George James

Urban Pioneer Program Can Help First Time Homebuyers in City of Port Huron with a $10,000 Grant

For first-time homebuyers looking to buy a house in the City of Port Huron, the Urban Pioneer Program could help with a down payment and closing costs. The program, funded by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, is increasing the grants from $5,000 to $10,000 to keep up with rising home prices.

Jazmyn Thomas, Community Development Program Administrator, said that the City has the goal of increasing homeownership in the city. Thomas said that the program has helped over 150 households since 2011 and has funds available, anticipating the housing market heating up in the coming months.

The process of buying and owning a home can be complicated, and the grants are awarded after the future homeowners have worked with both a lender and a realtor and have found a home.

A free class is available through Blue Water Community Action that explains homeownership in great detail and is recommended by the Urban Pioneer Program.

There are income requirements for the program, such as a maximum income of $65,000 for a family of four. Links to details for the Urban Pioneer Program and the Homebuyer Education Class can be found below.

https://www.bwcaa.org/homebuyer-education

https://www.porthuron.org/departments/planning_community_development/community_development_division.php

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Detroit Chosen for 2024 NFL Draft; Free Preview Party April 14th

The National Football League has selected Detroit as the host for the 2024 NFL Draft. The decision is expected to have huge economic impacts on the entire southeastern Michigan region.

Football fans have gotten more and more excited about the draft in recent years, and the event is expected to bring in hundreds of thousands of people. Along with the actual player draft, there will be a “Draft Experience” football theme park.

Who cares about the NFL Draft? A lot of people. Pre-covid, a crowd of over 600,000 attended the 2019 draft in Nashville, Tennessee. The event is televised over three days with 6.1 million viewers in 2021.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “The draft has become a prominent offseason event across the country, and we are excited to work with the Lions and their partners to bring the 2024 NFL Draft to the Motor City.”

The actual draft will be held in Campus Martius in Downtown Detroit, and the Detroit Sports Commission is hosting a free event on April 14th to give some previews of the Draft that is coming to the city in 2024.

Draft Preview Details

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

National Public Health Week Reminds Community of A Century of Health Gains

It’s National Public Health Week. The St. Clair County Health Department is celebrating the week by diving deeper into issues affecting public health, and rallying around the theme “Public Health is Where You Are”. 

Anyone can check out the daily reflections on the Health Department’s social media accounts. 

In an editorial press release, St. Clair County Health Department Medical Health Officer, Dr. Annette Mercatante reminded the community of the vital role of public health in human history. Vaccines have eliminated things like smallpox and polio. Safer workplaces are the result of public health initiatives. 

Mercatante pointed out that awareness of the dangers of smoking is the result of public health campaigns, and that life expectancy has increased by thirty years over the past century. 

Mercatante said, “Public health touches you every minute of every day and in turn makes our community stronger and more resilient.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Devin Scillian and the Arizona Son to Play SC4 Free Thursdays Series April 14th

St. Clair County Community College is bringing Devin Scillian and his band, the Arizona Son to town. If that name sounds familiar, there’s a good reason. Along with being a country musician, Devin Scillian is the longtime news anchor for Detroit’s WDIV news programs. Scillian also hosts the Sunday news program, Flashpoint on WDIV.

Scillian and his band play everything from traditional country to bluegrass to southern rock. They have produced four albums and many singles. Scillian and the Arizona Sun are big in Europe, having had a number one hit on the charts in Denmark.

The concert is part of the Free Thursday Concert Series, with performances at noon and 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 14th. Autograph and photo opportunities will be provided after the show, along with merchandise sales.

The performances will be held in the SC4 Fine Arts Theatre. Admission is free, but seating is limited and tickets need to be reserved.

Tickets can be reserved by calling 810-989-5709 or going to https://sc4.hometownticketing.com/embed/event/73?es=o2e25uh1m09rp9efjcjr1s9fa3&single=0

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Don’t Click that Link in Widespread Fraudulent Verizon Text Message

Verizon customers are vulnerable to the latest “smishing” scheme: getting a fraudulent text message from your own cell phone number. The best thing to do is to simply ignore the message. The worst thing to do is click any links.

The messages read “Verizon Free Msg: Latest Bill Processed. Thanks! Here’s a little freebie for you.” The message will use your own name and will have a link to click. Don’t fall for it. Clicking the link could install malware on your phone or could lead you to disclose personal information that will then be used for fraud.

Michigan’s Office of Attorney General has advised that cell phone users are careful when sharing their phone numbers. They should also be wary of texts, even if they appear to come from a familiar number. Never provide financial information to unsolicited texts or linked websites, and never click the links.

Don’t even reply with “STOP”. Doing so alerts the scammers that your number is legitimate and can open the door to further fraudulent texts and calls.

Verizon is aware of the scam and is working with law enforcement to find the culprits.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland