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Local News

Snow Ordinances In Effect

Port Huron, MI — It’s time to make room in the driveway for all the vehicles as municipal snow ordinances have gone into effect. Tickets and fines await those who disregard the ordinance and park on the street.

In order to make room for snow plows, Port Huron prohibits parking of vehicles on the street during overnight hours. Cars must be off the street between the hours of 2:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. A $20 fine can be issued to violators for each night on the street. A five-day warning period is underway this week, but fines will be levied after that. The snow ordinance lasts from December 1st until March 31st.  Marysville has a similar ordinance.

The City of Yale has a $50 ticket waiting for those who forget about their overnight snow ordinance for the months of December through March.

Other municipalities, such as the cities of St. Clair and Marine City offer more flexibility and want the cars off the streets when there is actual snow present or predicted.

All drivers should be aware that getting cars off the street during any hours when there could be snow plowing can save a lot of hassle for both the snow plow drivers and themselves.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Settlement Reached in “Progress Michigan” Lawsuit

A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit regarding a Freedom of Information Act request from Progress Michigan. The lawsuit dates back to 2016, when Bill Shuette was Attorney General.

Current Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “The Freedom of Information Act protects the people’s right to inspect and receive public records, including concerning official business that may have been sent or received on personal email accounts. I appreciate Progress Michigan bringing attention to this important issue, and, as a result of its lawsuit, the State revised its FOIA procedures to reflect best practices. The State serves the people of Michigan, and they deserve to know what we are doing and how we are doing it.”

Progress Michigan describes itself as seeking “to provide a strong, credible voice that holds public officials and government accountable for their actions impacting working Michiganders”.

The Attorney General’s office no longer uses personal email accounts to conduct official business.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Michigan Drivers To Get Further Insurance Rate Reduction

Michigan drivers should be seeing another reduction in insurance costs. The Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association has announced a reduction in its annual assessment charged on auto insurance policies. The savings are estimated to be around 14% per vehicle.

Giving credit to a bipartisan effort that she signed into law in 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “It is clear that the new auto insurance law is putting more money in the pockets of Michiganders. The reduction in the MCCA annual assessment is another example of how the reform is helping to reduce costs and provide savings for Michigan families. In these difficult times, it is more important than ever that Michiganders see rate relief. I’m pleased that these reforms are continuing to result in greater savings than required in the law.” 

Michigan drivers no longer need to purchase separate Personal Injury Protection medical coverage. The removal of that requirement reduces the assessment to $86 per vehicle, taking effect on July 1, 2021. The assessment dropped $100 last July from the original $220.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Unemployment Scam Warning Issued

Michigan residents are advised to be wary of a pervasive scam that is preying upon people trying to collect unemployment benefits. A bogus email from a Gmail account appears to be from the Unemployment Insurance Agency with an official-looking attachment.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “There is no government agency, state or federal, that uses Gmail for official purposes. Michigan residents should always examine the full email address if the sender is requesting their personal information.” 

Nessel went on to say, “Bad actors are increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to deceive people into giving away personal information. This is one of the cruelest scams I’ve ever seen because it targets vulnerable residents who are desperate to receive their UIA benefits – so desperate that they may not inspect the email address to confirm its validity.” 

Nessel says not to respond to the fraudulent email, if you receive it. Uploading ID verification through the secure Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) is the only legitimate way to verify your identity. If you have responded to the scam, report it to the Unemployment Insurance Agency immediately and monitor your banking activity.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Small Businesses Get Support from “Michigan Women Forward”

The Michigan Entrepreneur Resilience Fund awarded grants to 300 small businesses to help get them through the challenges of 2020. Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined some of the recipients at a virtual roundtable to discuss the launch of the Support Local campaign and to look for more federal support.

Whitmer said, “Despite the adversity we have all faced this year, our small businesses have proven what it means to be a Michigander, by rising to the occasion and exemplifying true innovation, collaboration and Midwestern grit.”

The grant money was administered by Michigan Women Forward, an organization that encourages women to play an active role in philanthropy and governance. Carolyn Cassin, President and CEO of Michigan Women Forward, said, “We named the fund ‘the Michigan Entrepreneur Resilience Fund’ since that is exactly how to best describe Michigan small businesses – resilient.” 

Some of the money for the Resilience Fund came from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, along with partners in the private sector, such as Ford, GM, and several major banking institutions. They plan to support even more small businesses in 2021.

More information can be found at:

michiganbusiness.org/covid19-faq/.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

St. Clair County Health Department Part of Pilot Program to Look for Early Outbreaks

A three-month pilot program is underway to look for early signs of COVID-19 outbreaks in sewer water. It’s a dirty job, but testing wastewater is an effective way to get a jumpstart on slowing down community spread of the virus that is wreaking havoc on the world. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have awarded around $10 million in federal CARES Act money to twenty recipients statewide to have their municipal wastewater tested for COVID. Twenty-nine health departments are participating in the study, including St. Clair County. According to EGLE and MDHHS, testing wastewater for viruses can be an effective tool for monitoring transmission. The virus is shed in human waste, including by people who are not ill or have not yet become ill. Once detected, local public health actions to prevent further spread in their communities can take place. A webpage with the results of the wastewater sampling is available to the public. 

EGLE – State of Michigan COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Pilot Project

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland