George James

Crime Victims’ Addresses to Be Kept Confidential

The Michigan Office of the Attorney General has started working to protect survivors of crime by keeping their personal information secure. The action was prompted by the passage of the Address Confidentiality Program Act.

The AG has two years to implement the system once the Legislature appropriates funds. The Office is working with stakeholders within state government to create an online system that keeps personal information secure for crime victims. The new program will issue new ID cards with post office boxes and will be protected from Freedom of Information Act disclosure.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “We are in the early planning stages of creating a system that will help protect the personal information of survivors, and I am excited for my department to be a part of this significant development. My office understands the importance of this new law and the critical protections it provides, and we intend to work swiftly so that survivors may gain some peace of mind under this program.”  

Implementation is expected to take a while, according to Nessel’s office.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Next Phase of Vaccination Includes Teachers, 65+, and More

The race is on to get COVID-19 vaccines distributed to the state’s population. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has a goal of vaccinating 70% of the population over age 16 as soon as possible and is moving into the next phase of vaccination.

Three times as many vaccines were administered last week as the previous week and that pace is expected to increase. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at the MDHHS said, “The more people that are vaccinated, the less spread we will have, the fewer deaths and the quicker we can get back to a sense of normalcy. With a new variant of the virus in the United States, one that may be easier to spread than the current variant, there is more urgency than ever to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, with the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.”

Michigan is opening up vaccination to the next group of eligible recipients, which include Michiganders age 65 and older, frontline essential workers including police officers, first responders, frontline state and federal workers and jail and prison staff, and preK-12 teachers and childcare providers.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Icebreaking Season has Begun

The Canadian Coast Guard has announced that the annual icebreaking season is now underway on the Great Lakes. The practice provides assistance to the international shipping industry by clearing the way for freighters. The Canadian Coast Guard works in partnership with the United States Coast Guard District 9.

The Canadian Coast Guard has two icebreakers in service, the CCGS Griffon and the CCGS Samuel Risley. The season has been affected by the pandemic, with the Coast Guard making adjustments to procedure as needed to prevent the spread of the virus while still maintaining normal levels of operation.

According to the CCG, “Although the St. Lawrence Seaway, Welland Canal and Sault Ste. Marie Locks are closed during the winter months, shipping is still active on the Great Lakes and connecting waterways, including Lake Erie, Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River, Lake Huron, St. Marys River, and Georgian Bay.”

The Canadian Coast Guard is in constant contact with mariners through Marine Communications and Traffic Services in Sarnia, Ontario and Prescott, Ontario. Last year, they responded to 80 ice-breaking requests.

Reporting at WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Red Cross Offers Super Bowl Ticket Drawing as Incentive for Donors

The American Red Cross is in dire need of donor plasma. The need for convalescent plasma from COVID-19 survivors has created a shortage of the potentially lifesaving blood product.

Dr. Erin Goodhue, Red Cross medical director of clinical services, said, “Blood and plasma donors who have recovered from COVID-19 may have the power to help critically ill patients currently battling the virus. With hospital distributions for convalescent plasma increasing about 250% since October, these generous donations are vital in helping to save lives throughout the winter – a time that is often challenging to collect enough blood products for those in need.”

All blood donors in the month of January will be automatically entered to win a trip to the 2022 Super Bowl in Los Angeles. They will also be entered to win a “Big Game at Home” package which includes a 65” television and a $500 gift card.

Appointments need to be made by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or activating the Blood Scheduling Skill for Amazon Alexa.

Upcoming Blood Drives:

Emmett 1/7/2021: 1 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Our Lady of Mt Carmel Hall, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Hall, 10828 Brandon Road

Yale 1/11/2021: 11 a.m. – 4:45 p.m., Sacred Heart Church, 310 N. Main St.

Port Huron 1/15/2021: 9 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., St. Clair County Administration Bldg., 200 Grand River

1/18/2021: 12 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Port Huron Elks Lodge 343, 3292 Beach Road

1/29/2021: 10 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., St. Clair County Community Mental Health Authority, 3111 Electric Avenue

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Criminal Justice Reform Bills Signed into Law

A package of criminal justice reform bills was signed into law this week as a result of the findings and recommendations of the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration. The task force conducted a year long study of the criminal justice system in Michigan.

The twenty-bill package was written by a bipartisan coalition and passed with a wide margin. The bills were based on the task force findings that showed that low-level infractions, like driving on a suspended license, violations of probation, and other misdemeanors, were taxing public safety resources and their prosecution did not result in safer communities.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack said, “Our courts and justice system belong to the people, and these reforms reflect a consensus-based process that brought together all who share our commitment to fairness, accountability, transparency, and efficiency. We have more work to do to continue making Michigan even safer, but we are now a national leader in implementing criminal justice reform that is data-driven, informed by research, responsive to community input, and committed to building public trust.”  

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

St. Clair County Library Switches to New and Improved Website

The St. Clair County Library System has a brand-new website and is phasing out the old one. Patrons are asked to make sure to get into the habit of using the updated website, stclaircountylibrary.org.

The new website is the workhorse of the library system, as much business is now done online as in-person services are significantly restricted by COVID-19 precautions. The new site is optimized for mobile devices and has been reorganized to meet the needs of patrons as they navigate the current reality.

Users can directly access the library catalog, the Michigan eLibrary, and other online resources in one spot. The library catalog now includes cover images and format icons to reduce clicks and increase efficiency. The new website also prominently features upcoming events and links to information about each branch.

According to the Library, “Online engagement has never been more important, and the new SCCLS website is just one more way to stay connected.”

A link to the new website:

https://stclaircountylibrary.org/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland