Scammers Using FEMA Funeral Reimbursements as Way to Get Personal Information

Federal money means potential for scam, and if you thought funeral expenses for COVID victims were off-limits, think again. Scammers are going after grieving families of COVID-19 victims, trying to get personal information in order to steal money.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, is offering help with final expenses for those who have died from COVID since January 20, 2020. According to Michigan’s Office of Attorney General, fraudulent calls are being made to people who lost a loved one to COVID, asking them for personal information. FEMA does not initiate the reimbursement, and they never make unsolicited calls.

Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “I’ll say it again: bad actors will do whatever it takes to make a quick buck or steal your personal information and that includes taking advantage of your grief. FEMA will not contact you until you have called their agency or applied for assistance. Anyone who contacts you unsolicited and claims to be a government employee or from FEMA is a scammer.” 

Nessel advises to hang up on the callers. If the callers did get personal information, it should be reported to the Office of the Michigan Attorney General. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Beeler: Pregnant and Parenting Student Fund Could Get Support from Tax Return Donations

State Representative Andrew Beeler, a Port Huron Republican, has introduced a bill that would add another category for optional state tax return donations. Beeler has proposed adding a donation box on tax returns for aid to pregnant and parenting students at universities. 

House Bill 4779 would allow taxpayers to donate $5, $10, or more from their tax return to the Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Fund. The fund supports college and university offices that direct students to resources for health care, housing, childcare, academic scheduling, and parent education. 

Beeler ran on a pro-life platform and stated that this is truly pro-life legislation that helps families by keeping parents in school by connecting them to resources. It also does so without raising taxes, which is another platform that Beeler embraces. 

Beeler stated, “Education can provide a better future for many Michigan families. To aid these families, the Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Fund was created with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2004, and my plan will let taxpayers provide their support by a simple indication on their tax returns.”

The bill has been referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Cruise the Huron Lady and See Lake Sturgeon Up Close

Port Huron, MI — Lake Sturgeon are known as the Gentle Giants of the Great Lakes, and the Friends of the St. Clair River want to give people the opportunity to see them up close. The Blue Water Sturgeon Festival will offer Sturgeon Cruises aboard the Huron Lady on June 4th.

The Blue Water Sturgeon Festival Reimagined will offer two 90-minute Sturgeon Cruises where guests can observe live Lake Sturgeon research by biologists studying the fish. Participants will also get an aquarium experience and see educational videos along with having the opportunity to ask biologists questions.

There are only 40 seats available on each cruise, and tickets are available now for the 1 PM and 3 PM events at www.huronlady.com.

Tickets are $30 per person and support the work of the Friends of the St. Clair River.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Lambton Public Health Starts Vaccine Call Centre

Sarnia, Ontario — Lambton Public Health recently created a new Vaccine Call Centre to address questions from the public regarding the vaccine rollout in Sarnia-Lambton. The Vaccine Call Centre is available Monday – Friday from 9 AM – 4 PM at 226-254-8222.

The Federal Government has expanded vaccine supply to the Province, and as a result, they’ve created a schedule to expand eligibility for the vaccine.

Beginning today, May 6th, they will be accepting vaccine appointment bookings from the following groups through the provincial online books system <HERE> , the call centre, or through the booking systems directly through public health units:

  • Individuals turning 50 and over in 2021
  • Individuals with high-risk health conditions
  • People who cannot work from home who fall under Group One (including remaining elementary and secondary school workers)
  • First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals

The Provincial Stay-at-Home Order is still in effect until May 20, 2021.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

New Order Loosens Some Mask, Testing Requirements

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has announced a change to the Emergency Order requiring mask-wearing. Masks are no longer mandated for outdoor gatherings under 100 people. Fully vaccinated people with no symptoms of being sick can take off the mask at indoor residential gatherings, also.

The order goes into effect May 6 and goes until May 31st, at which time further guidance will likely be issued.

MDHHS has also backed off a little bit on the mandatory testing for athletes involved in school sports, but only if they are vaccinated. The vaccine is only available to those ages 16 and over right now.

According to the order, “Based on the most current CDC Guidance, fully vaccinated individuals can gather for the purposes of sports practice or competition without testing if they are asymptomatic.”

Masks are still required for indoor sports, but not for non-contact practice and games when outdoors. Individual districts can decide to still require masks if they think it is necessary.

Athletes are still required to quarantine, and miss their practices and games, if they have been deemed a close contact of someone testing positive, whether they are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or not.

The full order can be found at:

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/coronavirus/FINAL_-_Masks_and_Gatherings_order_-_5-4-21_724221_7.pdf

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

New Technology to Help Child Protective Services Improvements

The Michigan Children’s Protective Services division of the Department of Health and Human Services is getting a technology overhaul that is meant to move caseworkers away from the computer and toward the children they are helping.

The new technology is intended to be streamlined and more effective. It will replace the current system over the next four to five years. The new system is partially funded by an IT development Grant and contracted to Deloitte Consultants, LLP. The vendor has to prove success with the initial rollout to continue with the next phases of the overhaul.

CPS’ new director, Demetrius Starling said, “This change will allow our workers to spend more time with children and families, which is our priority. This new system will provide more reliable information technology to the state employees who investigate child abuse and neglect allegations and help youth in foster care and those facing juvenile justice cases.

Some of the change is spurred by new federal mandates for reporting and data collection. Federal grants are paying for about half of the cost of the development of the new system. The new approach aligns with the complete transformation of CPS. The division has been under federal court oversight for over a decade.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland