George James

Old Newsboys Raising Funds to Keep Kids Warm

No one likes cold feet in the winter. Thanks to the Port Huron Old Newsboys, St. Clair County kids should be able to have toasty warm feet all winter long.

The local charitable organization has been providing access to warm socks, underwear, and boots to kids in need for over nine decades. Families who sign up for help from the Old Newsboys get a voucher to Meijer where they can purchase brand new socks, underwear, and boots of their liking to get them through the cold winter and beyond.

To pay for these necessities for around 1000 children, the Old Newsboys are trying to raise $70,000. Almost all of the money raised goes to the children. The organization is run by volunteers and there is no paid staff.

The Old Newsboys organization partners with MDHHS to verify eligibility for families that request assistance. Michelle Brown, a volunteer, said that the application period is closed because the target goal of 1000 children has been met. If donations pick up, they will be able to help more children.

To donate to the Old Newsboys, look for donation canisters in local restaurants, donate online, or mail a check.

https://www.facebook.com/PortHuronOldNewsboys/

Old Newsboys

PO Box 100

Marysville, MI 48040

Old Newsboys Fund at Community Foundation of St. Clair County

https://www.stclairfoundation.org/fund/old-newsboys-association-of-port-huron-fund/ 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Beeler Has Plan to Help Veterans Become Teachers

There is a shortage of teachers in Michigan. There are also veterans looking for jobs. To possibly help both situations, State Representative Andrew Beeler, a Port Huron Republican testified before the House Committee on Military, Veterans, and Homeland Security.

Beeler presented a plan to make it easier for qualified veterans to get a teaching certificate.

The bill would allow United States veterans to get teaching certificates more quickly if they have instructional experience in the military. Honorably discharged veterans with both a bachelor’s degree and military certification to train service members could be eligible for taking a subject area test to gain teaching credentials.

Beeler said, “The goal here is to help veterans with the requisite experience move past some of the red tape involved in earning a teaching certificate in order to expedite them getting into the classroom. By helping veterans translate their military training experience into civilian terms, we can make Michigan a more attractive place to move for transitioning service members.”

House Bill 4913 is under consideration by the Committee.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Fake Laced Pills Bring Urgent Warning from DEA

Local community agencies are echoing the urgent alarm from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency regarding the counterfeit pills that are flooding the nation. Fake pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine are being pushed by criminal enterprises nationwide.

The DEA says, “The only safe medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.”

The fake laced pills look like the real pills and people are definitely falling for the scam. The opioid dependence crisis is fueling the scam, giving the criminal enterprises a market for counterfeit opioids like Oxycontin, Vicodin, Xanax, and others; and stimulants like Adderall. Parents need to warn kids and teens to never take an unprescribed pill. Fentanyl can kill with one pill.

The warning does not apply to legitimately prescribed medications from licensed pharmacies. The deadly fake pills are often marketed on social media and e-commerce platforms.

The DEA blames fentanyl for the unprecedented 93,000 overdose deaths reported last year.

A link to more information: www.DEA.gov/onepill

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland

States to FDA: Do a Better Job at Regulating Baby Food

Baby food really should not have lead or mercury in it. That seems obvious, but there is concern that the FDA is not adequately regulating the baby food industry to address the mounting concerns over toxic heavy metals in baby food.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel signed the letter petitioning the United States Food and Drug Administration to accelerate their efforts to remove toxic heavy metals from infant and toddler foods. The petition is asking the FDA to move faster to reach their “Closer to Zero” plan.

Nessel said, “There is no population more vulnerable than infants and toddlers, and action must take place swiftly to ensure that foods designed for growing children are safe to eat.”

The petition was prompted by a report from the U.S. House of Representatives’ Oversight and Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy that found high levels of toxic heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, in many baby foods.

Rice cereal is of particular concern and the petition asks for the FDA to lower the acceptable level of inorganic arsenic in the popular “first solid food” of many infants.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

It’s Bat Week!

Bats are a little creepy, but they are also an important species. It’s International Bat Week, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to remind Michigan residents that bats are vital to the ecosystem.

Many species of bats are declining in numbers and some are federally protected, so if you have bats in the attic, they need to be relocated, not exterminated.

The DNR says that bats are helpful because they eat pests like mosquitos and sometimes act as pollinators. Bats have been falling ill to “white-nose” syndrome in the area, which causes them to wake up early from hibernation. Infected bats don’t make it through the winter as their fat stores are depleted prematurely.

Bat houses that are placed away from people are a good way to peacefully co-exist with bats in your neighborhood. To learn more about bats, the Friends of the St. Clair River are hosting a “Bat Hike” at Columbus County Park on Friday, October 29th at 10:00 a.m. Registration information for the bat walk, as well as information about constructing bat houses, can be found below.

Bat Hike on Oct 29 at 10 am at Columbus County Park. Register at https://form.jotform.com/212904885991166

https://batweek.org/install-bat-house/?fbclid=IwAR0BD02ZzCxY1FQzDv2SbRQXUDNLzpJWVgdK7XYJ8PaozMf-8j2M7Nt49lM

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland

SC4’s “We Are Still Here” to Tell Story of Native History

Most students of American history know that in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue, but do they know anything about indigenous culture or pre-colonial North America? The St. Clair County Community College Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be offering a chance to get a history lesson from a different perspective with the “We are Still Here” presentation for Native American History month.

The presentation will be on November 5th from 10:00-11:30 a.m. in the SC4 Fine Arts Theater on the Port Huron campus.

“We are Still Here” is being facilitated by Banashee (Joe) Cadreau and Giddigongookskwe (Jade) Green. The pair will be discussing indigenous culture in Michigan as well as in the entire United States and Canada. Michigan is the home of the “three fires” people: the Ojibwa, Odawa, and Potawatami.

Both presenters, who are members of native tribes, will tell their stories of dealing with accepting their cultures and their adolescent struggles. To reserve a seat for this free community event, email dei@sc4.edu.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland