George James

Massive Michigan Charity Fraud Shut Down

Unscrupulous telephone marketers posing as charitable organizations but using the money for non-charitable purposes have been exposed and prosecuted in a landmark case. More than $110 million are believed to have been misappropriated by telemarketers posing as legitimate charities, keeping up to 90 cents of each dollar donated.

Charitable tendencies were exploited to the tune of 1.3 billion robocalls to 67 million consumers. Some victims were called hourly, daily, or several times a week, in violation of robocall laws.

Michigan’s Attorney General, Dana Nessel, was part of the multi-jurisdiction effort. She said, “Robocall technology such as soundboards allows users to reach a significant target population, and when utilized for deceptive or misleading practices – especially in charitable solicitations – it unfortunately means a significant number of potential victims.”

The agencies charged, Associated Community Services and its subsidiaries, based in Southeast Michigan, agreed to settle the case for their role in representing fake charities, but most of the money is long gone. The sham charities claimed to support children, firefighters, and veterans. Any restitution collected will go into escrow and eventually go to real charities.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

More Teachers Eligible for $500 Checks

The MI Classroom Heroes COVID-19 Grants have been expanded to include teachers in the Great Start Readiness Program, Head Start, adult education, and young adult special education classrooms.

Teachers can get up to $500 for extra hours worked and extra supplies purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new appropriation adds another $2.5 million to the program to allow for the teachers who were not previously included.

State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said, “My staff has been working with school districts and other stakeholders to help ensure that all eligible teachers and support staff receive the MI Classroom Heroes Grants. We will work urgently to ensure these specific program teachers receive their much-deserved grant payments.”  

Teachers are eligible if they had performed at least 75% of their standard instruction workload in brick-and-mortar classrooms before moving to remote instruction on April 2, 2020.  The checks will be sent from the treasury in June. Eligible specific program teachers should consult the school entity where they worked during the 2019-2020 school year to ensure they receive a grant, according to the Treasury. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Beeler Introduces Bill to Reduce Prescription Drug Costs

State Representative Andrew Beeler, a Port Huron Republican, has introduced a bill that would push down prescription drug costs by removing co-pay and deductible irregularities.

Beeler said, “I am extremely proud to sponsor this legislation which will actually reduce the cost of prescription drugs for Michigan families. Anytime I can help give patients more control over their healthcare decisions, I’m happy to do so.”

The bill is part of a larger health care package that focuses on patients. According to Beeler, his bill, House Bill 4345, prohibits insurance companies from penalizing consumers when they go out of network to get cheaper drugs. Shopping around for lower prices on medications can often have a detrimental effect on co-pays or out-of-pocket deductibles.

Beeler commented, “I support lowering prescription drug costs without creating bloated government bureaucracies. This is a great example of how we as elected officials can help cut costs without spending taxpayer dollars in the process.”

The Bill has been introduced and read and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Limits on Gatherings Loosened Up Starting Friday

Starting Friday, restaurants can increase their capacity from 25% to 50% with safety protocols still in place. Indoor residential gatherings with up to 15 people from three households are allowed, and indoor entertainment facilities can operate at 50% capacity to have up to 300 people if following safety protocols.

The ruling also allows for small groups such as city councils and boards to meet in person with a 25-person limit. Governor Gretchen Whitmer had been petitioned by a coalition of State Senators last week asking for “common sense” guidelines that would permit business to be done in municipalities.

 The updated orders from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services are based on three metrics: hospital capacity, overall case rates, and COVID-19 test positivity rates.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health was cautiously optimistic, even as more contagious virus variants on the rise. She said, “I am glad we continue to make progress, but that progress is fragile.” She urged continued vigilance and encouraged Michiganders to get the vaccine.

The vaccine rollout process is picking up, with the White House saying there will be vaccines for every American who wants it by the end of May.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4  Scholarship Deadline March 14th; Virtual Open House March 15th

Port Huron, MI — St. Clair County Community College is hosting a Virtual Open House to get future students acclimated to all that the college has to offer. The online event will be held on Monday, March 15th from 7-8 p.m.

The Virtual Open House will be featuring information about available programs, transfer programs and will walk students through the enrollment process at SC4.

SC4 participates in the “Michigan Transfer Agreement” making it easy for many students to transfer to a university to get a Bachelor Degree. There are also options for one-year certificates and two-year Associate degrees.

Besides the Virtual Open House, there is a link on the SC4 website with a virtual tour of the campus. The seven-minute video highlights the academic, athletic, and student support services that the college offers, along with information about housing, cultural events, and more.

It is also time for prospective students to get their scholarship applications turned in. The deadline is Sunday, March 14th. The application is online with many available options.

Email recruitment@sc4.edu to RSVP and receive a Zoom link to the virtual open house.

https://sc4.edu/admissions/virtual-tour-of-sc4s-campus/

Explore available scholarship opportunities and apply today at https://sc4.academicworks.com/.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

OT Operation Transformation

Operation Transformation Gears Up for Continued Outreach with March 18th Open House

Port Huron, MI — Operation Transformation has worked hard during the pandemic to continue its support of local community outreach endeavors. They are planning a one-day fundraising Open House on March 18th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at their headquarters at 1904 Poplar Street in Port Huron, to give OT a needed boost in donations.

Brenda Seppo, Executive Assistant at OT said, “Finances are always lower in winter and with lack of in-person opportunities for people to give, we are hoping to catch up on the budget needs.”

The non-profit has a huge list of projects that they worked on in 2020 from jail outreach to collecting over 900 cell phones to buy prepaid phone cards for military personnel. Traditions like the Community Good Friday Service and Family Night during Boat Week are the work of OT.

Seppo said that OT has relied heavily on online meetings and community services to maintain their outreach, and has actually been able to reach more people than pre-Covid. They have focused on encouragement and hope to help people navigate the changes due to the pandemic.

New projects for 2021 include a Mentoring Program for those released from prison and jail and a new initiative to recruit more foster care parents and respite workers.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland