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Local News

Local Contractors Rehabilitate Lincoln Street Home Slated for Demolition

 

Port Huron, MI — A Port Huron house that was slated for a date with a bulldozer due to years of neglect and serious code violations has been rehabbed and turned into a beautiful home waiting for a family to move in. Thanks to the hard work and vision of local residents and business partners, Scott Fleet and Steve Ainsworth, 1214 Lincoln Avenue has been transformed.

The house, not far from St. Clair County Community College, McLaren Hospital, and Downtown Port Huron, had potential that perhaps only Fleet and Ainsworth could see. Even the neighbors wanted it gone. Mr. Fleet and Mr. Ainsworth said they knew it would be expensive, but they had the construction resources to make it happen.

Scott Fleet said, “As we look back on this project we joke with each other that we might have gotten a little carried away, but this house had so much character to offer that we just couldn’t help ourselves.”

Fleet said his vision for the house “is to have the right family that can appreciate the architecture and beauty of this home. We would like to see this renovation help carry the positive momentum through this fantastic city.”

Port Huron City Manager James Freed referred to the renovation as “an absolutely breathtaking rehabilitation of the home”.

Scott Fleet and Steve Ainsworth wish to thank:

Scott’s Dad, their patient wives, Ainsworth Construction, TMA Electric, Spray Foam International, Northeast Plumbing, Ainsworth Door Company, Gates Roofing, Bob Anderson Painting, Luis Rivera Carpentry

 

BEFORE – Lincoln St. Rehab

 

AFTER – Lincoln St. Rehab

 

AFTER – Lincoln St. Rehab

 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Jim Wilson Retiring as GM of Blue Water Transit

James L. “Jim” Wilson, the General Manager of Blue Water Area Transit (BWAT), is retiring March 1st, 2021 after 30-plus years of service with the organization and 41 years in public transportation.  

Under Jim’s leadership and direction, Blue Water Area Transit has grown tremendously from a small, urban bus system of 21 buses and 44 employees to a full-service county-wide transportation system with 90 buses and 130 employees.  

Jim’s many accomplishments have brought millions of dollars of public transportation  funding to St Clair County. The development of the downtown Blue Water Area Bus Center, a $9.8  million project, has greatly enhanced the downtown area of Port Huron. The main bus facility, a  state-of-the-art maintenance facility on Lapeer road, was constructed with $15 million of federal and  state funding.  

The St Clair County community and environment have benefited from Jim’s clean energy  philosophy. The Blue Water Area Transit fleet of buses is totally powered by Compressed Natural  Gas starting back to 1997. Also, BWAT recently secured a federal grant for two electric buses. This was the first grant awarded in the state of Michigan to public transportation for electric buses. 

Jim began his public transit career in 1980, as an auditor for the southeast Michigan SMART  Transit system. Jim became General Manager of BWAT in 1990. In 1994 he facilitated a separation  of St. Clair County from the SMART system and established the current BWAT system.  

Jim greatly enhanced the BWAT system in 1997 with the consolidation of 11 St. Clair  County agencies’ transportation services. These agencies include Community Mental Health, the  Council On Agency, the Community Action Agency, Community Enterprises, the YMCA and  others. With this achievement, Jim has brought millions of federal and state dollars to St. Clair  County each year.

During Wilson’s 30-plus years, BWAT provided over 25 million rides. The average monthly  rider trips more than doubled during that time.  

Jim’s successful grant writing skills, his consolidation of community services and his  outstanding staff development have positioned BWAT for a successful future in public transportation  in St. Clair County. 

Linda Bruckner, board president said, “Where public transportation goes, communities grow  and Jim Wilson’s dedication and leadership to public transportation in St. Clair County greatly  reflects that.” 

“St. Clair County is a much better place thanks to Jim Wilson,” she continued. 

We congratulate Jim on his retirement and thank him for his many years of service to St.  Clair County.

Submitted by Blue Water Area Transit

Rent Scams on the Rise 

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a notice to raise awareness of a scheme that is targeting renters. The Michigan Office of the Attorney General is asking those who are having trouble paying their rent not to fall prey to identity thieves.

The tactics of the scammers include gathering a lot of personal and financial information and asking for an up-front fee while they resolve your rent problems. The Attorney General recommends that renters who are having a hard time paying rent first take up the problem with their landlord.

There are some local programs, such as through Blue Water Community Action or the Society of St. Vincent DePaul, that can help with emergencies and keep people from being evicted.

Kelly Rose, Michigan State Housing Development Authority chief housing solutions officer said, “Once the Legislature appropriates the emergency rental assistance funds, we are ready and will move swiftly to assist renters and landlords in need. Renters should avoid further financial risk by falling for scams. A legitimate program that can help is on the way.” 

Avoid scammers offering to pay your rent | FTC Consumer Information

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Tax Returns Accepted Starting Feb. 12: Watch for Fraud

Tax season is just about here. Both federal and state returns can start being processed on February 12th. The processing date is later than usual.  The April 15th filing deadline remains the same.

State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said, “We coordinate with the IRS to process tax returns and issue refunds. This year, the IRS has pushed back the processing date due to software updating and testing. This means our processing date will also be pushed back. The state of Michigan will be ready to process your returns and issue refunds when the season opens early in the month.”  

Eubanks warned against rushing to file without all the necessary documentation. Sending in an incomplete return will put any refund on hold until the correct paperwork is turned in.

For those who may have received unemployment benefits in 2020, they should have received a 1099-G in the mail. If a 1099-G was received, and the recipient did not actually receive unemployment, they may, unfortunately, be the victim of identity theft. Instructions for reporting the theft are on the envelope in which the 1099 came and should be followed closely.

Visit the UIA’s website for questions about reporting a fraudulent claim or filing your 2020 taxes.  

To report fraud or file a general consumer complaint, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection team. Filing a complaint online is the best way to make Your Connection to Consumer Protection and provide a comprehensive report to the Attorney General’s office to ensure investigators have the information they need. If a consumer is unable to fill out an online complaint, they can call the toll-free Consumer Protection hotline at 877-765-8388 and staff will provide a hard copy form to fill out and return.  

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Beeler Wants Answers from Governor

LANSING – State Representative Andrew Beeler (R-Port Huron) today voiced his frustration with the lack of specifics given by Governor Whitmer’s administration regarding how the decision to close schools and athletics were made in the past – and how those decisions will be made going forward – in the face of mounting data which suggests the dangers to school-aged children are significantly lower than originally feared.

“The governor has repeated over and over that her administration is making decisions based on science,” Beeler said, “Michigan citizens deserve to know what criteria she is using to determine when these seemingly never-ending shutdowns are going to end.”

The Michigan House and Senate today held a joint meeting of their respective committees on Education where Beeler appeared annoyed by the lack of concrete metrics the administration would use to justify future shutdowns.

“Based on today’s hearing, I am convinced that the governor’s unilateral actions are based on criteria beyond merely ‘science and data’,” Beeler said.

According to the governor’s own statistics, less than two dozen people aged 24 and younger have died from COVID-19 or other causes related to COVID-19 since the beginning of 2020.  Meanwhile, many mental health experts have warned the negative long-term effects associated with the governor’s shutdowns will be felt for many years to come.

Official statistics can be found here: Covid-19 By Age at Death (state.mi.us).

Submitted by the office of Rep. Andrew Beeler

Vaccine Pre-Registration System FAQs

According to a statement from Dr. Annette Mercatante, Medical Health Officer for the St. Clair County Health Department, almost 10,000 people have signed up on the county’s new vaccine pre-registration system. The Health Department wants the community to know that it is working on some technical issues, and they have already had their first vaccine clinic under the new system.

Here are the FAQs for the Vaccine Pre-registration System:

  1. What is the phone number, text code or email address that will accompany the notification? St. Clair County Vaccine Distribution. The caller ID may identify as a Massachusetts phone number. Looking into updating with a local number
    Phone: (781) 373-9800; Text ID: 88911; Email from: St. Clair County Vaccine Distribution. The caller ID may identify as a Massachusetts phone number. Looking into updating with a local number.
  1. How do I know I signed up properly in the system? You will not receive a message stating you are pre-registered. Create a user name and password to sign up. Complete the fields, save all pages and hit finalize at the end. Working on updating this.
  1. Can I go back in and edit my account information? It appears the system tracks the date of your last entry and may move you from your original placement if you make changes. Be as accurate as possible when signing up. Working on updating this.
  1. What if I registered multiple people using the same contact information (phone number, email)? Each person registered should receive a separate confirmation. The appointment confirmation will list first name, last name, appointment date/time and clinic location. It will arrive via the method(s) you selected to receive notifications. Whatever method you confirm first on accepts the invitation. Option 1= yes to confirm; Option 2 = Not available at this time; Option 3 = No longer need my appointment.
  1. What if I missed my window to confirm my appointment? Each person has one hour to respond. If you missed your window, you will be contacted as soon as the next appointment becomes available. You do not lose your placement and will be notified again. Please do not show up at a clinic if you did not receive a confirmation.
  1. When will you send out notifications? Notifications should typically occur during regular business hours.
  1. Who can sign up/pre-register? All individuals living or working in St. Clair County can pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine on the health department’s website www.scchealth.co click on the “Pre-Registration for COVID-19 Vaccine” link. Again, this is a pre-registration system only, or a placeholder.

Only individuals in the current priority groups will receive a notification when an appointment become available. This is all dependent on vaccine supply, which currently remains limited. Therefore, it will take time to move through the list. Thank you for your patience.

For seniors 65 and older needing assistance with the online pre-registration process options include:

  • Asking a family member, friend or neighbor for help
  • Council on Aging/Call 1-800-297-0099 or your local senior center
  • Dial 211 for assistance
  • Please DO NOT contact COA or 211 for technical assistance or for updates.