George James

Bills Address Drunk Driving Records and Blood Alcohol Levels

Two House Bills were signed into law this week pertaining to driving under the influence of alcohol. House Bills 4219 and 4220 allow for expungement of certain convictions for a first violation of operating while intoxicated.

The expungement bills are intended to allow those with one conviction to apply for jobs with a clean record. To gain the clean slate, those with a conviction will need to petition the court five years after probation ends.

Safe & Just Michigan Executive Director John S. Cooper said, “Drunk driving is a serious problem in Michigan, but permanently limiting a person’s ability to work and drive based on a one-time, decades-old mistake does not make sense. People who can show that their DUI conviction was a one-time mistake should have an opportunity to make a fresh start.”  

House Bills 4308 and 4309 maintain the legal blood alcohol limit to .08. The limit was set to rise to .10 in October of this year.

State Representative Graham Filler said, “Michigan is the only state in the country not to have a firm .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration limit for operating a motor vehicle. Eliminating the sunset is not only the right thing to do, but it ensures the safety of those traveling on our roads.” 

 Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Roundabout Coming to M-136 & North Road 

Another roundabout, or traffic circle, could be coming to St. Clair County. The Michigan Department of Transportation is holding a virtual meeting open to the public on August 31st at 5:00 p.m. to discuss the future construction of a roundabout at the M-136 and North Road intersection in Clyde Township.

The intersection at the end of Keewahdin Road, which is part of a stretch of M-136, and North Road currently has a stoplight. MDOT is in the design phase of the project. Construction is planned for 2023.

A roundabout is being proposed to improve safety and traffic operations.

The virtual meeting is open to MDOT staff and contractors, community stakeholders, local businesses, and interested residents. The meeting will start with a brief presentation and then have a question and answer session. Questions can be submitted using a chat tool.

The public is asked to help MDOT recognize and address any concerns related to the construction of the roundabout. Comments and questions can be submitted using an online comment form, by mail, or by email.

Click here to join the meeting

To join by phone without using Internet, call 248-509-0316.

Conference ID: 255 348 474#

COMMENT FORM: Public input is being sought to help MDOT recognize and address any concerns that may result from this project. Please provide comments and questions using the online comment form, or by mail or e-mail to MDOT Public Involvement and Hearings Officer Monica Monsma at MonsmaM@Michigan.gov or:

Monica Monsma

MDOT Environmental Services Section

P.O. Box 30050 

Lansing, MI 48909 

517-335-4381

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Resources Ready for Veterans and Refugees Amidst Chaos in Afghanistan

The situation in Afghanistan is changing rapidly. The state of Michigan is preparing for the possibility of providing a home for those who have to leave Afghanistan and make a new home somewhere else.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a press release last week, “Michigan’s greatest strength is—and always has been—our people. We have a rich history of multiculturalism—from the Dutch who settled in the West, to the Finns who mined the North, to the Middle-Easterners who made Dearborn a flourishing center for Arab culture, and countless others who make us who we are. People from around the world have come to Michigan over centuries for good-paying jobs, a high-quality education for their kids, and the right to live and worship freely. “

Whitmer is waiting to hear more from the U.S. State Department, but Michigan’s departments and agencies are gearing up to provide support to those Afghans who may be calling Michigan home.

Whitmer also reached out to Michigan’s veterans who may be struggling with the images of chaos in the land in which so many sacrifices were made. Whitmer said, “You answered the call to serve your country and now we have a duty to serve you.” 

A link to resources for veterans:

Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (1-800-MICH-VET) 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Richmond to Dedicate New Football Field to Late Coach John Kocher

Before the first kick-off of the season on Thursday night, Richmond Community Schools will be dedicating their football field to the late Coach John Kocher and rededicating Ben Boldt Stadium. The Richmond community has a tradition of cheering their football teams on to victory, but they proved their support when they passed a $37.1 million bond proposal two years ago that included a state-of-the-art synthetic turf football field.

Chris Rinehart, Athletic Director for Richmond Community Schools, said he got goosebumps just thinking about how incredible the new football field is. Rinehart said every piece of the field is fantastic, from the color scheme to the feel of the turf, and the whole community is using it.

Rinehart said that the dedication of the field to Coach Kocher is important to the community because Coach Kocher, who battled cancer until his passing in March, enjoyed being a part of the success of students. He was passionate about kids and football.  The dedication was proposed by community members Nick Matthes and Pat Akerley and the whole community embraced the idea.

Referring to Coach Kocher, Rinehart said, “Knowing what he meant to this community, and what he did in Richmond, we are all proud to be a part of it.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Whitmer Asks Power Companies to Do a Better Job Handling Outages

Power outages have been a real hardship for many Michigan families this year and the state government is calling on utility companies to come up with a plan to help Michigan families deal with the inconvenience. Over 750,000 households have lost power at some point this summer.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “This summer, Michiganders have been dealing with extreme weather events that led to lengthy power outages and repeated flooding.”

Whitmer said that the outages have caused spoiled food, interfered with life-saving medical equipment, disrupted the workday, and exacerbated the dangers of unmitigated hot weather. The outages occurred on some of the hottest days of the year.

Calling for credits paid to those who lost power, Whitmer said, “We need tangible, immediate action from Michigan’s three largest utility companies to ensure the production and delivery of affordable, reliable energy to every family, community, and small business.” 

Whitmer also wants trees trimmed, power grids made more secure and reliable, and emergency plans tightened up to avoid these long outages in the future. She has made requests to DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, and Indiana Michigan Power to take immediate action.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

County Asks for Gypsy Moth Reports in Survey

2021 was the year of the gypsy moth in many parts of St. Clair County as massive numbers of the hungry gypsy moth caterpillars invaded properties in late spring and early summer.

Some property-owners placed blame on local government for getting caught off guard and not taking action, like spraying trees with an insecticide treatment, while neighboring counties had programs in place to combat the destructive pests.

The Board of Commissioners heard the complaints and action is being taken to identify the extent of the problem. Residents can fill out an online survey to report where the gypsy moth caterpillars were found this year and the extent of the damage.

There is a natural treatment of a fungus that is effective in killing the larvae, but it has to be applied at the right time in the right places. Rainfall was sufficient for most trees to recover from the early defoliation this year.

The County has not released any specific plan for treatment; they are just gathering data right now.

A link to the gypsy moth survey can be found below. A representative from the county may contact residents to inspect properties where high numbers of gypsy moths in any life stage have been reported.

http://www.stclaircounty.org/Caterpillars/CaterpillarsSurvey.aspx?fbclid=IwAR0Luhryjy6MsDT2pj54Sswwfh_ImQvr1TZKFC7vSqLb0FXKHBmC0hvd7h4

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland