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Local News

Winter Storm Coming to Blue Water Area

A winter storm watch goes into effect Wednesday morning and is predicted to affect our area until Thursday evening. According to the National Weather Service, total snow accumulation could reach between 8 to 14 inches.

The winter storm is expected to cover most of the central United States, and it will bring a variety of wintery weather hazards such as snow, sleet, and freezing rain. The winter storm watch in our area affects the counties of Sanilac, Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Livingston, Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Lenawee, and Monroe.

Temperatures will actually be warmer today through Thursday with a projected high of 39 degrees today and 34 degrees on Wednesday, before dropping back into the teens on Friday and reaching single digits in the evenings over the weekend.

Last year, winter storms in February resulted in more school and business closures than any other calendar month. For information on closings and delays, visit WGRT’s website and click on news <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Want a Fast Tax Refund? File Electronically

Tax season is here and this year is complicated. The Internal Revenue Service is begging taxpayers to file online and is asking that filers make sure to report the correct amounts for stimulus payments and advance Child Tax Credits.

Filing season began on January 24th and getting started early is a good idea. The IRS is bracing for a “challenging” season, according to IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. Rettig said, “Filing electronically with direct deposit and avoiding a paper tax return is more important than ever this year.”

For those who think they don’t have to file taxes this year, they might be wrong. A 2021 return is needed to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit or reconcile advance payments of the Child Tax Credit.

Michigan’s Department of Treasury is echoing the sentiments of the IRS: file electronically. State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said, “Filing electronically is the easiest and quickest way for Michigan taxpayers to get any refund due. This helps ensure tax returns are accurate and improves tax refund turnaround times.”

Taxes must be filed by April 18th.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Time to Test for Cancer-Causing Radon in Your Home

It’s easy to test for radon, but homeowners often need a reminder to check for the cancer-causing invisible gas in their homes. This is your reminder.

January was radon action month, but anytime is a good time to test for radon. Radon is present in one out of four Michigan homes. Homes in the Blue Water Area fall into the 10-24% detection rate according to a Michigan testing lab.

Leslie E. Smith, III, Michigan’s statewide indoor radon specialist said, “Residents are encouraged to test for radon every two to five years. And if a radon mitigation system was previously installed in the home, residents are encouraged to test every two years to make sure that radon levels remain below action levels. Buildings settle and shift over time which can change the amount of radon that enters our indoors.”

Smith also advises checking the expiration date on radon tests, as they do expire and can give inaccurate results. Radon test kits can be purchased from health departments and hardware stores, as well as from mi.radon.com.

Visit the following links for more information.

https://mi.radon.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UHDr95nw7E

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

James Freed City of Port Huron

Freed Wins Community Leadership Award for Addressing Unfunded Liabilities

Port Huron City Manager James Freed has won the 2022 Community Leadership Award, given by the Michigan Municipal Executive Association.

Freed was nominated by Lake Isabella Village Manager Tim Wolf in a letter that was endorsed by fifteen city and county officials. In the nomination, Freed was commended for his work in turning around the finances of the city and avoiding impending bankruptcy.

In accepting the award, Freed said, “I am deeply humbled by the recognition of my professional peers. However, this is an award for the entire Port Huron community. We simply could not have made the achievements we have made without the strong and steady leadership of Mayor Repp and the City Council.”

Freed continued, saying, “Their leadership, coupled with the sacrifices of our employees and the understanding of an engaged community about complex issues, made Port Huron a state leader. This award is not about me, but more a reflection on our community as a whole to come together and tackle generational problems.”

Freed’s work in addressing the unfunded liabilities of the City of Port Huron was described as “groundbreaking” by the Michigan Municipal Executive Association.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Millions of Free KN95 Masks Being Distributed

If you’ve been wanting to get your hands on a bigger and better face mask, there are now millions for the taking in Michigan.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will be distributing KN95 masks through community organizations, health departments, and Area Agency on Aging offices. The thicker and tighter fitting masks are thought to be superior to medical masks and cloth masks at fighting the latest strain, Omicron, of the Covid-19 virus.

MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said, “We are urging Michiganders to mask up to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities from COVID-19. Wearing masks are important in helping limit the spread of COVID-19, particularly the easily spread omicron and delta variants.”

In addition to the MDHHS masks, there are 400 million free masks being distributed throughout the country to stores like CVS, Meijer, Walgreens, Kroger, Rite Aid, Walmart, and Sam’s Club.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Lower State Taxes Could Be on the Horizon

Michigan’s Earned Income Tax Credit could be increasing and the Retirement Tax could be going away. Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the plans in her State of the State address last week, admitting that it will take bipartisan cooperation to get the job done.

The Earned Income Tax Credit proposal would increase to $3000 for an estimated 730,000 Michiganders. Whitmer said that the increase has the potential to lift over 22,000 Michiganders out of poverty and could affect nearly half of the kids in Michigan with increased earnings for their families.

The proposed repeal of the Retirement Tax would save about a half-million households $1000, according to Whitmer. Proponents of the plan say that the repeal of the tax initiated by former Governor Rick Snyder would make Michigan the first “age-friendly” state in the U.S.

Whitmer, nearing the end of her first term and gearing up for a re-election campaign, will have to work with the Republican-led state legislature, who have also expressed interest in lowering the tax burden for Michigan taxpayers.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland