George James

“Fix-a-Leak Week” Focuses on Residential Water Waste Prevention

One leaky faucet can waste up to 3,000 gallons of water per year. Disadvantaged communities often have homes with more leaky faucets and therefore have higher water bills and could have lower water quality. To reduce water waste and promote environmental sustainability, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, EGLE,  has declared this “Fix-A-Leak Week.”

EGLE’s Clean Water Public Advocate, Ninah Sasy, said, “Water leaks in the home can significantly increase consumer water bills and contribute to water quality concerns. Investments in water conservation efforts in the home and our water distribution systems are key to reducing energy consumption and cost while ensuring environmental sustainability.”

The Water Week Pilot program has gotten underway, starting in Benton Harbor and Highland Park, and will eventually expand to other areas of need. According to EGLE, the program offers free in-home plumbing repairs and new water-saving fixtures. Michigan residents will be able to receive a discount on Kohler WaterSense products during the week.

A link to more information and tips on water conservation in your home:

Michigan.gov/FixaLeakWeek

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

MDOT Keeps Blue Water Bridge Rates the Same; Canadian Side Increases Toll

Port Huron, MI — The Michigan Department of Transportation has announced that toll rates, paid in Canadian currency, will remain the same, while the Federal Bridge Corporation, which operates the Canadian side of the bridge is raising rates. The Bridge has remained closed to non-essential travel for nearly a year.

The toll rates are adjusted on April 1st and October 1st of each year in accordance with the Blue Water Bridge parity rate adjustment policy that was effective April 1st 2016. There are no changes to the bridge fare for those paying with Canadian money, heading into Canada from the U.S.

With the current average daily exchange rate, the toll rates remain at $4 Canadian per trip for passenger vehicles, with extra axles costing another $4. Trucks and buses cost $4.25 per axle.

The rates for those paying with U.S. dollars heading into Canada are $3 for passenger vehicles and another $3 for each extra axle and $3.25 for each axle on trucks and buses.

For truckers and essential travelers heading into the U.S. from Canada, the rates are set to increase on April 1st to $5 Canadian or $3.75 U.S. per axle, as decided by the Federal Bridge Corporation, on the Canadian side.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Propane Price-Gougers Put on Notice by AG Nessel as Line 5 Shutdown Looms

For rural residents who rely on propane heat, they can end up in a jam if they run out of propane. They may feel like they have to pay whatever price is charged to fill up the tank in order to stay warm.

Propane price-gouging is actually against the law. Michigan is part of a MI Propane Plan that addresses the state’s energy needs in anticipation of the eventual shutdown of Enbridge’s Line 5, which supplies over half of the state’s propane. Part of the MI Propane Plan is to protect consumers from price-gouging.

Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “Price-gouging is against the law, and the energy industry is not exempt from those regulations. This office has taken legal action in the past to protect people from excessively high energy prices, and I will not hesitate to do so again to protect the pocketbooks of Michigan’s consumers.” 

AmeriGas has been sued by the Michigan Department of the Attorney General for violating the Consumer Protection Act and the case is heading toward trial. The complaint is that AmeriGas doubled their rate for some consumers in the past, which is illegal.

Nessel said she encourages anyone who suspects they are being taken advantage of by an energy supplier to contact her office.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Lexington Boat Launch to Close for Repairs

Lexington, MI — If signs of spring make boaters think about planning summer boat trips, they will need to rethink a trip involving the Lexington boat launch. The Lexington Harbor boating access site is planned to be under construction soon and construction will extend into boating season with completion forecasted for the end of June or early July.

The area will be undergoing repaving, design, and skid pier work, with the timeline dependent on weather. The construction of new vault toilets is also part of the remodel of the facility.

The harbor will remain open during construction.

Diesel fuel sales at the harbor are currently suspended but are hoped to back online for the 2021 summer boating season. The next closest place to get marine diesel is south in Port Huron and north in Port Sanilac. Unleaded fuel is still available in Lexington.

Boaters are asked to spread the word about the Lexington boat launch so that the closure doesn’t surprise anyone and leads to disappointment. There are public launches in Port Huron and Port Sanilac that can accommodate boaters until the Lexington construction is completed.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

State Board of Education Wants to Take a Year Off from M-STEP Test

Standardized tests are tricky during a year of virtual classes, quarantining, and social distancing. The Michigan State Board of Education wants to ditch the M-STEP and stick to the tests that districts use at the beginning and end of the year to measure growth. They have pleaded with the U.S. Department of Education and are now calling on the Michigan legislature to back them up.  

In a resolution passed unanimously this month, the State Board of Education recognized the stress of the pandemic and noted that while 83% of schools now have some in-person options, less than half of Michigan students received in-person instruction on “most” days this year. The majority of instruction has been online for the majority of the students.

State Board of Education President Dr. Casandra Ulbrich said, “You cannot give these tests remotely and accurately, in which case the data will lack both validity and reliability. The resulting data will be fundamentally flawed.”

The Board wants the legislature to sign off on waiving statewide testing and let districts use national tests of their choosing to gauge progress and make decisions about how best to allocate resources.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland 

The State Board of Education just passed the following resolution unanimously:

Resolution on Waivers Associated with State Summative Assessments and High-Stakes Accountability Measures in a Pandemic

for the 2020-2021 Academic School Year

WHEREAS, pre-K-12 students, parents and staff in Michigan and across the country have endured tremendous challenges in the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the state, nation, and world;

WHEREAS, 83 percent of school districts indicated last month that they were offering at least an in-person option, but—given parent choice and the enrollments of many of the districts that have been remote most of the year–fewer than half of Michigan students have received in-person instruction most days this school year;

WHEREAS, in recognition of this disruption and the public health threats present amidst the pandemic, the U.S. Secretary of Education approved the requests of the Michigan Department of Education and other states to waive state summative assessments and associated high-stakes accountability requirements tied to those assessments for the 2019-2020 school year;

WHEREAS, Michigan’s legislature passed, and the governor signed, a state law last summer to require public school districts to administer locally chosen, national benchmark assessments to measure where students are academically at the beginning and end of this school year, and for districts to share that information with parents and educators;

WHEREAS, the data gathered from those benchmark assessments have helped and will continue to help local school districts focus resources and determine interventions and supports for students;

WHEREAS, given the presence of benchmark assessments, schools need to continue focusing as much time as possible on the academic and social emotional needs of their students;

WHEREAS, the Michigan Department of Education has a request pending with the U.S. Department of Education to waive the federally required statewide summative assessments for the 2020-2021 school year and associated high-stakes accountability requirements and will continue discussions with the U.S. Department of Education (USED) on USED’s declared offer of flexibility on such issues;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that contingent upon the granting of these federal waivers, the State Board of Education strongly urges the Michigan Legislature to likewise act to relieve added burden on Michigan students and waive all state laws requiring the administration of statewide summative assessments and associated high-stakes accountability requirements for the 2020-2021 school year.

Enter Stage Right Looks to Re-Opening Thanks to MEDC Grant

Port Huron, MI — Enter Stage a Right, a local theatrical production group in Port Huron was recently awarded a Michigan Stages Survival Grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Regina Spain, Executive Director of Enter Stage Right, said that the grant money is segmented into two parts: facility costs and re-opening expenses. Spain said the theatre is using the money to pay rent, utilities, and insurance from January 1st to July 31st of this year. They will use the re-opening grant to ensure safety for their artists and community with improved air handling, a holding area tent, and other modifications.

Spain said that the theatre likely would have been lost without the latest grant money and the one they received from Culture Source last year, as well as money from local donors.

When asked about future plans for the company, Spain said, “Currently, we’re re-igniting our classes and workshops with the intent of keeping them going once we’re able to be in-person. When we re-open, we have a backlog of 8 productions that were in progress at the time of shut down.”

The full schedule of shows can be found at enterstageright.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland