Choze Powell

Basketball Players Build Bikes for Charity

St. Clair County Community College is hosting the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship through March 19, 2022, and players took some time this week to have some fun and donate to a good cause.

Through a partnership with the Blue Water Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), the girls playing in the tournament were able to participate in team-building activities at the Blue Water Convention Center. One activity had teams compete to assemble a new bicycle, and the Convention Center was buzzing with activity as they raced to finish first.

NJCAA at Blue Water Convention Center for Team Building

The winning bike-building team was from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and all 16 bikes assembled in the competition were donated to the St. Clair County Child Abuse and Neglect Council.

Bikes will be donated to St. Clair County Child Abuse & Neglect Council

The Blue Water CVB had fun with the competition and shared a highlight video of the night’s event on their TikTok page which you can find on TikTok at Discover the Blue.

Photos courtesy of Katie Stepp, Blue Water Area CVB

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Time to Clean Up Winter Decorations at Lakeside Cemetery

Spring is on the way, and it’s spring cleaning season at Lakeside Cemetery. All winter decorations should be moved off grave sites at the cemetery by Thursday, March 31, 2022.

Patriotic flags and flowers are always permitted on grave sites at Lakeside Cemetery. Annual and perennial plants are allowed, and they may be planted or displayed on a Shepherd’s hook in a hanging basket. All other flower displays may be displayed in non-glass containers for 72 hours after a burial service.

From November 15 through March 31st, grave blankets and wreaths are allowed, but these items must be removed or  cemetery personnel will begin disposing of them beginning on Friday, April 1, 2022.

For more information visit the City of Port Huron’s rules for Lakeside Cemetery <HERE>.

 

 

 

Sanilac County Parents Can Attend Parent University

Sanilac County parents of young children can participate in a free program to help them prepare their kids for learning and give them a great start for the future. Sanilac Great Start Collaborative is hosting Parent University on Saturday, April 23 from 8 AM – 2 PM.

Parent University is a hands-on opportunity for parents to learn what to expect at each developmental stage of a child’s life and be equipped as their child’s first teacher. The seminar will cover a variety of topics including, managing screen time, developing reading skills, and dealing with the stress of parenting.

Sanilac County parents can attend the event for free, and out-of-county parents can join in for $10. Pre-registration is required b y contacting Sanilac County Great Start at (810) 404-4739 or emailing Kim Hurlburt at khurlburt@sanilacisd.org.

Limited free onsite childcare is provided, and the first 20 registrants will receive a gas card.

Learn more at Great Start Collaborative Sanilac’s Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/greatstartcollaborativesanilac/

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

 

MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program Informational Meeting March 16th

The cost of childcare can be a deal-breaker for parents contemplating entering the workforce. That could change for workers in the Blue Water area thanks to the MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program. A state grant has provided $300,000 for St. Clair County’s Tri-Share Program.

The MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program shares the cost of childcare between the state, the employer, and the parent. Participating employers could see their employees’ childcare costs decreased by two-thirds, giving them more incentive to get back into the workforce and stay employed.

Business owners and Human Resources Professionals are asked to attend a short informational virtual meeting on Wednesday, March 16th to learn more about the innovative new program and how it can impact their business.

The meeting is hosted by the St. Clair County RESA and the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County. A link to sign up for the Zoom meeting can be found <HERE>. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

McLain Protests Russian Animal Research and COVID Vaccine Databases

Congresswoman Lisa McLain, who represents the 10th Congressional District, which includes the Blue Water Area, has taken action on two issues recently: animal research in Russia and the potential for a national database of federal employees who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 due to religious exemption.

Regarding animal research, McLain demanded that the National Institutes of Health end their funding of animal research at Russian state-run labs. There are currently four labs in Russia that receive some form of funding from the United States. The proposed act would prevent funding in several countries that are considered foreign adversaries.

McLain also cosponsored the Preventing Abusive Government Efforts (PAGE) Act which would “prohibit the federal government from compiling or maintaining a database of federal employees who received a religious exemption or accommodation for the COVID vaccine.”

McLain said, “The PAGE Act will not only prevent the government from tracking those who got a religious exemption, but it’ll also ensure any existing database is destroyed.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

MDHHS Updates Quarantine Guidance

As the state enters a recovery phase of the pandemic, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) updated their guidance for quarantine and isolation due to declining cases of COVID-19. This guidance applies to the general public, not to congregate care settings like hospitals , nursing homes, and other health care settings or jails.

A person who tests positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home for 5 days. Anyone who is exposed to COVID-19 by a a close contact or someone in their household should avoid unmasked activities and wear a mask around others for 10 days while they monitor for symptoms. Those exposed should also test for COVID-19 on day 3-7 or as soon as symptoms develop. These guidelines apply to both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

If a person is exposed to COVID-19 at work or in a community setting, they should monitor for symptoms for 10 days, test if symptoms develop, and consider wearing a mask for at least 10 days after exposure, especially if they are around high-risk individuals.

MDHHS reminds the public that orders from local health departments, schools, event organizers, and individual businesses should continue to be followed along with these new guidelines.

Under this new guidance, schools no longer have to report confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

For more details visit: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand