Brushing Scams Reported Locally; Beware of Identity Theft

You’re not planning to cater a luncheon, but large quantities of sandwich condiments are showing up at your door. Why? That’s the question our own Jessie Wiegand, News Director at WGRT, asked when she got a mystery shipment of a lifetime supply of mustard.

Jessie’s mystery mustard delivery, and the subsequent mystery delivery of several bottles of mayonnaise, have prompted an investigation into a bizarre scam, commonly called “brushing”.

“Brushing” is a fairly creative scam that uses stolen personal information to mine “verified deliveries” by creating a tracking number. This allows fraudsters to publish a review of whatever product they are trying to sell, which is usually not the product that was actually sent. It is an attempt to manipulate sales on online retail sites like Amazon and Walmart.com.

The Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau both advise those who receive mystery shipments of random goods to be on the lookout. Their identity has probably been compromised in some way. It’s a good idea to change passwords and keep a close eye on all accounts. Victims should report the fraudulent order to the shipper, but they don’t have to return the items. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

$4.8 Billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Invests in Water, Roads, More

The Building Michigan Together Plan is a supplemental budget that addresses Michigan’s infrastructure. The bipartisan plan spends the one-time federal stimulus money on water, roads, parks, high-speed internet, housing, a cleanup of the Unemployment Insurance Agency, and protections for public safety programs.

State Budget Director Christopher Harkins endorsed the $4.8 billion plan, saying, “This supplemental uses one-time resources to make long-term strategic investments in the state’s infrastructure to improve the lives of Michiganders today and well into the future.”

The plan funds $2 billion worth of critical water infrastructure needs with large amounts going to fix the serious water problems in Benton Harbor and to assist communities dealing with PFAS contamination. Repairing dams in Midland and Gladwin counties are part of the plan.

$645 million federal dollars are planned to be invested into road and bridge programs, roadway flood prevention, and many other transportation initiatives.

State Parks will see a $450 million boost, including a new state park in Flint, and greenway projects in Detroit and Grand Rapids.

Governor Whitmer signed the bill into law on Wednesday.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

PH Country Style Market - Photo by Jessie Wiegand

Grand Opening Celebration at PH Country Style Market Saturday

The doors opened at PH Country Style Market in Downtown Port Huron on March 4, 2022, and this Saturday the staff and owners, Michelle Jones and Steve Fernandez, are ready to celebrate.

The Grand Opening Celebration at PH Country Style Market is Saturday, April 2nd from 12:30 – 6 PM. Fernandez promises lots of samples from the vendors they work with along with sales in every department. They will also be giving out reusable shopping bags stuffed with goodies and coupons.

PH Country Style Market’s sister store, Country Style Marketplace in Fort Gratiot, will also join in the celebration by holding sales and handing out some product samples to their customers on Saturday.

Country Style Market prides itself on it’s old-fashioned customer service,  attention to cleanliness, and delivering high-quality products, many of them made in Michigan.

The downtown store has an extensive offering of Delallo products, a gourmet meat market, and an exclusive Boar’s Head deli, along with fresh produce, dairy, bakery items, and more. They also carry Exquisite Corpse and Red Kettle Coffee roasted fresh in Downtown Port Huron.

For more information about Country Style Marketplace and PH Country Style Market, visit their website here: https://countrystylemarket.com/

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

 

Casey’s Bringing Summer Beverage Service to McMorran Plaza

The McMorran Place Plaza is set to open to the public this June, and one of the features of the renovation is a beir garden on the south side of the venue. The city just announced that Casey Harris, owner of Casey’s Pizza, will be operating Casey’s on the Plaza as the beverage service provider at McMorran Plaza.

The beir garden will include indoor and outdoor seating and a firepit area for lounging. Concerts are planned throughout the summer on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights with Branden Pavlov kicking off the season on Thursday, June 2, 2022 from 6:30 – 8:30. The inaugural weekend of concerts continues with Big Pappa & the Machine on Friday, June 3rd, and Larry B & the Boomers on Saturday, June 4th. The music series concludes on Saturday, August 27th.

Nancy Winzer, Port Huron Parks & Recreation Director, said, This partnership is an exciting way to kick off our inaugural year with the new McMorran Plaza. Not only are we able to offer live music every weekend, this partnership will ensure that McMorran Place is the place to be this summer.”

To keep up to date with developments at McMorran and who is playing on the McMorran Plaza stage, follow McMorran Place on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/McMorranPlace

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

 

Michigan Youth Challenge Academy Accepting Applications

Young people in Michigan between the age of 16-18 years old who are interested in the Michigan Youth Challenge Academy can begin the admission process today.

The Michigan Youth Challenge Academy is a free alternative high school run by the Michigan National Guard that educates, trains and mentors youth in a quasi-military environment. It’s designed to help at-risk youth gain the discipline and leadership skills necessary to finish high school and realize their full potential.

The next cycle starts mid-July, and the first step in the application process is a virtual orientation for the youth and one of their parents or guardians. The program includes a 5 1/2 month residential experience where youth are trained and educated at the facility in Battle Creek, Michigan followed by a 12 month post-residential program.

The Eastern Region recruiter for the Michigan Youth Challenge Academy is Frank Vasquez, and her can be reached at 517-256-6682 or vasquezf@michigan.gov.

More information about the program is available at:

https://www.michigan.gov/myca

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Workshops Will Inform Public About Spongy Moth Suppression

St. Clair County has contracted with Friends of the St. Clair River (Friends) to administer the Spongy Moth Suppression Program for the 2021/22 season.  St. Clair County is holding three (3) workshops about the sudden and severe spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth) outbreak and management options.

April 5 – Spongy Moth Aerial Spray Program, 6:30pm, St. Clair Township Hall 

April 6 – Spongy Moth Aerial Spray Program, 6pm, Clyde Township Hall 

April 14 – Spongy Moth Aerial Spray Program, 6:30pm, Columbus Township Hall 

The aerial suppression program’s goal is to provide relief to residents to reduce intolerably high populations of spongy moth caterpillars. St. Clair County is paying for 100% of the costs in 2022 associated with this aerial spray treatment. This will not eliminate the pest but will reduce the number of caterpillars, tree defoliation, and improve outdoor recreational activities.  At these workshops Friends of the St. Clair River staff will discuss the process for monitoring and reporting caterpillars, provide an overview of the 2022 aerial spray blocks, as well as provide a questions and answer session for citizens.

Friends Environmental Field Technician, Lydia Nicholas, said, “The aerial suppression program uses a biological insecticide called Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT). BT is a naturally occurring bacterium found in the soil and is not harmful to pets, birds, beneficial insects, or humans.”

For more information contact St. Clair County’s Spongy Moth Program at gypsymoth@stclaircounty.org or 810-294-4965 or visit www.stclaircounty.org/caterpillars.

Submitted by Friends of the St. Clair River