Thursday News Summary 09-29-22
Thu, 29 Sep 2022 12:09:03 EDT


(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)


INSURANCE CO-PAY BILL
Patients from across Michigan, and Michigans leading patient advocacy organizations, are sharing their personal stories and asking members of the Michigan state Senate to join them in backing legislation that will guarantee insurance companies count all payments made by or on behalf of Michiganders. The House Bill would prevent an increasingly common practice used by insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers called copay accumulator adjuster programs that exclude copay assistance payments from counting toward the patients deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. The bill was approved nearly unanimously in March 2021 by the state House. Patients access to copay assistance that counts has been stalled in the state Senate for 18 months.

NON FLUSHABLE BILL
State Representative Pamela Hornberger has introduced a plan to combat the volume of inappropriately flushed personal care and household wipes statewide by requiring manufacturers to label wipes sold in Michigan as non-flushable. Hornberger worked closely with Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller on the legislation, which mirrors legislation recently signed into law in Oregon, Illinois, California and Washington states. According to Commissioner Miller, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an average of approximately 1,000 pounds of flushed wipes accumulated at the Clintondale Pump Station in Clinton Township each week. After COVID-19 stay-home orders, the average jumped to about 4,000 pounds a week.

CLOVERLAND ELECTRIC RATE HIKE
Cloverland Electric customers will be paying more in the new year. Cloverland Electric Cooperatives Board of Directors voted in support of a rate increase in 2023. Cloverland Electric services customers throughout the eastern Upper Peninsula with 34-thousand members across five counties including: Chippewa, Delta, Mackinac, Luce and Schoolcraft. The rate increase which starts in January 2023 will be 5.4 percent for residential customers and 4 percent for large businesses and government. Inflation and higher costs were noted as the reason for the increase during a meeting to address community concerns on the possible rate hike. On average, residential members will experience an increase of $4.73 each month.

SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET
Representative Thomas Albert, of Lowell, announced Wednesday that he has stepped down as the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, saying he cannot support a supplemental budget measure that was approved by the state house and state senate on Wednesday. Albert's resignation comes weeks after he voiced opposition to any further spending ahead of the midterm election, saying he felt it was inappropriate at what he described as the beginning of a global recession. Governor Gretchen Whitmer thanked lawmakers for coming together on the supplemental funding bill, arguing it quote-"will help us attract transformational projects bringing billions in investment and creating thousands of jobs to Michigan."

DON'T VEER FOR DEER
This time of year, late September through November, deer are most active, and that means drivers need to be on the lookout. To prove the point, Michigan State Police have shared a recent video they took of a deer jumping over a car and almost running into the trooper. A deer jumping over a car like this is rare, but it's not uncommon to see one run into the road. So MSP is reminding everyone to not veer for deer. MSP reports about 50-thousand car-deer crashes across the state each year. Last year that included 14-thousand injuries and 10 deaths.

AIRPORT MEETINGS
The Cherry Capital Airport Authority is holding a month-long public hearing on what changes the airport should make to its rules, regulations, and ordinances. During Tuesday's regular meeting, the authority opened up public comment to the community. Another meeting has been held at the airport to talk about new zoning ordinances. The public hearing for both of these topics will be open for people to give their opinions until the authority's next meeting on October 25.

TRANSPARENCY LEGISLATION
Representative Jack Bergman has introduced legislation to require greater transparency in the rampant foreign funding of think tanks and other public policyfocused non-profit entities, in order for the public and government officials to know the foreign influence behind research or policy recommendations. The Think Tank Transparency Act of 2022 requires certain non-profits engaged in influencing U.S. policy or public opinion to promptly make available for the American public all funds provided by foreign principals, as well as all contracts and agreements they enter into with foreign principals.

STUDENT LOAN RELIEF
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced that student loan relief would not be treated as taxable income in Michigan. Approximately 1.4 million Michiganders eligible for relief will not owe any state taxes for receiving benefits of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program or other student loan forgiveness. Whitmer says tax-free student loan forgiveness could benefit up to 1.4 million Michiganders.

SEXUAL ABUSE ARREST
The Michigan State Police has announced the arrest of 20-year-old Joseph Gavlek of Escanaba for child sexually abusive activity, distributing or promoting and using a computer to commit a crime. Gavlek was arrested following an investigation that began with a tip from a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A search of Gavleks residence resulted in the seizure of multiple electronics and other evidence. Gavlek was charged with six counts of using a computer to commit a crime and six counts of child sexually abusive activity. If convicted, Gavlek faces up to 15 years in prison.

GUN BUY BACK
Seven Oakland County police agencies will host gunback events on one day next month. Auburn Hills Police, Bloomfield Township, Berkley, Southfield, Lathrup Village, Royal Oak and Ferndale are taking part. The events will run from 10am to 2pm on October 22nd. Those turning in an assault Rifle will receive a $300 Visa gift card. The payment is $200 for long guns and $100 for a handgun. The buybacks come after the Oakland County Board approved $45-thousand for the program earlier this month.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS
Lawmakers in Lansing reaching a last minute deal on Wednesday to allow clerks to preprocess absentee ballots in large municipalities two days early to control a possible over-load from the mail. House Elections and Ethics Committee Chair Ann Bollin says the legislation also requires clerks to delete dead voters from their rolls every month and more often closer to an election. She says the deal also includes tightened rules for officials collecting ballots from drop boxes, and it allows election challengers and inspectors to be present for preprocessing.

ALLEGAN COUNTY DEPUTY FACING CRASH CHARGES
The attorney for an Allegan County sheriff's deputy says he was doing what he was trained to do when he was driving a cruiser and hit a car, killing a 74-year-old woman, Ofelia Nunez. WOOD TV reports the deputy is facing misdemeanor charges. Court records show that deputy Thomas Goggins will be charged with a moving violation causing death and a moving violation causing serious impairment, since a man in the car was injured. Goggins allegedly was driving more than 90 miles per hour with no lights or sirens in the June crash in Manlius Township, near Fennville.

MEIJER HUNGER RELIEF
Eligible Meijer customers in Metro Detroit will now have the opportunity to save some serious cash on healthy foods. The grocery retailer announced that it will now offer special discounts on fruits and vegetables for its SNAP food assistance customers. The program will include discounts from 5 to 10 dollars, and 5 percent to 10 percent on SNAP purchases on qualifying produce. The discounts have been made possible due to a waiver granted to Meijer by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes says the retailer is committed to enriching lives in the communities it serves.

PACKARD DEMOLITION-DETROIT
The city of Detroit will officially kick off the demolition of an iconic landmark today. The Packard plant opened in 1903, turning out luxury Packard automobiles in what was considered the most modern automobile manufacturing facility in the world. Designed by famed architect Albert Kahn, the plant was shuttered in 1958. The abandoned building was stripped by vandals over the years and became one of the symbols of Detroit's decline. There was new hope for the property when it was bought by Spanish developer Fernando Palazuelo. His plans never came to light and the city ordered it demolished, saying the property is an imminent danger.

MURDER CHARGES DROPPED-FRASER
Murder charges have been dropped in the stabbing death of a teen at a home in Fraser. Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido says the evidence shows the stabbing death of 14-year-old Trent Redstrom was in self-defense. Lucido says four teens burst into a home in Fraser on September 13th uninvited. Text messages show it was over a dispute, although he is not releasing the details. 16-year-old Collin West is still charged with assault with intent to murder and is being held in jail on $750-thousand bond. The two teen girls are charged with assault and battery, as well as home invasion, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

DIXON SPORTS BILLS
Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon has proposed a bill to protect women's sports. Under what Dixon calls the Women's Sports Fairness Act, she says women's sports will not be open to people born as biological males. Those born as females would not be able to compete in men's sports. The measure would apply to all Michigan public schools and colleges and universities. Governor Gretchen Whitmer's campaign tells WOOD TV that this is just the latest example of Tudor Dixon politicizing kids to try to divide communities and pit people against each other as part of her DeVos-backed partisan agenda to rip away control from local schools and parents and hurt student athletes.

LUTHER BANK ROBBERY
The Lake County Sheriff's Department says two persons of interest in last week's robbery at the Lake- Osceola State Bank in Luther are currently in jail on unrelated charges. Their names are being withheld pending formal arraignment.

SEX ABUSE CHARGES-PETOSKEY
A Petoskey man is facing multiple criminal sexual conduct charges after allegedly assaulting two girls under the age of 13. 23-year-old Brian Jones was arraigned yesterday in Emmet County on four counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct, along with two second degree counts. Deputies responded to a complaint earlier this month at a Littlefield Township home.

WAYNE COUNTY JAIL OVER BUDGET
Construction costs are MILLIONS of dollars over budget at the embattled Wayne County Criminal Justice Center in downtown Detroit. According to the Detroit Free Press, the project -- located at I-75 and Warren -- is 64 MILLION dollars over budget due to unexpected project delays and rising construction costs. The jail project was initially expected to cost 533 MILLION dollars and be done by now -- but those costs are now approaching 600 MILLION dollars with an unclear timeline for completion. Dan Gilbert's development company Bedrock is conducting the project.

EMMET COUNTY TRANSIT
In Emmet County, options for the future of public transit will be discussed tonight in a special meeting of the county board of commissioners. It will include a presentation on public transportation throughout the county, including past efforts and ideas for the future.


   

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