Additional Food Assistance Extended

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced that approximately 350,000 Michigan families will continue to have access to additional food assistance benefits during February as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michigan previously approved the additional food assistance beginning in March 2020 – and now it is being extended for February 2021 with approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.

Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card by Feb. 28, with payments beginning for some households on Feb. 18. Additional benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance that is provided earlier in the month.

Below are the maximum allowable benefits for SNAP customers based on their respective household size:

  • One Person: $234
  • Two Persons: $430
  • Three Persons: $616
  • Four Persons: $782
  • Five Persons: $929
  • Six Persons: $1,114
  • Seven Persons: $1,232
  • Eight Persons: $1,408

The federal government is providing additional funding to states for food assistance under House Resolution 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits. People who receive food assistance can check their benefits balance on their Michigan Bridge Card by going online to www.michigan.gov/MIBridges or calling a consumer service representative toll-free at 888-678-8914. They can ask questions about the additional benefits by calling or emailing their caseworker.

Customer service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Spanish and Arabic service is available. If you are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing or speech-impaired, call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.

Submitted by MDHHS

Local Contractors Rehabilitate Lincoln Street Home Slated for Demolition

 

Port Huron, MI — A Port Huron house that was slated for a date with a bulldozer due to years of neglect and serious code violations has been rehabbed and turned into a beautiful home waiting for a family to move in. Thanks to the hard work and vision of local residents and business partners, Scott Fleet and Steve Ainsworth, 1214 Lincoln Avenue has been transformed.

The house, not far from St. Clair County Community College, McLaren Hospital, and Downtown Port Huron, had potential that perhaps only Fleet and Ainsworth could see. Even the neighbors wanted it gone. Mr. Fleet and Mr. Ainsworth said they knew it would be expensive, but they had the construction resources to make it happen.

Scott Fleet said, “As we look back on this project we joke with each other that we might have gotten a little carried away, but this house had so much character to offer that we just couldn’t help ourselves.”

Fleet said his vision for the house “is to have the right family that can appreciate the architecture and beauty of this home. We would like to see this renovation help carry the positive momentum through this fantastic city.”

Port Huron City Manager James Freed referred to the renovation as “an absolutely breathtaking rehabilitation of the home”.

Scott Fleet and Steve Ainsworth wish to thank:

Scott’s Dad, their patient wives, Ainsworth Construction, TMA Electric, Spray Foam International, Northeast Plumbing, Ainsworth Door Company, Gates Roofing, Bob Anderson Painting, Luis Rivera Carpentry

 

BEFORE – Lincoln St. Rehab

 

AFTER – Lincoln St. Rehab

 

AFTER – Lincoln St. Rehab

 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Jim Wilson Retiring as GM of Blue Water Transit

James L. “Jim” Wilson, the General Manager of Blue Water Area Transit (BWAT), is retiring March 1st, 2021 after 30-plus years of service with the organization and 41 years in public transportation.  

Under Jim’s leadership and direction, Blue Water Area Transit has grown tremendously from a small, urban bus system of 21 buses and 44 employees to a full-service county-wide transportation system with 90 buses and 130 employees.  

Jim’s many accomplishments have brought millions of dollars of public transportation  funding to St Clair County. The development of the downtown Blue Water Area Bus Center, a $9.8  million project, has greatly enhanced the downtown area of Port Huron. The main bus facility, a  state-of-the-art maintenance facility on Lapeer road, was constructed with $15 million of federal and  state funding.  

The St Clair County community and environment have benefited from Jim’s clean energy  philosophy. The Blue Water Area Transit fleet of buses is totally powered by Compressed Natural  Gas starting back to 1997. Also, BWAT recently secured a federal grant for two electric buses. This was the first grant awarded in the state of Michigan to public transportation for electric buses. 

Jim began his public transit career in 1980, as an auditor for the southeast Michigan SMART  Transit system. Jim became General Manager of BWAT in 1990. In 1994 he facilitated a separation  of St. Clair County from the SMART system and established the current BWAT system.  

Jim greatly enhanced the BWAT system in 1997 with the consolidation of 11 St. Clair  County agencies’ transportation services. These agencies include Community Mental Health, the  Council On Agency, the Community Action Agency, Community Enterprises, the YMCA and  others. With this achievement, Jim has brought millions of federal and state dollars to St. Clair  County each year.

During Wilson’s 30-plus years, BWAT provided over 25 million rides. The average monthly  rider trips more than doubled during that time.  

Jim’s successful grant writing skills, his consolidation of community services and his  outstanding staff development have positioned BWAT for a successful future in public transportation  in St. Clair County. 

Linda Bruckner, board president said, “Where public transportation goes, communities grow  and Jim Wilson’s dedication and leadership to public transportation in St. Clair County greatly  reflects that.” 

“St. Clair County is a much better place thanks to Jim Wilson,” she continued. 

We congratulate Jim on his retirement and thank him for his many years of service to St.  Clair County.

Submitted by Blue Water Area Transit

Rent Scams on the Rise 

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a notice to raise awareness of a scheme that is targeting renters. The Michigan Office of the Attorney General is asking those who are having trouble paying their rent not to fall prey to identity thieves.

The tactics of the scammers include gathering a lot of personal and financial information and asking for an up-front fee while they resolve your rent problems. The Attorney General recommends that renters who are having a hard time paying rent first take up the problem with their landlord.

There are some local programs, such as through Blue Water Community Action or the Society of St. Vincent DePaul, that can help with emergencies and keep people from being evicted.

Kelly Rose, Michigan State Housing Development Authority chief housing solutions officer said, “Once the Legislature appropriates the emergency rental assistance funds, we are ready and will move swiftly to assist renters and landlords in need. Renters should avoid further financial risk by falling for scams. A legitimate program that can help is on the way.” 

Avoid scammers offering to pay your rent | FTC Consumer Information

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Tax Returns Accepted Starting Feb. 12: Watch for Fraud

Tax season is just about here. Both federal and state returns can start being processed on February 12th. The processing date is later than usual.  The April 15th filing deadline remains the same.

State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said, “We coordinate with the IRS to process tax returns and issue refunds. This year, the IRS has pushed back the processing date due to software updating and testing. This means our processing date will also be pushed back. The state of Michigan will be ready to process your returns and issue refunds when the season opens early in the month.”  

Eubanks warned against rushing to file without all the necessary documentation. Sending in an incomplete return will put any refund on hold until the correct paperwork is turned in.

For those who may have received unemployment benefits in 2020, they should have received a 1099-G in the mail. If a 1099-G was received, and the recipient did not actually receive unemployment, they may, unfortunately, be the victim of identity theft. Instructions for reporting the theft are on the envelope in which the 1099 came and should be followed closely.

Visit the UIA’s website for questions about reporting a fraudulent claim or filing your 2020 taxes.  

To report fraud or file a general consumer complaint, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection team. Filing a complaint online is the best way to make Your Connection to Consumer Protection and provide a comprehensive report to the Attorney General’s office to ensure investigators have the information they need. If a consumer is unable to fill out an online complaint, they can call the toll-free Consumer Protection hotline at 877-765-8388 and staff will provide a hard copy form to fill out and return.  

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Beeler Wants Answers from Governor

LANSING – State Representative Andrew Beeler (R-Port Huron) today voiced his frustration with the lack of specifics given by Governor Whitmer’s administration regarding how the decision to close schools and athletics were made in the past – and how those decisions will be made going forward – in the face of mounting data which suggests the dangers to school-aged children are significantly lower than originally feared.

“The governor has repeated over and over that her administration is making decisions based on science,” Beeler said, “Michigan citizens deserve to know what criteria she is using to determine when these seemingly never-ending shutdowns are going to end.”

The Michigan House and Senate today held a joint meeting of their respective committees on Education where Beeler appeared annoyed by the lack of concrete metrics the administration would use to justify future shutdowns.

“Based on today’s hearing, I am convinced that the governor’s unilateral actions are based on criteria beyond merely ‘science and data’,” Beeler said.

According to the governor’s own statistics, less than two dozen people aged 24 and younger have died from COVID-19 or other causes related to COVID-19 since the beginning of 2020.  Meanwhile, many mental health experts have warned the negative long-term effects associated with the governor’s shutdowns will be felt for many years to come.

Official statistics can be found here: Covid-19 By Age at Death (state.mi.us).

Submitted by the office of Rep. Andrew Beeler