Courts Rule in Favor of City in Chicory Building Lawsuit

The question of who will pay for the cleanup of Port Huron’s Chicory Building, which was destroyed in a fire in 2018, has been answered by the courts.

The historic building near the Black River was once a chicory production facility, dating back to the early 1900s. The building burned in a massive fire on June 22, 2018, and an oil leak was discovered a week later. The City of Port Huron cleaned up the oil leak and hauled away a large amount of asbestos at an expense of nearly $474,000.

The City took the owners of the property, Harshad C. Mehta and Shilpa H. Mehta, to court to recoup the costs. The lawsuit was brought before Judge Michael West in October of 2018, who ruled in favor of the city, awarding a judgment of full reimbursement for the cleanup plus interest.

The owners appealed the decision and it was finally decided last week, with the Court of Appeals denying the appeal and upholding Judge West’s decision.

City Manager James Freed celebrated the decision, saying, in an email to City Council, “We are grateful to the Courts for standing by our community as well. This decision provides excellent case law for municipalities across our state going forward.”

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

READYSAVE529 App Helps Michigan Families Save for College

Saving for college? There’s an app for that. The Michigan Department of Treasury announced the roll-out of the READYSAVE 529 app last week.

The mobile app is for Michigan Education Savings Program account owners. The MESP program offers different investment options. It has been around for twenty years and now has over 285,000 accounts with more than $7.3 billion invested.

Diane Brewer, MESP administrator said, “We are excited to be one of the first states to offer this new tool that makes it easier for families to save for their children’s future. As higher education costs continue to rise, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to help Michiganders plan, monitor and adjust their saving strategies to meet their goals. READYSAVE 529 delivers a simple yet powerful solution to do that.”

The “529” plans are named after the IRS code that created them. There is a state income tax deduction on contributions and potential for tax-free growth if used for higher education. Higher education includes eligible colleges, universities, or trade schools, nationwide, and can be used for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and even room and board.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Aquatic Invasive Awareness Week Reminds Boaters to Protect Ecosystem

It is Aquatic Invasive Awareness Week. The purpose is to raise awareness of this important issue that is vital to the health of the Great Lakes and the entire ecosystem.

Non-native plants and animals can seriously harm the delicate natural balance in our lakes and rivers. There are things that boaters and anglers can do to make sure to protect the resource that we depend on in the Blue Water Area.

According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the law states that boaters must remove all aquatic organisms, including plants, from watercraft and trailers before launching or transporting. They must also remove all drain plugs and drain all water before transporting a watercraft. Anglers should remember to dispose of unused bait in the trash, not in the water.

While not the law, EGLE recommends that boaters clean boats, trailers, and equipment by removing plants, debris, and mud before leaving the access area. Boaters should wash boats and trailers before leaving the access area, if possible, or at a nearby car wash or at home.

They should also dry boats and equipment for five days before launching into a different water body, and disinfect live wells and bilges with a bleach solution.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Veteran Food Assistance Available

St. Clair County, MI — Veteran Food Assistance vouchers are back, and they are available through the St. Clair County Department of Veterans Affairs.

The County Veterans Service Fund Grant grocery voucher program helps veterans who are experiencing an emergent need for food assistance.

The program offers $50 and $100 vouchers redeemable at Meijer stores for food, paper, laundry and household cleaning products. They can also be used for health and beauty care products and pet food.

Wartime and peacetime veterans, service members, dependents, or survivors who need assistance may apply by completing a short application on the St. Clair County Department of Veterans Affairs’ website at www.sccvet.us and clicking on the Emergency Grants tab.

The application can also be mailed by calling the VA Office  (810) 989-6945.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Boat Night Organizers Looking for Vendors

Port Huron, MI — Downtown Port Huron has decided to close Huron Avenue during Blue Water Fest, and they are looking for arts & crafts vendors to fill up the streets.

Vendors can apply through an online application available on the Downtown port Huron Facebook page or <HERE> . The opportunity to have a booth on Huron Avenue is open to non-food vendors only.

Some downtown businesses will join the mix and set up tents in the street as well. The booths must be open on Thursday and Friday from 4 – 9 PM, but they may be open longer if the vendor desires.

Business vendors will pay a $250 vendor fee while arts & crafts vendors will pay $150 and nonprofits $100. This will be a great way to share your business with the foot traffic that spends time downtown during Boat Week and Blue Water Fest activities.

Although this year’s Boat Week activities were scaled down due to uncertainty about rules for public gatherings, a lot of favorites will still be present this year.

The Rotary International Day Parade is planned for Wednesday, July 21st, OT’s Family Night is planned for Thursday, July 22nd, and popular events like Mannequins Making a Difference and the Blue Water Fest carnival will take place that week.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Federal Money Going for Food, Shelter, Other Priorities With Bi-Partisan Bill

With a few billion in federal COVID relief money left to spend, the legislature has prioritized spending on food and shelter. Governor Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill allocating a large portion of the money toward basic needs.

Whitmer has often referred to the federal money as an “unprecedented opportunity” and praised the bi-partisan effort to help Michigan families.

The spending bills give $1.5 billion to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and  $378.3 million to the Emergency Rental Assistance program. Other allocations include $65.2 million to State Police for emergency and disaster response expenses, and $21 million for the purchase of tax vouchers issued by the state to Venture Michigan Fund, intended to generate investment capital.

There is also over $332 million that is being sent to local governments to use for a variety of purposes, from direct assistance to families to infrastructure projects, and to make up for lost revenue during the pandemic.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland