DTF Busts Man With Meth in Port Huron

(Port Huron Township)  A 24 year old Berlin Township man has been arraigned on drug and other charges in St. Clair County District Court.

According to Sheriff Mat King, the St. Clair County Drug Task Force conducted an investigation into the sales of methamphetamine in the Port Huron area.  The investigation culminated on January 7th at approximately 8:00 p.m., when members of the DTF executed a traffic stop in the area of 24th Street and Griswold in Port Huron Township.  They made contact with Dustin Conlee and discovered that he had approximately $1000 worth of crystal methamphetamine in his possession.  Conlee also had an unregistered .38 handgun in his vehicle.

Conlee was arrested without incident and transported to the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center.  He was arraigned in 72nd District Court and charged with delivery/manufacture of methamphetamine, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm.  Bond was set at $20,000 cash/surety.  Conlee is scheduled to be back in court on January 19th at 9:00 a.m. for a probable cause hearing before District Judge John Monaghan.  

Conlee also faces a bond violation hearing for violating conditions of bond on an earlier methamphetamine possession case.

Submitted by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office

State-Ordered Review of EGLE is Complete

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, or “EGLE”, has been under scrutiny since the handling of the environmental disaster that led to hazardous material leaking onto I-696 in Madison Heights. A review of compliance monitoring and enforcement procedures was ordered after the debacle in December 2019.

The review came up with eleven high-level recommendations to improve procedures but also noted that EGLE had strong internal policies, education, outreach and compliance assistance to regulated businesses.

The deficits noted include internal structures, staffing, and governance, management of cases, communication and collaboration, and use of data.  

EGLE Director Liesl Clark said, “The changes suggested in this report will help EGLE more quickly identify and address violations that can cause public health and environmental risks. It is important that EGLE accomplishes this critical role in a timely, transparent and consistent manner. The public and those we regulate should expect EGLE to make reasonable decisions that restore compliance with the law as quickly as possible.” 

A link to the full report can be found at:

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/egle/EGLE_Compliance_and_Enforcement_Report_2020_712405_7.pdf 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

DNR Looking for Camp Hosts for State Campgrounds

Even in January, families who camp are looking ahead to summer and thinking about reserving their camping sites in Michigan State Parks. Those site fees can be waived for a special group of campers: Camp Hosts.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which manages the vast campground and park system, is looking for Camp Hosts to help with activities, programming, office work, and light maintenance. Thirty hours of service per week, including weekends and holidays, are required of camp hosts. In exchange, the site fees are waived.

There are also host openings at East Tawas and Presque Isle and Straits State Harbors where boat slip fees are waived for hosts.

According to the DNR, camp host applicants are screened and interviewed by park managers and selected on availability, familiarity of camping and state parks, special skills and knowledge of the area. Individuals and couples may apply. Applications are accepted year-round. Some campgrounds have already hired their hosts, but there are still many vacancies. A link to the page with vacancies and application instructions can be found at:

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79137_79767_79866_96973_96975—,00.html

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

McLaren Keeps Seniors Engaged With Virtual Programs

The Savvy Seniors program is an educational series offered by McLaren Port Huron Hospital for senior citizens and their caregivers. The programs are free to the community, and for now, they are completely virtual.

Programs scheduled for the New Year cover healthy physical activity, navigating the health care system, and coping with grief and loss. Participants can register for as many sessions as they’d like.

Registration is available through Health Access by calling 1-800-228-1484, and a link to the virtual presentations will be emailed a week prior to the sessions.

For more details about individual sessions and topics, visit the events page at WGRT.com.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Nursing Home Residents Reminded Stimulus Payments Belong to Them

As stimulus payments begin arriving in check form, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reminding residents and operators of nursing homes and other care facilities that checks belong to the person named on them, not the organization who may be providing care for that person.

After the first round of stimulus payments went out, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported fraudulent activity in other states where nursing home residents were reportedly coerced into signing over their checks to the facility caring for them.

Stimulus payments are intended for the individual named on the check, and Nessel is alerting seniors not to sign them over to anyone under any circumstance.

Although there have not been reports of this fraudulent activity in Michigan, anyone with evidence of a facility demanding a senior resident’s stimulus (EIP) payment is encouraged to report it to the Attorney General’s office:

  • Unlicensed care facilities – Financial Crimes Division at 517-335-7560
  • Licensed care facilities – Heath Care Fraud Division at 800-242-2873

 

Michigan and Illinois Working Together to Keep Asian Carp Out of Great Lakes

Michigan and Illinois are working together to protect the Great Lakes from invasive Asian Carp. The agreement gives Illinois the right to use up to $8 million in funds appropriated in 2018 by the Michigan Legislature. The money will go toward the pre-construction engineering and design phase of the Brandon Road Ecosystem Project.

The Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet is a critical “pinchpoint” for snagging bighead, silver and black carp before they get free reign on the Great Lakes. The advanced technology will include an electric barrier, underwater sound, an air bubble curtain, and a flushing lock in a newly engineered channel to keep the invasive carp away while still allowing commercial barge traffic.

Michigan DNR Director Dan Eichinger said, “Michigan and Illinois agree on the importance of keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes, and natural resources staff from both states have been working together to support the Army Corps’ actions to deter and remove invasive carp in the waterway. This agreement is the natural progression of our existing partnership as we take steps toward a more permanent solution to prevent this serious threat to the economy and ecology of the Great Lakes.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland