Real Estate One supports Habitat
TRAVERSE CITY — Real Estate One on Jan 20 will present a $8,077.90 check to Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region.
The contribution is Habitat Grand Traverse Region’s portion of the $22,243.84 raised during their Ladles of Love campaign on Giving Tuesday, according to a release. Ladles of Love offered a $5 soup lunch to the community and raised more than $11,000.
The Real Estate One Charitable Foundation matched every dollar raised.
The total donation, including the match, to each Habitat affiliate included:
- $8,070.90 to Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region from the two Real Estate One Traverse City offices and Real Estate One Leland
- $6,383.50 to Habitat for Humanity of Benzie County from Real Estate One Beulah
- $3,826.00 to Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity from Real Estate One Charlevoix and Petoskey
- $2,153.44 to Otsego-Antrim Habitat for Humanity from Real Estate One Elk Rapids and Bellaire
- $1,810.00 to Wexford-Osceola Habitat for Humanity from Real Estate One Cadillac
Pour For More ‘22 selections
TRAVERSE CITY — Pour For More selected six nonprofit grant recipients for 2022: TCNewTech, Brickways, Angel Care, UpNorth Pride, 22twoNone and Conservation Resource Alliance.
Pour For More is “a collection of breweries, cideries, wineries, coffee shops, cafes, and bars coming together to support our community through micro-grants,” according to a release. Pour For More venues donate $1 from the sale of selected drinks. The 2022 venues include Rare Bird Brewpub, The Filling Station, Earthen Ales, Terra Firma, The Workshop, The Little Fleet, Red Spire Brunch House, Mama Lus, Taproot, Chateau Chantal and Oryana. More information is available at www.pourformore.org.
Radar run seeks participants
EAST JORDAN — The newly-named SnowStuds Bikini Radar Run is looking for participants. The event raises money for women and men going through breast cancer in the region.
The event has been part of the East Jordan Sno-Blast Festival the last three years and has raised more than $25,000, which has provided $100 gas cards and goodie bags. Men and women are welcome to participate in the event, scheduled for Feb. 19 at noon at the East Jordan Sno-Mobilers Clubhouse in Mt. Bliss Road.
Participants will compete for gift baskets in three categories: Fastest speed, most money raised and best decorated sled in a breast cancer theme. New this year are cash prizes along with gift baskets that contain items donated by businesses and organizations throughout the U.S.A.
Registration is open. Contact organizer Courtney Moeller at twistedprincess15@gmail.com for an entry form or for more information or visit the SnowStuds Bikini Radar Run Facebook page.
SCORE workshop registration open
TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City SCORE chapter said its hour-long, free small business workshops will return in 2022.
Registration is now open for the workshops, according to a release. Monthly session topics range from “Making your Business Dreams Become a Reality” to “Protecting Your Company from Cyber-Security Threats.” Other workshop topics include social media, business planning and funding sources.
Sign-up for sessions on SCORE’s website, traversecity.score.org. A full list of scheduled 2022 workshops and descriptions is available at https://traversecity.score.org/2022-workshops.
Developer sought for CAPS property
CADILLAC — Cadillac Area Public Schools issued a Request for Qualifications/Request for Proposals to redevelop the three-acre Cooley School property at 221 Granite St. Civil engineering company Fishbeck in Traverse City is assisting CAPS with incentives for property reuse.
The site is zoned for residential redevelopment and is connected to the City of Cadillac’s water and sewer systems, according to a release.
The RFP/RFQ is available at www.cadillacschools.org/page/1630. The CAPS school board is expected to select a developer in April, according to the release.
Snowmobile Fun Run slated
GAYLORD — The Gaylord Area Convention and Tourism Bureau will host the Michigan Snowmobile Festival Feb. 25-26.
Billed as “Michigan’s Richest Snowmobile Fun Run,” participants have two days to visit nine Gaylord area businesses and drop registration slips at each stop. Snowmobilers don’t need to follow a particular route or stop at all nine locations, but a guided ride will leave the Tourism Bureau at 319 W. Main St. at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 26 and end at the Eagles Hall at 515 S. Wisconsin Ave.
Live music with Exit 282, beverages, complimentary food, prizes and a $1,000 cash drawing will be featured. Participants must be present and at least 18 years old to win all prizes, according to a release.
Advance registration is available online at www.gaylordmichigan.net or in person at the Tourism Bureau office from noon to 6 p.m. Feb. 25 and 8 a.m. to noon Feb. 26. All registrants must pick up a packet during those hours, and the first 100 receive a free hat.
For more information or to register online, visit www.gaylordmichigan.net.
UIA seeks spike in fraud efforts
LANSING — The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency saw more than 10,000 claims identified as likely being fraudulent around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
The UIA warns Michigan residents “to be vigilant about any suspicious activity they notice involving their personal identifying information,” according to a release. “When a claim is identified as fraudulent, no payment is made and the UIA will send a letter by U.S. mail to the address on file to confirm identity or other key information,” according to a release.
If you receive such a letter from the UIA but have not filed a claim, report the fraudulent activity to Michigan.gov/UIA. Form 6349, a Statement of Identity Theft, should also be completed and submitted online.
Employers are also urged to review monetary determinations.
BBB warns of potentially fake testing sites
GRAND RAPIDS — The Better Business Bureau serving western Michigan warns people to be on the lookout for fraudulent COVID-19 testing sites, following an increase in testing requests after the holidays. BBB is investigating multiple complaints of potentially fake testing sites in the area.
No fraudulent testing sites have been confirmed in western Michigan, according to the release. But fake locations are being identified in other parts of the country, where scammers take people’s personal information, including Social Security numbers, credit card information, and other health information to steal identities and gain access to financial information.
BBB tips to help find an authorized testing site:
- Talk to your doctor. Their office can refer you to a legitimate testing site within a testing window.
- Check your local health department’s website. They list authorized testing sites and any pop-up clinics near you. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also has test site recommendations.
- Understand your options. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a detailed guide to testing for COVID-19. Understand the different tests available.
Report COVID-related scams to bbb.org/scamtracker.
Due dates for business taxpayers
LANSING — The Michigan Department of Treasury is reminding business taxpayers are reminded wage statements and other income record forms must be submitted on or before Feb. 1. These include forms such as W-2s, 1099-NEC and 1099-R.
Wage statements and income record forms can be submitted to Michigan Treasury Online, Magnetic Media Reporting or mailed to Michigan Department of Treasury Lansing, MI 48930.
Business taxpayers can submit a 1099-MISC income record forms on or before March 1 for paper filers and on or before March 31 for electronic filers. Certain wage statements and income record forms are due on or before Feb. 1, but the Sales, Use and Withholding Taxes Annual Return (Form 5081) is due on Feb. 28. Wage statements and other income record forms should not be submitted with Form 5081.
More information is available at www.michigan.gov/taxes or by following the state treasury on Twitter at @MITreasury.
HUD awards nearly $105 million
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded nearly $104.7 million to 60 non-profit organizations, and state and local government agencies in 29 states to “protect children and families from home health hazards” including lead, according to a release.
Healthy Homes Production Grant Program awards target children and families with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area media income.
Grants in Michigan included $2 million to Habitat for Humanity of Michigan, Inc. and the City of Detroit and $1.5 million to the city of Muskegon.
UIA teams with Labor Dept.
LANSING — The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency is partnering with a U.S. Department of Labor initiative to “analyze challenges at the agency and recommend resources or processes to address fraud, case backlog, equity and system modernization,” according to a release.
Funding for the Tiger Team national initiative comes from the American Rescue Plan Act.
AAA tips to stay safe on roads
DEARBORN — Fatalities on Michigan roadways increased for a third straight year in 2020, according to a report from AAA — The Auto Club Group. The 1,083 who died because of traffic crashes in 2020 was the most since 2007, according to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts (Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning).
AAA offered some safety tips to improve road safety, including: Drive sober, get enough sleep, avoid distractions, slow down, buckle up and share the road.
Members can use the AAADrive feature in its mobile app to track progress on several of these tips. Parents can also use AAADrive to “set parameters for teen drivers and minimize risk factors such as speed, time of day and geographic boundaries,” according to the release.
Workshop slated for Jan. 20
TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City SCORE chapter will offer a free virtual workshop Jan. 20 at noon.
Basic Steps to Start a Business is the title of the workshop. The focus of the workshop is for start-ups to reach a “go or no-go” decision, according to a release.
Registration information is available at https://tinyurl.com/TCSCOREJan20.
