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Local News

Lapeer County Hit Hard by Shut Down of Auto Industry

WGRT spoke with Quentin Bishop, Executive Director of the Lapeer Development Corporation, to find out how the economy of our neighboring county is doing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Like many counties in Michigan, Lapeer County relies heavily on their role in the automotive supply chain. Bishop said that when the automotive industry shut down, Lapeer County was hit hard, spotlighting the need for more diversification of the Michigan economy.  Michigan has the second highest unemployment claims in the nation and yet ranks 35th in federal funding. Bishop said that the huge disparity between unemployment and federal subsidy is putting Michigan’s rural communities like Lapeer County at a big disadvantage.

When asked about plans for re-booting the economy, Bishop told WGRT that he is forming a task force made of community, government, and business leaders to help communicate and coordinate the efforts to prepare for a safe reopening and long-term economic recovery.

Bishop also shared news about a successful collaboration between McLaren, the LDC, and their local industrial sewing company, Trims Unlimited in Almont Township, that produced 250,000 face masks for McLaren Lapeer as well as another 30,000 plus masks for the Clorox company.

90 Day Grace Period for Mortgage Payments

The State of Michigan has partnered with more than 200 of  Michigan’s financial institutions to ensure that no one experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 will lose their home during the COVID-19 crisis. This partnership is designed to encourage uniformity in available options for consumers in need of assistance, regardless of financial institution.

Under the MiMortgage Relief Partnership, participating financial institutions have agreed they will continue to work with their affected residential mortgage loan borrowers by “providing affected borrowers with a 90-day grace period for all mortgage payments.”  

When borrowers reach an agreement with their financial institutions, those institutions will also waive or refund mortgage-related late fees for at least 90 days.  Financial institutions will also agree not to report adverse credit scoring information for affected borrowers who reach an agreement with their financial institutions.

Some of the local financial institutions participating include Advia Credit Union, Eastern Michigan Bank, Lake Stone Bank & Trust and Genysis Credit Union. Borrowers are urged to call their Bank or Credit Union for more information.

Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn

WGRT's On the Bright Side This Week's Good News

Pouring Out Appreciation on Essential Workers and SC4 Honors Students

Here’s this week’s good news:

You can say thank you in a tangible way to an essential worker! Salon Pizazz in Downtown  Port Huron is offering a “Thank an Essential Worker” gift card program so you can gift an essential worker with discounted services at the salon for their next 4 visits. Check out Salon Pizzazz’s website <HERE> and give an essential worker in your life a little pampering!

 

The Detroit Tigers and Little Caesars delivered pizzas to healthcare workers and first responders this week. This initiative is part of Little Caesars commitment to donating a million pizzas to healthcare workers nationwide.  The 1 million pizzas will be donated to hospitals, police departments, and fire departments around the nation and will continue to be delivered throughout the following weeks.  Customers can join the effort by using the Little Caesars app to #PieItForward and send a pizza to medical personnel, police, and firefighters in their local areas nationwide.  This donation is made possible by Little Caesars, its thousands of independent hard-working franchisees, and Ilitch Charities, a non-profit whose goal is to positively impact lives and empower communities.

 

The CNIB is the recipient of a $4,000 grant from the Sarnia United Way COVID-19 Compassion Fund.

Many individuals rely on a sighted person for grocery shopping and may face ridicule for needing physical support when challenged with 6 ft. physical distancing rules. CNIB has adapted one of its Virtual Vision Mate programs to recruit and engage volunteers so they can connect with program participants. In Sarnia, there are 4,000 people living with sight loss. Funds will be used to help bring on and train more volunteers to ensure they have the strategies and resources needed to ensure the health and safety for employees and program participants. 

The Compassion Fund is comprised of community donations from those who want to help our most vulnerable in the wake of COVID-19. Donations can be made online at www.theunitedway.on.ca or by calling 519-336-5452. 

 

SC4 Honored over 160 students for their outstanding accomplishments in and out of the classroom during the 2019-20 academic year. Faculty Memorial Award winners for this year were Thomas Short of Croswell and Shannon Tisdale of St. Clair. You can see a full list of award recipients <HERE>

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Daily COVID-19 Update for Friday April 24th

Confirmed COVID-19 cases as of April 24th at 3:30 PM are as follows:

  • State of Michigan: 36,641 confirmed cases; 3,085 deaths
  • St. Clair County: 337 confirmed cases; 18 deaths
  • Ontario: 13,519 confirmed cases; 763 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton: 164 confirmed cases; 14 deaths

The major update for today was the extension and update to the Stay Home, Stay Safe order for Michigan residents. More information can be found on the news story <HERE>.

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

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Stay Home, Stay Safe Extended Until May 15th with Some Restrictions Lifted

LANSING, Mich – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed executive order 2020-59, extending her “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order through May 15. The new order will require people to wear homemade face coverings when they enter enclosed public spaces. It will also lift some restrictions on outdoor activities and allow some workers who perform previously suspended activities to go back to work.

“Data shows that most Michiganders are doing their part by staying home and staying safe. That’s good, but we must keep it up. Social distancing is our best weapon to defeat this enemy,” said Governor Whitmer. “With new COVID-19 cases leveling off, however, we are lifting some of the restrictions put in place in the previous order. I want to be crystal clear: the overarching message today is still the same. We must all do our part by staying home and staying safe as much as possible.” 

“The numbers we’ve seen in the past week have shown a plateau in positive cases, but Michiganders must continue doing their part to fight this virus and protect their families,” said MDHHS Chief Deputy for Health and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun. “The governor has taken a number of critical steps to protect Michigan families, and this order today will allow that work to continue. We will keep monitoring the data closely and work with our partners across state government to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.” 

The order will require people to wear homemade, non-medical grade face coverings when they enter enclosed public spaces. It will also require employers to provide at least cloth face coverings to their employees. People won’t have to wear face coverings when they’re taking a walk in the neighborhood, but when they go to the grocery store, they should be wearing one. Under the order, however, no one will be subject to criminal penalty for going without a mask. 

The new executive order will also allow some workers who perform very previously suspended activities to go back on the job. Landscapers, lawn-service companies, and nurseries can return to work, subject to strict social distancing. Retailers to that do not sell necessary supplies may reopen for curbside pick-up and for delivery. Big box stores can reopen “closed areas,” like garden centers. And bike repair and maintenance can come back online.

At the same time, the order will ease up on some restrictions on members of the public. It will, for example, allow motorized boating and golf (but no golf carts), consistent with sound social distancing. It will also permit individuals to travel between their residences, though such travel during the epidemic is strongly discouraged. And it will clarify that state parks remain open, as they have been throughout the emergency. 

The governor’s actions today are in close alignment with other Midwest states. On April 16, Governor Whitmer announced that she and Governors Mike DeWine (OH), Tony Evers (WI), Tim Walz (MN), JB Pritzker (IL), Eric Holcomb (IN), and Andy Beshear (KY) will work in close coordination to reopen the economy in the Midwest region. The governor is committed to continuing to work closely with other governors to protect families and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 

 

To view Executive Order 2020-59, Click the link below:

Submitted by the Office of Gov. Whitmer

US – Canadian Border Closure Extended

The United States and Canada have agreed to keep the border closed for nonessential travel for another 30 days, pushing any possible date for reopening to the latter part of May. Both countries announced the extension on Saturday , April 18th.

The restrictions on the world’s longest boarder took effect on March 21st, with only trade and other travel deemed essential to continue. The partial ban was to expire soon, but both countries have decided it is still not safe to allow traffic to fully resume.

“This is an important decision and one that will keep people on both sides of the border safe,” Trudeau told a news conference outside the residence where he has been living and working in recent weeks. Passenger travel between the US and Canada at the Blue Water Bridge has declined significantly since restrictions were put into place last month. The border typically sees between 2700 – 3200 passenger cars pass through each day, currently they are averaging between 110-125.

Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn