St. Clair County Veterans Eligible for Emergency Money

St. Clair County, MI — Veterans in economic distress can get help from the St. Clair County Department of Veterans Affairs. The Department has secured funding for the County Veteran Service Fund Emergency Relief (CVSF-ER) program.

Veterans from all eras, wartime and peacetime, may be eligible for the funding for things like home and vehicle repairs, medical expenses, and other urgent needs. There is also a grocery voucher program through the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and Meijer, where food and personal care items can be purchased.

According to Outreach Coordinator, Nancy Deising, “Our peacetime-era veterans often struggle to find benefits they qualify for and the CVSF-ER program will be a huge help for many.” The grants will be given out on a first come, first serve basis.

Applications are available online at www.sccvet.us or by calling the Veterans Affairs Office at 810-989-6945. The deadline to apply is September 18, 2020.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

M-COLES Board Expands to Increase Diversity

The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (M-COLES) has expanded to include four more seats on its commission to increase diversity and community representation. The expansion is a reaction to citizen protests demanding police reform. Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “While there is more to do, this is a pivotal time.”

The added seats will be held by the Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and three members who must not have affiliation with a law enforcement agency. The Governor will appoint the members under the advice of the State Senate.

The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards is created by law to serve the people of the state of Michigan by ensuring public safety and supporting the criminal justice community.

Colonel Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police, said, “The insight of these new members will provide a necessary outside perspective, and also serve to add another layer of transparency and accountability to policing in Michigan.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Boy Scouts Reaching Out to Potential Survivors of Abuse

The  national organization of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) filed for bankruptcy earlier this year to equitably compensate victims of past abuse. Now, they are launching a massive email and direct mail campaign to reach out to individuals and groups of Scouts, parents of Scouts, alumni, and volunteers who may have been abused in their organization.

Anyone who has been part of the BSA within the last eight years may receive a notice.

In a press release the BSA said, “Receiving a notice does not mean that you have a claim or that your child was harmed while in Scouting. The BSA is just being as thorough as possible.”

The notifications are part of the BSA’s effort to give all potential claimants the opportunity to file a claim against the organization by the November 16th deadline.

Information about filing a claim is available at BSArestructuring.org

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Free “Rec on the Go” Bags Ready for Local Families

Port Huron, MI — Kids bored? How about a new bag of games, crafts, and sports equipment every week to keep them busy? That is exactly what local recreation departments are doing for children in the community.

“Rec on the Go” bags are stocked with materials to keep kids active and are available for free at various locations. Children need not be present to get the bags. One bag is available per family.

In Port Huron, the bags can be picked up at the McMorran Pro Shop on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Mondays at 10:30 a.m. at Optimist Park and 2:00 p.m. at Garfield Elementary School. On Tuesdays, the bags can be picked up at 10:30 a.m. at Knox Field and at 2:30 p.m. at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School.

The Marysville Community Center will be handing out the bags on Mondays from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. They can also be picked up at Greig Park in St. Clair from 10-11 a.m. on Tuesdays.

The bags are limited in quantity and are given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. The bags have been made available to area families through a partnership between Sport Port Huron, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Red Cross Now Testing Blood Donations for COVID-19 Antibodies

New insight is now available for those who are curious if they have antibodies for COVID-19. The American Red Cross just announced that they will be testing all blood donations for coronavirus antibodies for a limited time.

Antibody testing indicates that a person’s immune system produced antibodies to COVID-19, regardless of whether they developed symptoms. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration just authorized emergency use of antibody tests to the Red Cross so they could test all blood, platelets, and plasma donations for the virus.

The Red Cross is not testing donors to diagnose COVID-19, and a positive test result does not confirm infection or immunity. However, the diagnostic test will offer insight to coronavirus exposure, and results will be available 7-10 days after donating.

Blood drives and donation sites are following strict safety standards to protect their staff and donors. To find out how to donate, visit RedCrossBlood.org or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App on your phone.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Two More Viruses to Avoid: West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Michigan– While the world’s attention has been focused on the coronavirus, health officials are now also warning about the West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis viruses, which are likely to show up over the summer.

West Nile virus has already been detected in Lapeer County in a captive hawk. Both West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis viruses originate from infected birds that are bit by mosquitoes who then bite humans.

According to Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services chief medical executive and chief deputy director for health, “It only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to cause a severe illness.” She urges Michiganders to take precautions to avoid bites.

While Eastern Equine Encephalitis has not been detected yet this summer, residents are warned that 2019 was the worst year on record for outbreaks. Six deaths were attributed to Eastern Equine Encephalitis last year.

Symptoms of mosquito-borne viruses are typically high fever, confusion, muscle weakness and a severe headache. More serious complications include neurological illnesses, such as meningitis and encephalitis.

The best line of defense is avoiding mosquito bites and trying to discourage mosquito breeding grounds. Information about virus detection can be found at Michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland