George James

Imagination Library Receives Large Donation

Having books in the home has been proven to be an indicator of future educational success for children. The Imagination Library Fund of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County is the recipient of a major gift that will keep new books in the hands of young children in St. Clair County for years to come. The estate of Angelina O’Bar has donated $55,000 to the Imagination Library.

O’Bar was an educator who dedicated her career to early childhood education and a creator of the Growing Up Strong curriculum. She had ties to the Blue Water Area as a result of her extensive travels.

Jackie Hanton, Vice President of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County said, “When the Imagination Library Fund was created in 2018 it was for building long-term sustainability of the program. The endowment can be thought of as the gift that keeps on giving to allow local children the opportunity to receive one free book each month up until they turn 5 years old.”

The Imagination Library was founded by the entertainer, Dolly Parton and is administered locally by the St. Clair County RESA. Families who sign up for the Imagination Library will receive a free book for a child every month until the age of five.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Scammers Using FEMA Funeral Reimbursements as Way to Get Personal Information

Federal money means potential for scam, and if you thought funeral expenses for COVID victims were off-limits, think again. Scammers are going after grieving families of COVID-19 victims, trying to get personal information in order to steal money.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, is offering help with final expenses for those who have died from COVID since January 20, 2020. According to Michigan’s Office of Attorney General, fraudulent calls are being made to people who lost a loved one to COVID, asking them for personal information. FEMA does not initiate the reimbursement, and they never make unsolicited calls.

Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “I’ll say it again: bad actors will do whatever it takes to make a quick buck or steal your personal information and that includes taking advantage of your grief. FEMA will not contact you until you have called their agency or applied for assistance. Anyone who contacts you unsolicited and claims to be a government employee or from FEMA is a scammer.” 

Nessel advises to hang up on the callers. If the callers did get personal information, it should be reported to the Office of the Michigan Attorney General. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Beeler: Pregnant and Parenting Student Fund Could Get Support from Tax Return Donations

State Representative Andrew Beeler, a Port Huron Republican, has introduced a bill that would add another category for optional state tax return donations. Beeler has proposed adding a donation box on tax returns for aid to pregnant and parenting students at universities. 

House Bill 4779 would allow taxpayers to donate $5, $10, or more from their tax return to the Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Fund. The fund supports college and university offices that direct students to resources for health care, housing, childcare, academic scheduling, and parent education. 

Beeler ran on a pro-life platform and stated that this is truly pro-life legislation that helps families by keeping parents in school by connecting them to resources. It also does so without raising taxes, which is another platform that Beeler embraces. 

Beeler stated, “Education can provide a better future for many Michigan families. To aid these families, the Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Fund was created with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2004, and my plan will let taxpayers provide their support by a simple indication on their tax returns.”

The bill has been referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

New Order Loosens Some Mask, Testing Requirements

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has announced a change to the Emergency Order requiring mask-wearing. Masks are no longer mandated for outdoor gatherings under 100 people. Fully vaccinated people with no symptoms of being sick can take off the mask at indoor residential gatherings, also.

The order goes into effect May 6 and goes until May 31st, at which time further guidance will likely be issued.

MDHHS has also backed off a little bit on the mandatory testing for athletes involved in school sports, but only if they are vaccinated. The vaccine is only available to those ages 16 and over right now.

According to the order, “Based on the most current CDC Guidance, fully vaccinated individuals can gather for the purposes of sports practice or competition without testing if they are asymptomatic.”

Masks are still required for indoor sports, but not for non-contact practice and games when outdoors. Individual districts can decide to still require masks if they think it is necessary.

Athletes are still required to quarantine, and miss their practices and games, if they have been deemed a close contact of someone testing positive, whether they are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or not.

The full order can be found at:

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/coronavirus/FINAL_-_Masks_and_Gatherings_order_-_5-4-21_724221_7.pdf

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

New Technology to Help Child Protective Services Improvements

The Michigan Children’s Protective Services division of the Department of Health and Human Services is getting a technology overhaul that is meant to move caseworkers away from the computer and toward the children they are helping.

The new technology is intended to be streamlined and more effective. It will replace the current system over the next four to five years. The new system is partially funded by an IT development Grant and contracted to Deloitte Consultants, LLP. The vendor has to prove success with the initial rollout to continue with the next phases of the overhaul.

CPS’ new director, Demetrius Starling said, “This change will allow our workers to spend more time with children and families, which is our priority. This new system will provide more reliable information technology to the state employees who investigate child abuse and neglect allegations and help youth in foster care and those facing juvenile justice cases.

Some of the change is spurred by new federal mandates for reporting and data collection. Federal grants are paying for about half of the cost of the development of the new system. The new approach aligns with the complete transformation of CPS. The division has been under federal court oversight for over a decade.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Optimist Skate Park Getting Closer to Construction

Port Huron, MI — A lot of planning and fundraising is paying off for Port Huron’s new skatepark. The design concept was revealed at a virtual meeting last week and received a lot of constructive feedback from bikers and skaters in the community.

The meeting was the third design workshop as the skatepark gets closer to construction. Those in attendance were biking and skating enthusiasts who are dedicated to making the park the best it can be.

The skatepark will be located at Optimist Park off of 10th Avenue not far from downtown. It is designed for bikes, skateboards, and inline skates and is meant to be a destination for all levels of thrill-seekers.

With a $750,000 price tag, the skatepark is being funded with community support and grants from the Tony Hawk Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. foundation. The project will be unique in that it will have a rain garden and will be incorporating green stormwater practices.

Micah Shapiro, the designer with Grindline Skateparks, said that the park will be more than just for Port Huron but will also have a regional draw. Parking and amenities like lighting and water stations are part of the concept.

The design is expected to be finalized this month. Bids for construction are hoped to go out this summer.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland