Choze Powell

The North American International Auto Show located in Detroit, MI will be featuring a variety of new themed attractions to offer its guests. The auto show has been on hiatus since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but returns in 2022 with new design and layout for its visitors.

The event will feature attractions both indoors and outdoors. One new attraction is the Dinosaur and Off-Road Vehicle Encounter which will feature life-like recreations of some of your favorite prehistoric pals. There will be more than 80 life size dinos, from baby sized, to some that stand over 28 feet tall and 60 feet long! It will also include the iconic “Flintmobile” driven by cartoon character Fred Flintstone.

Another new attraction titled the “Air Mobility Experience” is being labeled as a ‘Show Above the Show.” It features futuristic technology implemented in new vehicles such as the electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, hoverboards, and jet suits.

Taking place in Huntington Place, with additional activities in Hart Plaza as well as other signature parks located in Detroit, the Auto Show will be open to the public Saturday, September 17th – 25th.

For tickets and more information visit online at naias.com

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

100+ Women Who Care is coming up Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at the St. Clair Inn ballroom. The event will gather women from around the area to help the Community Foundation of St. Clair County grant $10,000 to a local nonprofit.

Ladies who register for the event will get to choose from a list of area nonprofits when they secure their spot for a $100 donation. Three organizations will be chosen to pitch their nonprofit at the event, and attendees will get to vote on who they believe should receive the $10,000 grant. A $1,500 and $500 grant will also be handed out at the event.

Registration is required by Wednesday, August 31, 2022, and organizers are looking forward to a fun, interactive night of philanthropy.

Lindsey Adams-Fitchett, Chair of the Women’s Initiative Committee, said, “We are excited to see everyone face-to-face again, and we are really looking forward to highlighting the great work of a local nonprofit that is focused on single moms.”

Register online at: https://www.stclairfoundation.org/100-women-who-care-2022/

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Do you have a fondness for dogs? Perhaps you’re more of a cat person? Well if you’re looking for a new family pet, the St. Clair County Animal Control is offering lowered adoption fees for a limited time. 

Due to an unprecedented number of intakes this August, many animal shelters are finding it more difficult to care for their animals as spaces are filling up quickly. To combat this issue, SCCAC is lowering adoption fees to $50 for dogs and $25 for cats and kittens. All animals are examined, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped by a veterinarian. 

The SCCAC will be having an emergency adoption event from 10 – 2 PM on Saturday, August 20, 2022.

“Your support and donations through this unimaginable demand on our small community shelter this summer has been truly lifesaving,” says Director Melissa Miller.

For more information, call (810) 984-3155.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

Executive Director of Council on Aging Serving St. Clair County Scott Crawford expressed gratitude to members of the Mainstreet Memories Car Show committee on Tuesday night after being presented with a check for $30,200. The gift was contributed after another successful year for Mainstreet Memories, the group behind the biggest car show in Port Huron.

This year’s car show happened on July 30, 2022, and drew 866 vehicles to the grassy area near Vantage Point. One hundred years of car history were represented at the show from a 1922 Ford to a 2022 Corvette.

Ron Steward, President of Mainstreet Memories, said car enthusiasts showed up from Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Canada along with 147 cities and communities in Michigan.

The event had 138 sponsors which helped them raise a total of $63,750. After settling their costs and setting aside funds for the 2023 car show, the group was excited to pass the rest to the Council on Aging.

The Council on Aging provides a variety of services for St. Clair County seniors including Meals on Wheels, transportation to doctor appointments and stores, chore services, and home repairs. They also run the Foster Grandparent program that places classroom aides in Head Start and other programs that work with at-risk children.

Scott Crawford said that although the agencies funding and millage support goes a long way to provide their services, donations like the one from Main Street Memories helps cover the gaps. It allows them to provide more meals to more seniors, fix and replace items at their downtown Port Huron Senior Center, and other unforeseen costs that arise.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

State Rep. Andrew Beeler, R-Port Huron, who serves on the House Tax Policy Committee, issued the following statement criticizing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s new call for a sales tax suspension on school supplies after she previously vetoed three bipartisan tax relief plans passed by the Legislature:

“Gov. Whitmer consistently wields her veto pen like a sword to dispose of tax relief. As we’ve now seen, she’ll also occasionally have her team write up statements about taxes to try to shift the narrative. For someone who claims to want tax cuts, she sure has vetoed a lot of tax cuts.

“Taxpayers face an economy in the throes of inflation, and I’ve voted for several plans to slash people’s taxes. The governor has only been interested in slashing apart any relief plan sent her way. She should be more committed to actually cutting taxes than simply talking about them.”

Beeler and his legislative colleagues earlier this year approved two different plans for income tax relief, with increased savings for seniors and families, as well as a plan to pause the state’s gas tax of 27 cents per gallon for six months. Whitmer vetoed all three, despite the bipartisan support they received in the Legislature.

Submitted by Rep. Beeler’s office

Have you had the desire to serve your community but not sure where or how to get started? The Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce is holding its fourth annual Volunteer Recruitment Fair at St. Clair County Community College. The event will be held September 30th from 10 – 2 PM and is free to people of all ages. 

After a two year hiatus, the event returns featuring up to 25 local charities, ensuring that those in attendance will find an opportunity fitting their abilities and interests.

Executive Director of Hunter Hospitality House, Tracy Willard, says, “It’s the perfect place to start if you’ve been thinking about volunteering, but want more information.”

For more information, call the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce at (810) 985-7101.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell