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Local News

State AG Warns of Unemployment Scammers

Port Huron, MI — Beware of unemployment scams. Filing for unemployment continues to be a headache for many Michiganders. Making matters worse, scammers are looking to prey on desperate out-of-work residents. The scammers are using social media, especially Facebook, to offer their “help” with the benefits process.

According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the offer to help may actually be a ploy to get applicants to commit fraud. She said, “Do not under any circumstance pay a fee or offer up your personal information to someone on social media.” 

Besides requesting fees, these criminals can be seeking personal information to commit identity theft and to steal benefits. They may also be offering false information that can lead to denial of benefits or even criminal or administrative penalties.

Unemployment offices are still closed statewide, and residents seeking benefits must file by phone or online. Suspected fraud resulted in 340,000 accounts being frozen in early June. A state task force is now working on weeding out fraudulent claims from those of the truly jobless.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Whitmer: Bars Must Close Indoor Seating by 11 PM Tonight

Lansing, MI— Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-143 closing indoor service at bars throughout most of lower Michigan to protect the progress Michigan has made against COVID-19. Regions 6 and 8, which include the Upper Peninsula and much of northern Michigan, are excluded from the order, and bars statewide can continue to serve outdoors. The governor also signed a package of bills allowing cocktails-to-go at bars and restaurants to help these businesses serve more Michiganders during this time.

Over the past week, every region in Michigan has seen an uptick in new cases, and daily case counts now exceed 20 cases per million in the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Kalamazoo regions. Nearly 25% of diagnoses in June were of people ages 20 to 29, up from roughly 16% in May. That shift aligns with national trends, and the evidence suggests that young people may be driving a new phase of the pandemic.

As bars have reopened for indoor service across the country, some have been linked to a growing number of large outbreaks. In Michigan, for example, health officials in Ingham County have linked 107 confirmed COVID-19 cases to an outbreak in a single bar in East Lansing.

Bars are often crowded, indoors and poorly ventilated — all of which make it easy to spread COVID-19 from person to person. Bars also encourage mingling among groups and facilitate close contact over an extended period of time. They are noisy, requiring raised voices and allowing for more projection of viral droplets. And they serve alcohol, which reduces inhibitions and decreases compliance with mask use and physical distancing rules.

The governor’s order applies to establishments with on-premises retailer liquor licenses that earn more than 70% of their gross receipts from alcohol sales. That means that most brewpubs, distilleries, and vineyards can stay open indoors. Traditional bars, nightclubs, and strip clubs will have to end indoor service.

Governor Whitmer today also signed Senate Bill 942 and House Bills 5781 and 5811 into law, which allow bars and restaurants to sell cocktails-to-go and expand social districts to allow for more outdoor seating and areas for people to safely congregate while practicing physical distancing.

“Bars will not have to close down completely, but may still offer outdoor seating and use creative methods like cocktails-to-go in hopes that we can bring our numbers down,” Governor Whitmer said. “I am hopeful providing options for cocktails-to-go and expanded social districts will ensure these businesses can remain open and Michiganders can safely and responsibly enjoy their summer outdoors.”

Return to School Roadmap Details Multiple Plans Districts Must Adopt

On Wednesday, Governor Whitmer signed an Executive Order requiring every school district in Michigan to develop and adopt a plan based on several public health scenarios. Each plan is required to follow details outlined in the MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap which was created by the Return to Schools Advisory Council and the COVID-19 Task Force on Education.

The Roadmap details requirements for PPE, hygiene, cleaning, spacing in classrooms, screening for symptoms, and athletics among other things. It is divided up into required, strongly recommended, and recommended practices. Required safety protocols must be implemented by all schools that serve students in grades preK – 12.

Four scenarios were presented in the Roadmap based on which phase of the MI Safe Start Plan a region is in when the Fall 2020 school year starts.

  • Schools open for in-person instruction with minimal required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 6)
  • Schools open for in-person instruction with moderate required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 5).
  • Schools open for in-person instruction with more stringent required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 4).
  • Schools do not open for in-person instruction and instruction is provided remotely (MI Safe Start Phases 1-3).

Schools are not permitted to provide in-person instruction of any kind in their region if they are within Phase 1-3 of the pandemic, and all athletics are suspended. Remote learning would be activated, and technology support would be required for students and teachers. In-person instruction can resume during Phase 4, and most safety protocols are required until a region reaches Phase 5 and strongly recommended until a region reaches Phase 6.

Michigan is currently in Phase 4, which means the state can begin in-person instruction with more stringent safety protocols if nothing changes between now and fall. Protocols include face coverings for all staff and students (except during meals), access to supplies and encouragement of proper to hygiene, screening students & staff for COVID-19 under cooperation with the local health department (along with responding to positive results), prohibiting indoor assemblies, and other requirements for transportation, athletics, and protecting medically vulnerable students and staff.

$256 million in new funding is being provided to implement school safety measures.

You can read the full MI Safe Schools Roadmap <HERE>

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

 

Sarnia Launches Community Improvement Plan

Sarnia, ON — The city of Sarnia is looking for community help in reviewing and updating its Community Improvement Plans. The goals of the project are affordable housing, neighborhood and downtown revitalization, and public space improvements.

The plan will help target public investments to spur private investment. The investments are intended to enhance the quality of the public realm while creating a focus for community activities. There are opportunities for addressing beautification along the waterfront along with identifying changes needed pertaining to land use, zoning, and other policies.

The three commercial areas that the Plan will focus on are Downtown Sarnia, Mitton Village, and Northgate. There is a schedule of events that involve the public, kicking off on July 7th with a public engagement program. Residents, business owners, community groups, and others are invited to sign up for the program.

The website SpeakUpSarnia.ca has more information. The project is being led by Eric Hyatt, Planner with the City of Sarnia and The Planning Partnership/MDB Insight.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Canada Announces Grants for Student Volunteers

Sarnia, ON — As nonprofits experience an increased demand for their services, many high school grads and college students are finding themselves out of work. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has responded to the situation by launching the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG).

The grant supports post-secondary students and recent grads aged 30 or under who volunteer to serve their communities’ COVID-19 response and gain valuable job training experience at the same time. The CSSG will provide these volunteers with a one-time payment of between $1,000 and $5,000 based on the number of hours they serve.

The Canadian government set up a website to connect students with service opportunities in their communities. The “I Want to Help” website (found <HERE>) includes information about becoming a volunteer and searching for nearby opportunities. It also has a space for charities and nonprofits to register with the platform and recruit volunteers.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

State Budget Deal Reached with CARES Act Help for Schools

Port Huron, MI — A bipartisan budget agreement has been reached for the state of Michigan. Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, along with Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield, both Republicans, released a statement saying that the COVID-19 impact on the budget is significant and that the new budget prioritizes funding for “Michigan families, schools, and communities grappling with costs incurred as a result of the virus.”

There are significant reductions in funding from the previous year, but there is also CARES Act funding for education and local governments. $915 million from the CARES Act has been allocated for schools, hazard pay for teachers, universities and community colleges, and to local governments to combat increased costs from COVID-19. There is also a strategy to solve the $2.2 billion projected deficit.

In a joint statement, the leaders pledged to put politics aside, saying, “Our collective priority is a healthy state and a healthy economy. We are committed to working together to address the remaining shortfalls in next year’s budget, and we are looking to our partners in Congress for support to help maintain the essential services relied upon by our families and small businesses.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland