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Local News

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

Modified Services for Veterans at St. Clair County VA

The St. Clair County Department of Veterans Affairs (SCCVA) has modified office services due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths county and statewide.  During Gov. Whitmer’s “Three-Week Pause”, SCCVA is prioritizing the health and safety of their staff, veterans, and visitors by temporarily suspending in-person appointments and walk-in services to help slow the spread of the virus in the community.

All appointments will be conducted by phone with one of their Veteran Service Officers.  All other SCCVA services will be by phone at (810) 989-6945 during the following hours: Monday through Friday 8:00am – 4:30pm (Closed for lunch 12 – 1pm).  All other office communication will be by mail: 200 Grand River Avenue, Suite 104, Port Huron, Michigan 48060 or e-mail at sccvet@stclaircounty.org.  They also have for convenience a mail drop box outside the office door.

All SCCVA service updates will be posted on their website www.sccvet.us and on the VA’s www.facebook.com/sccvet page.

Submitted by the SCCVA

Fatal Crash in Kimball Twp. Wednesday

St Clair County Sheriff Deputies investigated a two car crash at the Lapeer and Jarvis Road in Kimball Twp. yesterday. The crash resulted in two fatalities to the occupants of one of the vehicles.

According to St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King, 26 year old Alissa Grasak of Kimball Township was driving a 2008 Pontiac G6 westbound on Lapeer Road near Jarvis Road shortly before noon. 

She was passing a vehicle when she swerved back into her lane to avoid a collision with an oncoming vehicle. When Grasak swerved, she overcorrected, went onto the north shoulder of the road, lost control, went back into the eastbound lane and was struck by a 2003 GMC Savanna van driven by a 53 year old man from Kimball.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, as was her passenger, 72 year old Ila Grasak, also from Kimball.  The man was transported by Tri-Hospital EMS to McLaren Port Huron Hospital with undetermined injuries.

Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.

Kimball Township Fire and Rescue also assisted at the scene.

Submitted by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office