Choze Powell

New Education Programs Coming to St. Clair TEC

St. Clair County high school students interested in a career in education have a new opportunity to get a jumpstart on their careers. New Early Childhood Education and PreK – 12 Education programs are being offered at St. Clair TEC in the 2021-22 school year for forty-eight students.

Students entering the two-year program will start with classroom centered learning for the first year and move to an internship in their chosen setting for the second year.

Pat Yanik, Director of Career and Technical Education at St. Clair County RESA said, “This program will allow students to explore the wide range of careers in education and help them make a knowledgeable decision based on their first-hand experience. Students will complete the program with the skills and credentials they need to enter the workforce or further their education at a 2- or 4-year institution.”

RESA Superintendent Kevin Miller said there is a shortage of skilled childcare professionals and this program will “help meet the need of our local community while providing our students with career opportunities in an industry with long-term growth potential.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Get Your Free Credit Report Until April 20th

Equifax, Experian, and Transunion have been providing free weekly credit reports throughout the pandemic, and they just extended the deadline to April 20th to help Americans stay on top of their finances.

To obtain a free credit report, visit AnnualCreditReport.com to initiate the process. There are three steps to complete, including entering personal information and your social security number.

Users can also select reports from one or all of the participating credit reporting companies, and they have to confirm their identity by answering questions about open accounts, payment amounts, and past and current employers.

Once the review portion is complete, credit reports can be viewed online, printed, or mailed to your home address. The entire process takes less than 15 minutes.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Health Center Seeking Community Input

Community First Health Centers is a local nonprofit organization that has been providing medical services in St. Clair County since 1975. They have created a survey to gauge the community’s awareness of their services and get input about the community’s healthcare needs.

Community First Health Centers has clinics in Algonac, New Haven, and Port Huron. They offer a variety of healthcare services with several options to keep prices affordable for their patients. As a nonprofit, they accept donations to help them fulfill their mission, and all donations are tax-deductable.

The goal of the survey is to find out how much the community knows about the services they provide and discover what kind of medical services the public thinks the community needs.

To fill out the survey, visit their website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Veterans Can Learn to Paint Like Bob Ross

St. Clair County Veterans have an opportunity to paint like Bob Ross. The St. Clair County Department of Veterans Affairs and St. Clair County Community Mental Health have teamed up to bring Ted Simpson from Nature’s Brush Studio to the CMH Auditorium for an engaging art class.

The class is open to 20 St. Clair County Veterans, and it takes place on April 17th from 11 AM until 2 PM. Interested vets need to register now by calling (810) 966-3755 or emailing Wendy Martindale at St. Clair County CMH (wmartindale@scccmh.org) to secure their spot.

Organizers encourage participants to arrive 10 minutes early for the class, and they will provide a light snack during the event. COVID-19 safety practices will be in place, and masks are required during the class.

Ted Simpson, owner of Nature’s Brush Studio, is a Certified Bob Ross Instructor. He believes everyone can paint like Bob Ross, even if they’ve never picked up a brush. Simpson teaches group and private lessons both in his home studio in Farmington Hills, Michigan and for various groups and organizations at their locations.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Federal Tax Due Date Extended – State & Local Remain the Same

The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced this week that the due date for filing and paying 2020 federal income taxes has been extended. The new due date is May 17, 2021.

Even though the deadline has been extended, the IRS is still encouraging people to file their taxes as soon as possible.

IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said, “Even with the new deadline, we urge taxpayers to consider filing as soon as possible, especially those who are owed refunds. Filing electronically with direct deposit is the quickest way to get refunds, and it can help some taxpayers more quickly receive any remaining stimulus payments they may be entitled to.”

This extension only applies to federal taxes. State of Michigan income taxes are still subject to the April 15th deadline, and City of Port Huron Income taxes are due on April 30, 2021.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

Officer Huisman Achieves Status as National SRO Practitioner

Port Huron, MI–School Resource Officer Dennis Huisman was recently recognized by the National Association of School Resource Officers as a National SRO Practitioner. To achieve that status, Huisman had to meet certain qualifications that included training, a commitment to school-based policing, and leadership in the school-based field of law enforcement.

School resource officers are not security guards, but rather sworn law enforcement officers that are placed in schools to ensure the safety of students and staff and to foster positive relationships with youth. Having school resource officers in place has been proven to minimize property damage in schools, prevent student injuries, reduce the need for schools to call 911, and increase the feeling of safety among students and staff.

Officer Huismen has been a school resource officer since March of 2018 when the program began as a partnership between the Port Huron Police Department and the Port Huron Schools. His recognition as a National SRO Practitioner identifies him as one of the elite School Resource Officers in the nation, and it signifies a high commitment to the youth in our community.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand