Turbo Tax Free Edition Users Could Get $30 Settlement

Turbo Tax offers a fast way to complete taxes without going to an accountant. But the online filing service has lost a lawsuit accusing the company of deceiving consumers into paying for tax services that should have been free.

The owner of Turbo Tax, Intuit, will pay millions of consumers who used Turbo Tax Free Edition for tax years 2016 through 2018 and were told that they had to pay to file despite being eligible to file for free through the IRS Free File Program.

Affected taxpayers will receive a direct payment of about $30 for each year that they were duped into paying for the “free” tax preparation. Those who are impacted will automatically receive notices with an explanation of the reimbursement process.

Affected Michigan taxpayers are eligible to get about $3.5 million spread across 115,000 tax filers. The nationwide settlement equals $14 million. Intuit has agreed to adopt more transparent business practices.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

McLaren Port Huron’s March 2022 Employee of the Month

Port Huron, MI – Donna Schoenberg has been named the Employee of the Month for March. Schoenberg has worked at McLaren Port Huron for 12 years and is currently a nurse assistant in the observation unit.

Schoenberg was nominated by her coworkers because she lives the hospital values. She is an amazing nurse assistant, always doing what’s best for the patient. She is a remarkable team player, going above and beyond her duties daily. Schoenberg is flexible, always willing to help and a pleasure to work with.

This employee recognition is given to individuals who consistently live the values, mission and performance standards of McLaren Port Huron. Honorees are nominated by a co-worker, physician, volunteer, and/or customer.

To learn more about McLaren Port Huron, visit www.mclaren.org/porthuron.

Lake Huron Medical Center’s April 2022 Employee of the Month

Port Huron, MI – Lake Huron Medical Center (LHMC) is pleased to announce its April 2022 Employee of the Month, Kellie Ginther. LHMC is honored to have a strong team of staff and volunteers working hard to deliver high-quality care to the Blue Water Area.

Kellie works as a Clinic Lead in the LHMC Endocrinology Facility and has been an employee at LHMC for seven years. She was nominated by a peer who commented, “Kellie went out of her way to help a patient and her elderly mother, in a wheelchair, go on Facebook and get the bus to come and pick them up. The patient did not belong to her office, but she helped them after they had been sent to several different ” 

Lake Huron Medical Center is proud of each of its employees and volunteers; and extends a special thank you and congratulations to all our team members, especially Kellie, as we celebrate their accomplishments.

To learn more about the programs and services offered at Lake Huron Medical Center, visit www.mylakehuron.com.  

Construction on Blue Water Bridge Starts Monday, May 9, 2022

A small construction project will start Monday, May 9, 2022 at the Blue Water Bridge plaza and last until Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

Bridge maintenance is scheduled to accommodate installation of new tolling software for commercial traffic entering Canada. The construction starts at 7 AM Monday, and it should be complete by 7 PM on Wednesday.

During the construction, all loads will be limited to a maximum width of 12 feet. Bridge traffic isn’t projected to slow down too much, but there could be some delays for commercial traffic during the construction.

Once the work is complete, new software will be in place to assist with collecting tolls from commercial traffic which should improve operations at the toll booths for the future.

The construction is part of Governor Whitmer’s plans to fix Michigan’s roads and bridges. Whitmer said, “This year, thanks to my Rebuilding Michigan Plan and the recent, bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan, Michiganders will see more orange barrels and cones than ever before as we move forward at record pace to fix roads and bridges across Michigan. We’re fixing our roads with the right mix and materials, so they stay fixed, without raising taxes by a cent. Today’s projects will improve ride quality, reduce congestion, and extend the service life of these critical roads.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

The Thumb Michigan Facebook Group wsg. Todd Carmody & Terri Hoag

 

Join a conversation with Todd Carmody and Terri Hoag about the Thumb (Michigan) Facebook group. Learn why Todd decided to start the group and how Terri celebrates our area as the Blue Water Ambassador.

In this episode, Jessie, Todd, and Terri talk about:

  • Sharing positive news about the community
  • What it takes to administrate the group
  • Using photography to showcase local businesses
  • How The Thumb group connects people to unique aspects of our community

Learn more about the Thumb Michigan Facebook group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/195464297712532

Listen to the WGRT Local NEWS podcast on your favorite podcast app every Friday for in-depth interviews with people from around Michigan’s Thumbcoast!

Find the podcast on SpotifyApple, or Facebook!

 

The WGRT Local News Podcast is part of the WGRT 102.3 FM Podcast Network. For the latest episodes of all of our featured podcasts, visit our website here:

https://wgrt-1023-fm-podcast-network.captivate.fm

The WGRT Local News Podcast is produced by the following team members:

Executive Producer: Jessie Wiegand

Audio Engineer: George James

Administrator: Jessie Wiegand

Marketing: Jessie Wiegand

Follow WGRT Local News on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/WGRTlocalnews

 

MDHHS Publishes 2022 Eat Safe Fish Guide

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has released their 2022 Eat Safe Fish Guides to educate anglers about the safety of Great Lakes fish. The main concern is mercury contamination, which could build up in the human body if too large of a quantity of fish is eaten.

There are statewide guidelines, as well as recommendations for specific bodies of water. The guide is just that: a guide. There are no laws or rules, but the information is provided as a service, after lab testing of fish from different lakes, rivers, and streams.

Eating fish is generally healthy, but pollution does have an effect on the safety of certain fish. The chemicals of concern in Michigan are mercury and PCBs, PFAS, and PFOS.

For the Blue Water Area, the Guide recommends no more than six servings of walleye per year from the St. Clair River, but one or two servings of walleye per month, depending on the size of the fish caught, is safe from Lake Huron.

Southeast Michigan EAT SAFE FISH GUIDE  

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland