Latest news with #DepartmentofPublicServices
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Grosse Ile Parkway Bridge reopening for the next month
Just in time for Memorial Day weekend and Grosse Ile's Islandfest, the Grosse Ile Parkway Bridge has temporarily reopened, giving drivers and pedestrians a brief break from detours. The bridge opened at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, and will remain accessible for up to four weeks while operating under its current load restrictions, Wayne County officials said in a news release. The reopening follows the early completion of the first phase of maintenance repairs. The bridge will close again to vehicles and pedestrians for a second round of repairs, which are expected to last up to three weeks. More: Memorial Day grilling: Our best recipes, tips and advice for 2025 To streamline the process, the county's Department of Public Services fast-tracked a critical bridge inspection originally planned for June, according to the county release. That inspection was completed on May 22, allowing engineers to begin design and planning for the next phase while crews remain on standby. Updates on future closures will be announced once details are finalized. Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@ Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Grosse Ile bridge reopens for a month — but it's a short reprieve
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
California Dem proposes decriminalizing welfare fraud
A California Democrat has introduced a new bill that would decriminalize certain welfare fraud under $25,000. Los Angeles Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas proposed new legislation that would raise the threshold for prosecution of welfare fraud enacted due to administrative errors. Senate Bill 560 also seeks to axe prosecutions for attempted welfare fraud amounting to less than $950. 'The bill would require a county human services agency to determine whether benefits were authorized as a result of an error in the Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS) and prohibit the agency from referring a case for criminal action if benefits were authorized in error,' the proposal reads. ' California 's safety net should lift families up, not trap them in poverty,' the lawmaker added in a statement to Fox News Digital . 'Right now, a missed deadline or paperwork mistake can lead to felony charges that tear families apart — even when there's no intent to deceive.' However, around 8,000 welfare fraud cases are identified in Los Angeles County alone each year, according to the county's Department of Public Services. Of these around 200 are referred for prosecution, with a 95 percent conviction rate. Most of the convicted cases will have a court order to pay the county back. has contacted Smallwood-Cuevas for comment. Welfare fraud is among the areas being tackled by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The Tesla boss previously revealed staggering data showing there are millions of dead Americans still eligible for social security payments. Musk posted a chart on X showing that there are more than 20 million Americans listed over the age of 100, including 3.9 million in the 130-139 range, more than 3.5 million aged 140-149 and more than 1.3 million in the range 150-159. There was even an 'alive' citizen aged over 360, according to the records. In one shocking case, DOGE said they found someone with a birthday in 2154 who claimed $41,000 in benefits. Musk shared the findings on his X account, claiming he was so stunned by the numbers it took him multiple times to grasp the information. 'Your tax dollars were going to pay fraudulent unemployment claims for fake people born in the future,' Musk said. 'This is so crazy that I had to read it several times before it sank in.'
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
California Dem introduces bizarre new bill that would effectively legalize welfare fraud under $25,000
A California Democrat has introduced a new bill which would decriminalize certain welfare fraud under $25,000. Los Angeles Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas proposed new legislation which would raise the threshold for prosecution of welfare fraud enacted due to administrative errors. Senate Bill 560 also seeks to axe prosecutions for attempted welfare fraud amounting to less than $950. 'The bill would require a county human services agency to determine whether benefits were authorized as a result of an error in the Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS) and prohibit the agency from referring a case for criminal action if benefits were authorized in error,' the proposal reads. 'This bill is about keeping families out of the criminal justice system from making administrative errors on raising the threshold for welfare fraud prosecutions,' Smallwood-Cuevas said. Currently, welfare fraud is criminalized at any amount, but below $950 is considered a misdemeanor while any amount above is a felony. ' California 's safety net should lift families up, not trap them in poverty,' the lawmaker added in a statement to Fox News Digital. 'Right now, a missed deadline or paperwork mistake can lead to felony charges that tear families apart — even when there's no intent to deceive.' However, around 8,000 welfare fraud cases are identified in Los Angeles County alone each year, according to the county's Department of Public Services. Of these around 200 are referred for prosecution, with a 95 percent conviction rate. Most of the convicted cases will have a court-order to pay the county back. Smallwood-Cuevas' critics believe softening the laws on prosecution could lead to increased fraud. The most common forms of welfare fraud uncovered by LA DPS' investigations are, an absent parent in the home, unreported income, lying about the number of children in the home and claims which originate from outside the county, according to the agency. SB560 passed the Senate Human Services Committee earlier this month and is scheduled for a hearing on May 5. has contacted Smallwood-Cuevas for comment. Welfare fraud is among the areas being tackled by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The Tesla boss previously revealed staggering data showing there are millions of dead Americans still eligible for social security payments. Musk posted a chart on X showing that there are more than 20 million Americans listed over the age of 100, including 3.9 million in the 130-139 range, more than 3.5 million aged 140-149 and more than 1.3 million in the range 150-159. There was even an 'alive' citizen aged over 360, according to the records. In one shocking case, DOGE said they found someone with a birthday in 2154 who claimed $41,000 in benefits. Musk shared the findings on his X account, claiming he was so stunned by the numbers it took him multiple times to grasp the information. 'Your tax dollars were going to pay fraudulent unemployment claims for fake people born in the future,' Musk said. 'This is so crazy that I had to read it several times before it sank in.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘Pothole Palooza' is underway in Salt Lake City – how you can help
SALT LAKE CITY () — 'Nothing says springtime like Pothole Palooza.' That was Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall's message as she kicked off the city's third annual Pothole Palooza – a weeklong event where city street crews will focus on fixing thousands of potholes on city roads. City officials said every winter, streets throughout Utah's capital city experience additional stress with snowfall, plows, and swinging 'freeze-thaw' temperatures. They said this stress can cause a lot of road damage. 'Even though we had lower than average snowfall this year, we did not have a lot of moisture and that moisture made our roads worse,' said Mendenhall. 'As it seeped in, froze and thawed, and broke up the potholes. So they're starting to hatch like little chickens all over the city.' At least 17 international students, graduates of U of U had their visas revoked Mendenhall said the city's newest springtime tradition was invented because that damage can make this one of the worst times of year to drive in Salt Lake City. In 2024, Salt Lake City's road crews reportedly repaired more than 38,000 potholes throughout the year – including 6,759 potholes filled during the weeklong Pothole Palooza campaign. Residents can help with the city's efforts to repair road damage by reporting any potholes to the city. Jorge Chamorro, the director of Salt Lake City's Department of Public Services, said his department really values pothole reports made by the community. Reports can be made either by calling 801-535-2345 or by creating a service request through the mobile app. Residents can also find an interactive map on pothole repair progress by visiting the website. Lawmakers rally behind family of wrongfully deported man Comfort in a bowl: Hearty beef goulash made simple Horsford berates US trade rep as Trump makes tariff announcement: 'WTF, who's in charge?' Can kindness change the world? A Utah group says definitely Baby animals, sunny days, and adventures that await at Utah Hogle Zoo Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Kalamazoo blames weather and cast iron pipes for surge in water main breaks
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Kalamazoo has dealt with more than 70 water main breaks so far this year, the city's Department of Public Services says, a rise that has crews working around the clock and residents frustrated. Only 68 breaks were reported all of last year. That was better than other recent years, which had between 80 and 100 breaks each. Director of Public Services James Baker said this year's breaks have been 'extensive.' They have prompted a slew of boil water advisories: The state's environmental agency requires that such advisories be issued anytime water pressure drops below 20 PSI. Drops in pressure may allow bacteria to enter the system, so the water has to be tested to ensure it's safe to drink. Kingston Avenue has seen two main breaks — and two boil water advisories — recently. The most recent break was Tuesday, prompting that was lifted Thursday. 'One down the street () and then this one here broke two days ago,' neighbor Art Jolliff showed News 8 Thursday. 'And we didn't hear anything from anybody and all of a sudden — no water. And that sort of it makes it tough when you're in the middle of doing dishes or doing your laundry and all of a sudden the water goes off. Why?' When a break happens, Baker said work is reprioritized so crews can quickly isolate the damage and restore service. Winter weather conditions are one of the stressors on water pipes. 'We're not seeing frost that's down 5 foot deep that's breaking the mains. What is going on is that frost action and that cold action causing soil to move around a little bit. And that older, more brittle pipe — which also has some considerable corrosion, as well — is just not able to withstand those forces,' Baker said. The usual suspects are cast iron mains between 62 and 85 years old that suffer from external corrosion, making them brittle. 'We're really seeing heavy main break occurrences on pipe that was manufactured right around the time of World War II to up through the post-war boom of construction — the late '50s, early '60s. But that all kind of ended with ductile iron pipe in 1964,' Baker said. Older pipes like oversized or thick-walled pipes from the early 1900s and cement line pipes from the 1920s have not broken down as easily as the cast iron mains. There is a plan to address the problem lines. Baker said teams have been replacing the cast iron mains while road crews are rebuilding surface streets, like during the . In 2024, more than 8 miles of water mains were replaced. This year, 2.7 miles are expected to be worked on. Also this year, crews are expected to install a liner in 1.7 miles of cast iron pipe in the Knollwood neighborhood. 'They then put in a fiberglass liner that's impregnated with a resin solution that is activated by steam, and it's cured. It makes a new kind of pipe inside that old cast iron pipe,' Baker said. He understands the frustration of residents like Jolliff, but said replacing or lining existing lines will take time. 'It's $150 million of work yet ahead of us, and I can't guarantee anybody that is experiencing main breaks today that they won't experience main breaks tomorrow until we get all this work done and replace these old cast iron mains,' Baker said. While crews work to keep ahead of water main breaks, Baker said an emergency contract will be going to the city commission next week. If approved, contractors will patch medium-sized cuts in residential streets left behind when crews previously had to make repairs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
