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Local News

United Way of St. Clair County Needs Help with Community Campaign

The 2020 Community Campaign of the United Way is seeking help to reach its goals this year, like every year. The campaign’s goal is to reach 15,000 St. Clair County residents. So far, they are able to help around 5,622, according to their most recent estimates.

The United Way says, “Each of us has the ability to make a difference in someone’s life.  When we band together, we amplify that effect and make a significant impact on our entire community; creating lasting change for the common good.  An enjoyable quality of life for all; that is the goal.”

The United Way funds 39 essential health and human service endeavors countywide. They have adapted to the unique needs brought on by the sudden change to the workplace and life in general while we all live with Covid-19.

Payroll deduction pledging is still an option, as are single contributions that can be made anytime throughout the year.

According to the United Way, “This is your opportunity to leave your fingerprints on a legacy of change that will resonate for generations to come.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

www.uwstclair.org/Contribute

UWSCC’s Finance Director at (810) 985-8169

Macomb “Closes the Book” on the Massive Sinkhole Saga

You may recall the memorable story from Christmas Eve 2016 when a massive sinkhole developed in Macomb County causing houses to actually start collapsing into the ground. After massive repairs to what was called the worst infrastructure disaster in Macomb County history, the whole ordeal has finally been settled with a $12.5 million payout.

The contractors who made the mistakes that led to the disaster were taken to court, and their insurance companies finally made the payment.

Former Congresswomen turned Macomb Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller said that the money will be used to continue improvements in the area so that something like that never happens again. Miller said that the payment “closes the book” on the whole ordeal.

Four modern homes in the affected subdivision were condemned in the process and many businesses suffered as the area was closed to traffic for a year. The eleven-foot-wide pipe that was 55 feet underground had to be completely rebuilt. The whole emergency repair project cost around $75 million and was a warning to the whole region to be vigilant about infrastructure integrity.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Coalition of AGs Settle with Apple Over iPhone Throttling

Apple iPhone users who joined the class action lawsuit against the company for throttling their phone speeds, are closer to receiving their settlements. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office announced a $113 million settlement with Apple Inc. with $2.6 million going to the State of Michigan.

The case was filed by a bipartisan coalition including Nessel and more than 30 other attorneys general who allege that Apple concealed a battery issue with their phones by throttling the performance of affected consumer’s iPhones. When their phones slowed down, many consumer’s responded by buying new phones which allowed the company to prosper.

According to Nessel, “Apple knowingly misled consumers and instead of disclosing the issue or even allowing simple battery replacements, Apple instead chose to implement a ‘fix’ that only created further issues for users and allowed the company to reap financial rewards of that deceit.”

In addition to payouts on this lawsuit, Apple is required to provide truthful information on iPhone battery health, performance, and power management on their website, in installation notes, and in the iPhone user interface itself.

“I am grateful this resolution seeks to hold Apple accountable for its actions and requires the company to take measures to avoid this misleading practice going forward, ” said Nessel.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Blue Water Area COVID-19 Update Friday, November 20, 2020

St. Clair County, MI — Lambton County, Ontario

Cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases as of November 19, 2020 at  9:00 AM are as follows:

  • State of Michigan: 277,806 confirmed cases; 8,190 deaths
  • St. Clair County: 2,850 confirmed cases; 71 deaths
  • Ontario: 98,162 confirmed cases;  3,415 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton: 392 confirmed cases; 25 deaths

As of 11/19/2020, St. Clair County had 1,831 active cases of the virus, and 19% of hospital beds in the county were being used for COVID-19 patients. This brings total hospitalizations in the county to 235 since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in our area.

As the state of Michigan moved into the Pause & Protect mandate for the next 3 weeks, residents have been concerned about COVID-19 outbreaks in schools and businesses. According to the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, the definition of an outbreak is 2 or more lab confirmed cases within a 14-day period. The cases need to be epidemiologically linked, which means the health department should verify that the cases are present in the same setting during the same time period and there is no more likely sources of exposure outside the setting where the person could’ve been exposed.

Although the threshold for declaring an outbreak is two cases, the health department may define it as one case if they believe there is community transmission of the virus. In both Michigan and Sarnia Lambton, outbreaks have been declared in schools and nursing homes where only one case of the virus was confirmed.

According to the State of Michigan’s Coronavirus website, the institutions with the highest number of coronavirus cases are colleges, with Michigan State topping the list with 1882 reported cases in the last 28 days as of 11/16/2020.

Information about outbreaks in schools is available <HERE> and other public places is available <HERE>.

Lambton County currently has 10 active cases. The highest number of COVID-19 cases reported for a single day in Lambton County was 15 on July 31, 2020. Reported cases have been less than 10 per day since then.

 

Please continue to rely on reputable sources for information on COVID-19:

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Utility Scam Awareness Week Reminds to Be Wary of Phone Scams

It’s Utility Scam Awareness Week. Yes, that’s a thing. It’s a thing because unfortunately criminals prey upon vulnerable people and education is the best way to combat the scammers.

The observance is sponsored by “Utilities United Against Scams” which represents both U.S. and Canadian utilities and trade organizations. This is the time of year when scam calls rise, as the threat of utility shut-off in the colder months is more frightening.

Obvious red flags include requests for payment in the form of gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or Bitcoin. But even more subtle scare tactics should be suspected as fraudulent. MPSC Chair Dan Scripps said, “We want Michiganders to know that utility companies do not use coercive scare tactics over the phone to force customers to pay bills, and they won’t tell you your service will be shut off immediately without a payment. That kind of behavior is a dead giveaway that the caller is a scammer.”  

If utility users think they may have fallen victim to one of these scams, they should contact the police immediately. Scammers often target seniors, who should stay particularly vigilant. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Mahogany Kayak Being Raffled by St. Mary/McCormick School

Port Huron, MI — Imagine floating down the Black River in a custom-built mahogany kayak. Plastic kayaks do the job, but there is something about a wooden kayak that makes one feel more connected to nature.

The Parent-Teacher Organization at St. Mary/McCormick Catholic Academy in Port Huron hopes that the desire to get a little closer to our natural waterways will prompt ticket sales with their Mahogany Kayak Raffle. The Port Huron school normally has a large “Fall Harvest” auction fundraiser in November, but this is not a normal year.

In lieu of a large gathering, the organizers thought the Kayak Raffle would be a good way to continue the fall fundraising tradition. St. Mary PTO President, Emily Herbert said, “This is an opportunity for people to support a local organization while having the chance to win a truly unique and one-of-a-kind piece of maritime artwork that is functional and visually stunning. “

The kayak is built by a local wooden boat restorer who is heading up The Mill Room, a new cooperative community wood-working space in downtown Port Huron. The kayak is valued at $3000. Tickets cost $100 each.

Tickets can be purchased at stmarysraffle.com.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland