George James

Courts Rule in Favor of City in Chicory Building Lawsuit

The question of who will pay for the cleanup of Port Huron’s Chicory Building, which was destroyed in a fire in 2018, has been answered by the courts.

The historic building near the Black River was once a chicory production facility, dating back to the early 1900s. The building burned in a massive fire on June 22, 2018, and an oil leak was discovered a week later. The City of Port Huron cleaned up the oil leak and hauled away a large amount of asbestos at an expense of nearly $474,000.

The City took the owners of the property, Harshad C. Mehta and Shilpa H. Mehta, to court to recoup the costs. The lawsuit was brought before Judge Michael West in October of 2018, who ruled in favor of the city, awarding a judgment of full reimbursement for the cleanup plus interest.

The owners appealed the decision and it was finally decided last week, with the Court of Appeals denying the appeal and upholding Judge West’s decision.

City Manager James Freed celebrated the decision, saying, in an email to City Council, “We are grateful to the Courts for standing by our community as well. This decision provides excellent case law for municipalities across our state going forward.”

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

READYSAVE529 App Helps Michigan Families Save for College

Saving for college? There’s an app for that. The Michigan Department of Treasury announced the roll-out of the READYSAVE 529 app last week.

The mobile app is for Michigan Education Savings Program account owners. The MESP program offers different investment options. It has been around for twenty years and now has over 285,000 accounts with more than $7.3 billion invested.

Diane Brewer, MESP administrator said, “We are excited to be one of the first states to offer this new tool that makes it easier for families to save for their children’s future. As higher education costs continue to rise, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to help Michiganders plan, monitor and adjust their saving strategies to meet their goals. READYSAVE 529 delivers a simple yet powerful solution to do that.”

The “529” plans are named after the IRS code that created them. There is a state income tax deduction on contributions and potential for tax-free growth if used for higher education. Higher education includes eligible colleges, universities, or trade schools, nationwide, and can be used for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and even room and board.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Aquatic Invasive Awareness Week Reminds Boaters to Protect Ecosystem

It is Aquatic Invasive Awareness Week. The purpose is to raise awareness of this important issue that is vital to the health of the Great Lakes and the entire ecosystem.

Non-native plants and animals can seriously harm the delicate natural balance in our lakes and rivers. There are things that boaters and anglers can do to make sure to protect the resource that we depend on in the Blue Water Area.

According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the law states that boaters must remove all aquatic organisms, including plants, from watercraft and trailers before launching or transporting. They must also remove all drain plugs and drain all water before transporting a watercraft. Anglers should remember to dispose of unused bait in the trash, not in the water.

While not the law, EGLE recommends that boaters clean boats, trailers, and equipment by removing plants, debris, and mud before leaving the access area. Boaters should wash boats and trailers before leaving the access area, if possible, or at a nearby car wash or at home.

They should also dry boats and equipment for five days before launching into a different water body, and disinfect live wells and bilges with a bleach solution.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Federal Money Going for Food, Shelter, Other Priorities With Bi-Partisan Bill

With a few billion in federal COVID relief money left to spend, the legislature has prioritized spending on food and shelter. Governor Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill allocating a large portion of the money toward basic needs.

Whitmer has often referred to the federal money as an “unprecedented opportunity” and praised the bi-partisan effort to help Michigan families.

The spending bills give $1.5 billion to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and  $378.3 million to the Emergency Rental Assistance program. Other allocations include $65.2 million to State Police for emergency and disaster response expenses, and $21 million for the purchase of tax vouchers issued by the state to Venture Michigan Fund, intended to generate investment capital.

There is also over $332 million that is being sent to local governments to use for a variety of purposes, from direct assistance to families to infrastructure projects, and to make up for lost revenue during the pandemic.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Legislation Increases Access to Naloxone to Reverse Drug Overdoses

The opioid epidemic is still raging in Michigan. Efforts are underway to help both those struggling with an opioid use disorder and the people who are trying to help them.

Legislation was introduced on Wednesday to expand the availability of treatment in emergency departments and to increase access to naloxone, which can reverse overdoses, to community-based organizations.

Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist said, “This legislation will help bring us closer to ending this epidemic by expanding access to treatment and to life-saving medications which can increase their chances of a successful recovery and prevent additional tragedies among our families.”

The legislation will make it easier for hospitals to access resources if they are treating more than 50 overdoses per year. Brian Peters, Michigan Health & Hospital Association CEO, praised the reforms, saying, “These available resources for hospitals to provide medications for opioid use disorders within their communities will help ensure patients receive the most appropriate care and treatment for their individual healthcare needs.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

St. Clair County Looking for Input for New Master Plan

St. Clair County is updating its Master Plan and they need help from residents. They have created a website that asks residents what they would like to see in several different aspects of county planning.

One part of the website is a Community Ideas Board with interactive conversations. Right now the conversations include economy, environment, quality of life, recreation, transportation and mobility, and community development.

There is also an interactive map where users can share what they love and don’t love about St. Clair County. The options are for “Something I Like”, “Needs Improvement”, and “Think Big”, where users can share what they do with an area if money was no object.

There is also a survey with a rotating topic. The current topic is “Quality of Life”.

According to the Planning Commission, “A master plan creates a shared vision to enhance the quality of life for everyone in the county.  It provides a road map into the future for the county’s built, economic, and natural environments.”

The survey ends on July 31st of this year. The results will be shared on the webpage. 

https://stclairmpc.mysocialpinpoint.com/masterplan

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland