Work Day and Wildflower Walk Planned at Columbus County Park

St. Clair County, MI — The Friends of the St. Clair River are inviting to community to join them for an Eco-Stewardship Work Day and Wildflower Walk on Saturday, May 8th from 10 AM – 12 PM at Columbus County Park.

The event will focus on exploring the park in search of spring wildflowers and then removing invasive species. Naturalist and wildflower enthusiast, Mary Kay Weber, will lead the hike and provide educational information about the park’s ecosystem.

This is a free event, but registration is required by emailing stewardship@scriver.org. Participants are asked to dress for the weather and bring their own gloves, face covering, water, and snack. Gardening tools are optional.

This event is part of the Friends of the St. Clair River’s Second Saturday Stewardship Series, and more information is available at scriver.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Increased Vaccination Rates Could Help MI Get Back to Normal

As of April 29th 48.8% of Michiganders have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and Governor Whitmer announced her “MI Vacc to Normal” plan which will use future vaccination rates to determine when to lessen public health restrictions and get the state back to normal.

The first milestone that affects change will be two weeks after 55% of Michiganders have received their first dose of the vaccine. When that happens, the plan indicates that in-person work can resume for all sectors of business.

The milestones are hit 2 weeks after every 5% increase in first doses.

At 60% indoor capacity will be increased at sports stadiums, conference centers, banquet halls, and funeral homes to 25% and exercise facilities and gyms to 50%. It will also lift the curfew at restaurants and bars.

At 65%, all indoor capacity limits will be removed and only physical distancing will be required indoors.

When the state reaches two weeks after 70% of residents vaccinated, face mask orders will be lifted and there will be no limits on gatherings of any kind unless unexpected circumstances arise.

If cases remain greater than 250 daily per million people in a 7-day average, MDHHS may delay implementation of a proposed milestone until the case rate decreases.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “The MI Vacc to Normal challenge outlines steps we can take to emerge from this pandemic as we hit our vaccination targets together. On our path to vaccinating 70% of Michiganders 16 and up, we can take steps to gradually get back to normal while keeping people safe. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to rise to the challenge and be a part of the solution so we can continue our economic recovery and have the summer we all crave.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

House Bill Addresses Unclaimed Bottle Return Money

The amount of unredeemed deposits on bottles and cans is huge this year, with millions of dollars worth of eligible deposit returns sitting in basements, garages, and likely landfills. What to do with the unclaimed money has prompted action that has been called both “commonsense” and “misguided”, depending on who is talking.

The Michigan House passed house bills 4443 and 4444 that would put more money from unclaimed bottle returns into updates for equipment that processes the returns. The bill would allocate more money for the bottling industry and less for the Cleanup and Redevelopment Trust Fund which currently gets 75% of the money.

Spencer Nevins of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers praised the legislation, saying, “Our members have spent millions of dollars to purchase large, expensive equipment — which takes up valuable warehouse space — to process returnables without seeing a dime from the state.”

Environmentalists are less impressed. Nick Occhipinti, government affairs director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, argued that more money is needed to “fight contamination in our drinking water, rivers, streams, lakes, and land” and he urged lawmakers to “oppose this misguided legislation.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Huron Lightship to Remain Rust-free Thanks to City Funding

Port Huron, MI — The Port Huron Museum always makes the best of whatever surprises are thrown at it and managing a freak natural disaster is no exception. When a meteotsunami hit Lake Huron in July of 2020, the Huron Lightship sustained serious damage. The sudden and devastating erosion destroyed the mechanical systems and caused an unwelcome moat to appear.

Andrew Kercher, Manager of Community Engagement for Port Huron Museums, said that the City of Port Huron is helping the Museum with the restoration of the cathodic system that was exposed with the storm. The system is a series of cathodes that attract rust away from the ship, allowing it to remain intact while being buried partially underground for the past half-century.

If there was any silver lining to the unexpected excavation, it’s that the cathodic system, which needed eventual replacement anyway, was able to be accessed. Further work will be needed to shore up the erosion and stabilize the buried ship. Kercher said he is grateful for the partnership with the City of Port Huron.

The Huron Lightship, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year, is planned to be open for visitors after Memorial Day. Full schedules can be found at phmuseum.org.

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland

REAL ID Enforcement Date Extended to May 2023

The Department of Homeland Security has been urging travelers to get their REAL ID compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards for some time in anticipation of the October 2021 enforcement date. Due to the challenges state agencies have had during the COVID-19 pandemic, the enforcement date has been extended to May 3, 2023.

Many states have cancelled and/or limited in-person service at their licensing agencies and state governments have extended the deadlines for renewing licenses during the pandemic. As a result, DHS reports that only 43% of state ids and driver’s licenses are currently REAL ID compliant.

The 19-month extension will enable individuals, states, and the Department of Homeland Security more time to implement and adjust to the changing requirements.

All U.S. travelers planning to fly domestically or visit a Federal facility after May 3, 2023 will have to have a REAL ID compliant id card. All enhanced driver’s licenses and state ID cards are already REAL ID compliant.

To receive or convert a Michigan driver’s license or identification card to REAL-ID, you must  show two forms of documentation: one with your social security number such as a social security card, W-2, or pay stub, and one showing citizenship, naturalization, or residency status such as a certified birth certificate, certificate of citizenship, or valid U.S. or foreign passport.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Michigan Loses Congressional Seat after Census Apportionment

Results of the 2020 United States Census regarding Congressional Apportionment have been finalized and published. Michigan joined six other states in losing a seat in the United States House of Representatives once the seats were apportioned to balance the 435 seats. The newly apportioned congressional seats will be realized in January 2023.

Michigan currently has 14 congressional seats but will go down to 13, as well as losing a vote in the electoral college, which decides presidential elections.

Getting Michigan residents to fill out the census during a pandemic was a major effort in 2020, with that congressional seat and electoral college votes seat on the line. Michigan came up just short of the needed population count, relative to other states, to keep the seat and the vote.

Michigan’s population grew by about 2% over the past decade, making it one of the slowest growing states in the nation. Utah, Idaho, and Texas saw the highest growth rates.

Michigan’s population is counted at just over 10 million people.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said “The American public deserves a big thank you for its overwhelming response to the 2020 Census. Despite many challenges, our nation completed a census for the 24th time.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland