taxpayers are eligible to get about $3.5 million spread across 115,000 tax filers. The nationwide settlement equals $14 million. Intuit has agreed to adopt more transparent business practices.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
MDHHS Publishes 2022 Eat Safe Fish Guide
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has released their 2022 Eat Safe Fish Guides to educate anglers about the safety of Great Lakes fish. The main concern is mercury contamination, which could build up in the human body if too large of a quantity of fish is eaten.
There are statewide guidelines, as well as recommendations for specific bodies of water. The guide is just that: a guide. There are no laws or rules, but the information is provided as a service, after lab testing of fish from different lakes, rivers, and streams.
Eating fish is generally healthy, but pollution does have an effect on the safety of certain fish. The chemicals of concern in Michigan are mercury and PCBs, PFAS, and PFOS.
For the Blue Water Area, the Guide recommends no more than six servings of walleye per year from the St. Clair River, but one or two servings of walleye per month, depending on the size of the fish caught, is safe from Lake Huron.
Southeast Michigan EAT SAFE FISH GUIDE
Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland