George James

Federal Money to Go Toward Clearing Up Court Backlog

Courts have been backlogged for over 18 months since COVID slowed things down. A plan is in the works to take one aspect of the backlog, firearms-related cases, and speed up their processing with an increased number of visiting judges and increased funding for prosecution and defense.

The MI Safe Communities framework would use federal American Rescue Plan money to put $75 million into safety programs to help the justice system operate more efficiently.

Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack said, “Courts pivoted quickly to remote proceedings to keep our justice system running, and trial courts statewide have held nearly four million hours of remote hearings since April of 2020. To protect the rights of defendants, however, many criminal proceedings must be in person, creating a substantial backlog in many courts. Additional visiting judges will help tackle that backlog, resolve cases more quickly, and help keep our communities safe.” 

Part of the plan also calls for investment in Collaborative Community Violence Intervention Programs and an array of prevention and treatment services. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Water Filtration Plant Tour Wows Community Members

Water is a pretty big deal around here and Port Huron’s water filtration plant is a very big deal.  A tour of the plant brought the inner workings of the massive plant, located near Pine Grove Park, to local officials and interested citizens.

The water filtration plant takes water right out of the St. Clair River and turns it into clean drinking water that goes to up to 60,000 customers, including homes, businesses, and industries. Right now, the plant treats around 8 million gallons of water per day, but it has the capacity to treat 30 million gallons if needed.

The plant, built in 1966, is in a constant state of maintenance and monitoring to continue to treat and pump fresh, clean water to Port Huron and the surrounding townships 24 hours a day. Steps have been taken recently to increase security at the plant.

The operators of the facility hold high-skill jobs and the City of Port Huron is actively recruiting to fill future vacancies at the plant. The jobs are high-paying and require extensive certification and training.

Port Huron City Council Member Anita Ashford remarked on the complexity of the water plant, saying, “We want the best with no shortcuts. We are stewards of the water for a lot of people.”

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Port Huron’s Wastewater Treatment Plant Provides Critical Infrastructure for Region

Along with a tour of the water filtration plant, community members were given a look at Port Huron’s Wastewater Treatment Plant last week. It is safe to say that those in attendance were in awe of the extensive effort that goes into taking wastewater from the City and surrounding townships and making it clean enough to safely send back into the St. Clair River.

Dianna Siefert, Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent, has worked at the plant for over 21 years and gave a fascinating presentation to community members who have a stake in the stewardship of the river as well as the local economy that depends on the vital service.

Siefert explained the innovative process that Port Huron uses to collect biosolids from the wastewater and send them out to over 150 farmers to fertilize their fields. It is the biggest recycling program in St. Clair County. She also gave a tour of the facility, which is getting some expensive, yet vital, upgrades.

The plant is massive and can handle up to 20 million gallons of wastewater per day. It usually handles 9.5 million gallons. The plant operates 24 hours per day, 365 days a year with an operating budget of approximately $5 million each year.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron to Get 1000 New Trees over Decade

Port Huron is about to get a fresh stock of new trees.

September’s rough weather took out some trees in Port Huron, but it could have been a lot worse, according to Port Huron City Manager James Freed. The city has been removing dead and diseased trees throughout the city for several years to reduce the danger of falling limbs and trees. Freed credited the Forestry Division with spearheading the effort to clean up the trees that needed to go.

Now it’s time to plant some new trees to replace the ones that have been removed. Freed said that he asked the Forestry Department to draft a plan for planting 100 new trees each year for the next ten years.

The city plans to work with the MSU Extension and an arborist to put the right trees in the right places. The plan will replace trees that have been removed as well as strategically placing trees in boulevards and city parks. The south side of Port Huron will get special attention as it has recently lost a lot of old trees.

Freed called the investment in 1000 trees over the next decade “generational” as it will ensure that Port Huron maintains its tree canopy for years to come.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Bridge Cards to Get Permanent Increase to Pay for Healthy Food

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has announced that those who receive food benefits will get a permanent increase in the monthly payment. The increase is a jump of about 6.8%. The increase is meant to make a healthy diet more affordable for beneficiaries.

A larger than normal benefit increase from federal funding saw some food benefits go up 15% over the past year, but those temporary benefits will expire this month. The permanent increase will start with the October loading of Bridge cards. The maximum benefit for a family of four will go from $782 to $835.

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, is administered by MDHHS. Michigan recipients use Bridge cards to spend their benefits. This year, the program was increased greater than the cost-of-living rate because the benefits were not keeping up with the increases in the cost of a healthy diet.

No action is needed to be taken by recipients to get the increased amount. More than 1.25 million Michiganders get their nutrition at least in part from SNAP.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland