Choze Powell

COVID Vaccine Pre-Registration System Expected Friday

The St. Clair County Health Department is expecting the new pre-registration system for COVID-19 vaccines to go live on Friday. With the new system, individuals will be able to sing up for email, text, and/or phone notifications when future vaccine appointments become available.

The pre-registration system is not a sign up system, and it does not reserve a future vaccine appointment. When the pre-registered individual is notified of an available appointment, they will still have to follow the instructions included in the notification to reserve an appointment.

The Health Department is still vaccinating eligible individuals in the 65 years and older group and the 1A/1B priority groups. Group 1A consists of healthcare workers and long term care residents, and 1B is mainly frontline workers and those who work in institutions or schools. Persons in those groups will be notified of vaccine opportunities by their employers.

Dr. Annette Mercatante, Medical Health Officer, stated, “The vaccine allocation we receive is turned around quickly and used within 7 days. During the week of January 21-27, we administered over 2,000 vaccinations. We expect numbers to increase as allocations improve. We look forward to offering weekly 65+ clinics and continue clinics for essential workers utilizing the upcoming pre-registration system. This new process will be a positive step hopefully alleviating stress in our (senior) population.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Virtual Conference on Early Childhood

St. Clair County RESA is holding a virtual conference to support and educate parents and caregivers of preschoolers. The St. Clair County Early Childhood Conference will be held via Zoom on Saturday, March 6th from 8:30 AM until 12 PM.

The virtual conference is a digital version of “Parent University” and includes educational sessions focused on parents, infants & toddlers, and preschool aged children. Topics range from developing early reading skills to healthy eating and using technology appropriately.

There are a limited number of scholarships available to parents which are given on a first-come-first-served basis, and forms are available on their event website. Registration is $10 per person, and available by visiting St. Clair County RESA’s website and clicking on “Professional Development” <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Antique Boat Shows Planned for Summer

The Michigan Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society has finalized their 2021 Boat Show Schedule, and they are planning events in Port Sanilac, Algonac, and Port Huron. 

The Algonac Boat Show is planned for the end of June at the Algonac Harbour Club, formerly the Chris Craft plant. It includes a public show, kids events, and water events.

The Port Sanilac Show will happen on August 20 & 21st at the Port Sanilac Municipal Marina, and Port Huron’s is scheduled for September 10th & 11th in Downtown Port Huron.

All shows are taking registrations forms beginning in the spring of 2021 which will be available on the Michigan Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society’s website at www.michacbs.com. 

For more information check out the Events page at WGRT.com.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Celebrate Edison’s Birthday with Flashlight Tour

Thomas Edison’s 174th Birthday is coming up, and the Port Huron Museums are providing a unique way to celebrate. The Thomas Edison Depot Museum is offering a guided flashlight tour of the museum led by Depot Dave.

Guests can register for a time slot on February 11th to participate in the tour. Tours will be limited to 10 people and the cost is $10 per person or $8 per member. The interactive tour will feature quirky Edison facts and guest can learn even more about the areas that interest them by shining their flashlight on them during the tour.

Andrew Kercher, Manager of Community Engagement at the Port Huron Museums, said, “This is a new, fun event that has been structured to keep people safe and give them something fun to do. It’s a new way to engage with our history!”

Tickets are available on EventBrite <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

SC4 to Open Challenger Learning Center

SC4 is working with the Challenger Center to bring a Challenger Learning Center to its campus in early 2022. The Challenger Learning Center will introduce students of all ages to subjects and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The Challenger Center is a nonprofit STEM education organization with a learning center network that has reached 5.5 million students worldwide. They offer hands-on STEM programs that include simulated space-themed missions in fully immersive classrooms.

Dr. Deborah Snyder, president of St. Clair County Community College, said, “The addition of a Challenger Learning Center supports the college and our community by fostering a robust culture of STEM, strengthening STEM education opportunities, integrating business, industry and educational entities, and creating high-quality educational experiences for learners of all ages.”

The Challenger Center was created by the Challenger families to honor the crew of shuttle flight STS-51-L. For more information about Challenger Center visit their website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Celebrate Black History Month With Virtual Museum Exhibit

Today marks the beginning of Black History Month, which was officially recognized in 1976 by President Gerald Ford. This year’s theme is “Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.” The theme encourages people to explore the African diaspora, and the spread of Black Families across the United States.

In a 2016 speech, President Barack Obama said, “Black History Month shouldn’t be treated as though it is somehow separate from our collective American history, or somehow just boiled down to a compilation of greatest hits from the March on Washington, or from some of our sports heroes.”

He went on to say, “It’s about the lived, shared experience of all African Americans, high and low, famous and obscure, and how those experiences have shaped and challenged and ultimately strengthened America. It’s about taking an unvarnished look at the past so we can create a better future. It’s a reminder of where we as a country have been so that we know where we need to go.”

Local families can celebrate Black History Month by browsing Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History’s gallery on their newly launched app. The app includes a virtual tour of some of the museum’s exhibits.

The museum is currently open to the public with timed-entry ticketing Thursday – Saturday from 9 AM – 4 PM and Sundays from noon – 5 PM.

Learn more about the digital app <HERE> and visiting the museum in person <HERE> .

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand