George James

There have been recent reports and social media posts circulating in St. Clair County and the surrounding areas that there is a new number for the national suicide prevention hotline. While there are plans in the works to establish the three-digit 988 number, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) just voted December 12 to approve the proposal which is now open for public comment and the start of the rulemaking process before the hotline is accessible at 988. 

Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado applauded the FCC’s actions, but acknowledges there is still more work to be done. Gardner said last week’s action, “by the FCC is a historic step toward making the 988 suicide hotline a reality, but it doesn’t mean the work is over. Congress still has a major role to play in creating and supporting this hotline and ensuring that states have the flexibility to make it work.”

So, if you see these posts circulating, inform others that the hotline is currently only accessible by the 10-digit number, 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Through the hotline last year, counselors answered more than 2.2 million calls and more than 100,000 online chats, according to the FCC.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Clay Township officials and residents had a lot to talk about at a Wednesday meeting at Clay Township Hall. The three hour long special meeting was organized by State Senator Dan Lauwers, the Director of St. Clair County Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Justin Westmiller, and Clay Township Supervisor, Artie Bryson. Other elected officials were in attendance also.

The meeting drew a crowd of concerned residents who are all dealing with rising water levels and increasing prices for the Harsens Island ferry. Among the many topics of discussion included the possibility of a bridge connecting the island with the mainland was brought up by Supervisor Artie Bryson, shipping traffic and help from the Coast Guard (which is anticipated to break up the ice to avoid damage from the winter and spring ice floes). The Army Corps of Engineers also gave a report on the water levels which are continuing to rise. It was also confirmed that the governor has rejected the request for a state of emergency that is needed to enforce a no-wake zone to protect homes on the water. 

At the meeting, citizens spoke out and had signs made to express their frustration with the ferry rates and reliability. The dock repair is ongoing from recent extensive damage. The owner spoke at the meeting about his attempts to find an equitable solution. Rates for the ferry are actually under the jurisdiction of the State Police and they have not been open to a change, according to ferry operator, Dave Bryson.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Once again, it is paying for college graduates to move to the area. The Community Foundation of St. Clair County announced this week, the latest award recipients for the Come Home Reverse Scholarship Program. Financial advisor Will Metzner and chiropractor Courtney Pesta join the ranks of Come Home award recipients with a combined $20,000 awarded.

Metzner and his fiancée, who moved to the area from Georgia, recently bought a home in St. Clair, where they have both previously lived, although Metzner is originally from the south. He was offered a $15,000 Come Home Award this summer courtesy of a grant from the foundation’s St. Clair based funds. 

Pesta  was offered $5,000 from the Come Home Award. A former long-time area resident, she is back in Port Huron and works at Lakeview Chiropractic. Pesta said the area is where she “grew up surrounded by family, where [she] fell in love, and where found a lifelong passion for gymnastics…”

The Come Home Award is a talent retention program that pays students on the back-end of their college career, after they have completed a degree in a STEAM related field, but only if they agree to move back home and work within the St. Clair County. Since 2016, the program has helped 16 college graduates pay off $123,000 in student debt as they pursue local careers in the county. The program is currently seeking applicants interested in living in the City of Port Huron, the City of St. Clair or surrounding area, or working as non-physician staff at McLaren Port Huron Hospital.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

A trip to the hospital is not always something that kids look forward to, but there is a good reason to visit McLaren Port Huron over the next few weeks. The annual train display is up and running in the South Lobby of the hospital, located on Pine Grove Avenue in Port Huron. 

The presentation is an elaborate display of trains, figurines, villages, and landscapes. The train is a labor of love from local train enthusiast and otolaryngologist, Dr. Percy McDonald. When he is not busy treating the ears, noses, and throats of local patients, he is engineering his train display for the community to enjoy. This is the 32nd year that the train has been running at the hospital. It runs for an hour, then takes an hour off to cool the motors. 

Since 1987, hospital patients, guests, and visitors have been watching the ever-changing display of imagination and creativity. The train runs from 8-9 a.m., 10-11 a.m., 12-2 p.m., 2-4 p.m., 5-6 p.m., and 7-8 p.m. daily. It will run for a few weeks into the new year.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Avoca Elementary School Principal, Therese Damman, has been recognized by the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principal’s Association as the Region 6 Principal of the Year. 

Mrs. Damman was nominated by a colleague in the Yale School District. Damman told us that she is “genuinely humbled” by the award, and that it’s really about what they do as a team at Avoca Elementary along with the community. She credits everyone from “fabulous parents to phenomenal staff” and especially her wonderful students at the vibrant rural school. She told us that having their encouragement makes her want to be a better principal. 

There are fourteen regions in Michigan. Region 6 includes St. Clair and Macomb counties. According to MEMSPA, which is based in Mason, Michigan, the award is designed to recognize outstanding principals whose contributions to the profession are exemplary and recognized by their peers and communities alike. The program honors principals who have exhibited extraordinary leadership, commitment to their students and faculty, service to their communities and contributions to the overall profession.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Visa is warning customers who use a credit card at the gas pump, as the company believes it could now be a means for cybercriminals to steal information. 

Visa said it has identified three unique attacks that were “likely carried out by sophisticated cybercrime groups.” Two of the schemes targeted North American fuel dispenser merchants, which it said are an increasingly attractive target for hackers.

According to a company statement, “The recent compromises of fuel dispenser merchants represents a concerning trend whereby sophisticated threat groups have identified fuel dispenser merchants as an attractive target for obtaining track data.”

In one incident, hackers were able to gain access to systems through a phishing email containing a malicious link that was sent to an employee. Through the link, cybercriminals accessed the merchant network and harvested payment card data from there. In the second attack, experts were unable to determine how hackers gained initial access, but magnetic strip data from payment cards appeared to have been targeted specifically. The third attack occurred at a hospitality merchant.

Right now, it’s unclear how many accounts are at risk of being affected, but Visa warned in November about the rise of attacks on people at the pump. Merchants that have not yet adopted chip technology on terminals are more likely targets for these types of attacks.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.