George James

Michigan on Alert for Dreaded Spotted Lanternfly

Don’t let its unusual and colorful wings fool you, the spotted lanternfly is trouble. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is asking the public to be aware of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect.

The insect has the ability to kill more than 70 varieties of plants, including grapes, apples, hops, and hardwoods. There have been no sightings yet in Michigan, but neighboring states have reported confirmed infestations. Dead lanternflies have been found in packaging in Michigan, demonstrating a way in which they can make their way around the country.

Robert Miller, invasive species prevention and response specialist for MDARD said, “Spotted lanternfly may be a colorful insect worthy of an Instagram post, but also is an invasive species with the potential to wreak havoc on trees, plants and other natural resources, resulting in millions of dollars in damages.”

If you find a spotted lanternfly egg mass, nymph or adult, take one or more photos, make note of the date, time and location of the sighting, and report to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, MDA-Info@Michigan.gov or phone the MDARD Customer Service Center, 800-292-3939. If possible, collect a specimen in a container for verification.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Will Bendik Disc Golf Course Opens With Tournament September 25th

Disc Golfing is hot right now with lots of interest in the outdoor sport. St. Clair County is now the place to be for disc golfing with the new Will Bendik Memorial Disc Golf Course at Columbus County Park.

The Grand opening will be on September 25th at 1:00 p.m. at the park, located at 1670 Bauman Road in Columbus Township. A tournament will be held on opening day with both men’s and women’s divisions. The registration deadline for the tournament is September 23rd.  There are cash prizes to the winners.

The course has been a labor of love for many months as the state-of-the-art course has been constructed in the beautiful Columbus County Park setting. The course was professionally designed by Jeff Bauman with “Gold Level” tees as well as fun tees for beginners.

Funding for the course was provided by the family of Will Bendik, in his memory. Cooperation with St. Clair County Parks and year-round hard work from disc golf enthusiasts have made the disc golf course a destination.

Links to more information and tournament signup:

https://www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/Will_Bendik_Memorial_2021

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2783535091863861/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Help Feed the World on September 25th

The Blue Water Feed the World Project is having its annual food packing event on Saturday, September 25th from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Landmark Academy. Many volunteers are needed to make this endeavor a success.

The Project is really a huge production line that prepares and packages 150,000 meals to be used both locally and worldwide. The cost of each meal is 35 cents and each package contains six adult meals. The Blue Water Feed the World Project has a goal of raising $52,000. They were at about $33,000 earlier this week.

Volunteers are needed to help with the packing. Shifts are from 8-10:30 and 10-12:30 on Saturday, September 25th. Sponsors are also needed to help fund the project.

The Blue Water Feed the World Project is part of the Kids Coalition Against Hunger. Once the food, a mixture of easily digestible protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins, is packaged, it is sent to local food pantries as well as international aid groups.

https://www.kidscoalitionagainsthunger.org/

Sign up to help

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Lexington Bach Festival Returns this Weekend

Everybody needs a little Johan Sebastian Bach every now and then. The Lexington Bach Festival is bringing three days of world-class classical music to the Blue Water Area.

The festival opens this year with free performances at noon and 7 p.m. today at the Fine Arts Building at St. Clair County Community College.

Today’s concert features the Lexington Bach Festival String Quartet playing J.S. Bach, Prokofiev, and Haydn. If you miss the Thursday concert, there are three more days of classical music.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday’s shows will be held at St. Denis Catholic Church in Lexington. The shows will feature a pre-concert talk with Music Director John Thomas Dodson 45 minutes before the performance time.

Friday’s show is at 7 p.m. showcases the talents of pianist Mark Markham. Saturday’s show is at 7 p.m. also and will be hosting Chicago’s renowned brass quintet, Axiom Brass.

Sunday’s show is at 4 p.m. and brings pianist Mark Markham back joined by acclaimed soprano Leah Crocetto.

Further information and tickets are available at Weekends in Port Huron and Lexington, or on

www.lexington-arts.org or www.lexingtonbachfestival.org or by phone 810-689-4250.

 Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Michigan Trails Week Brings Challenge to Log 100,000 Miles of Trail Use

Michigan Trails Week is September 19th-26th. It’s also the kickoff to the Michigan Trails Week Challenge where trail users work toward a combined 100,000 miles traveled on local, county, state, or federally managed trails.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is trying to get Michigan on the radar of trail enthusiasts nationwide with Trails Week. There are over 13,000 miles of state-designated trails.

Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division said, “State parks and trails are welcoming places with ample opportunity to improve your physical and mental health. Getting outside on a trail is an easy way to promote good health and take in the outdoors, and that’s the concept behind these resources that are part of ‘Michigan’s big green gym.'”

To participate in the Trails Week Challenge, you will need to register online and log your miles spent on trails. Virtual badges can be earned for various outdoor activities.

Trails Week Challenge

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

MiABLE Helps Those with Disabilities Save Money

The Michigan Department of Treasury has announced Michigan’s participation in the National ABLE Alliance. ABLE stands for Achieving a Better Life Experience and works to create the most cost-effective and user-friendly ABLE programs for people with disabilities.

The MiABLE programs are financial accounts that allow users to save money, up to $100,000, that is not considered when applying for other federal or state benefits, like Social Security Disability Income, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.

As one of the first states to launch an ABLE plan, MiABLE has more than $31.2 million in assets in over 6,300 accounts.

Eligible participants have to have been disabled before the age of 26. The money can be used for qualified disability expenses like education, housing, transportation, medical costs, assistive technology, and others.

Participation in the national ABLE program transfers the management of the funds to a new servicer and current participants will be notified.

MiABLE.org or 844-656-7225

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland