George James

HHH to Celebrate 10 Years with Open House Dec. 7

Hunter Hospitality House is recognizing ten years of serving the community on December 7th and is inviting the public to an Open House at their newest property, the Family House.

The Open House will be at the newly opened Family House located at 1015 Vanderburgh Place in Port Huron, near Lake Huron Medical Center. The house is available for families to use for lodging while loved ones are receiving care at either of Port Huron’s medical centers.

Over the past ten years, the non-profit has registered over 2,000 guests into its three properties.

In congratulating founders Jeff and Tracy Willard on their 10-year anniversary, Thelma Castillo, President & CEO of the Blue Water Area Chamber said, “Hunter Hospitality House provides a great service to people who may be dealing with a stressful medical situation. They make everything easier for a family that may be worrying about a loved one and they can focus on the loved one and not worry about driving back and forth from their home to the hospital.”

Castillo will be making a presentation at the Open House, which falls on what would be the 30th birthday of the late Hunter Willard, after whom the houses are named, and the inspiration for the venture.

The Open House will be held from 3-5 p.m. with the Chamber Presentation at 4 p.m. Donations will be accepted.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Vote for Favorite Turkey on Fort Gratiot Trail

Families can go on a turkey hunt, but all they need is a camera. The turkeys are located along the Fort Gratiot Trail.

The fourteen turkeys are art pieces that have been designed by community members like Independent Floor Covering, classrooms at Keewahdin Elementary, Thomas Edison Elementary, Port Huron Northern High School, and Fort Gratiot Parks Commission, among others.

Fort Gratiot Community Development Director Sharon Wilton said that the idea for the Turkey Trail came from the Parks Commissioners who thought it was important to get residents out on the trails.

Wilton said, “Their goal is to provide recreational activities periodically to encourage residents to be in the outdoors.”

To access the Turkey Trail, the Keewahdin Road entrance across from Fort Gratiot Middle School is the best place to start. Trail users can vote for their favorite turkey by taking a picture and posting it on the Fort Gratiot Charter Township Facebook page.

The Fort Gratiot Trail is a large recreational area that is located off of Keewahdin Road and leads to ponds behind Walmart and Meijer.

The turkeys will be on display until November 30th.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

MedExpress to Transition to WellNow Urgent Care

The MedExpress Urgent Care facility in Port Huron is transitioning to WellNow Urgent Care. MedExpress’s last day in business will be Friday, November 12th.

The new WellNow Urgent Care will open in the same location, according to a letter to patients from Dan Neely, the Vice President of Operations for MedExpress. 

WellNow has locations in Michigan. New York, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. WellNow offers similar services as MedExpress, including Covid-19 testing, x-rays and diagnostics, and treatment for illnesses and injuries. Like MedExpress, college students and kids can get physicals required for sports, camp, and more.

WellNow also offers a virtual visit option, similar to MedExpress and accepts most health insurance plans.

In the letter to MedExpress patients, Neely said, “We have greatly valued the privilege of providing health care to you and your family. It has truly been an honor to serve patients in the Port Huron community.”

MedExpress has been in business at the Pine Grove Avenue location in Port Huron since 2014. The new WellNow is expected to open on November 16th. 

A WellNow Urgent Care is also planned for Marysville, according to their website.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 Presents Art Tribute to Professor Korff

A beloved professor at St. Clair County Community College will be remembered with a memorial art exhibition. David Korff’s work will be featured in “Timelines: Progression of a Vision.” The 44 works include watercolors, drawings, and collages.

The community is invited to check out the exhibit and share their thoughts in a journal which will be presented to the family of Professor Korff.

Korff taught at SC4 for thirty years until his 2011 retirement. He also held leadership positions at Lambton College of Sarnia.

Korff was a founding member of the Port Huron Art Initiative and served on the Art Committee for the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. He also served as a board member on the International Symphony and Port Huron Museum.

The art exhibit will be on display in the SC4 Fine Arts Gallery starting November 15th and ending December 17th. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is closed November 24-26.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Housing Expands with Ordinance Change

If you have been looking for rental housing in the Port Huron area, or St. Clair County as a whole, you know that rentals are few and far between. To address this reality, Port Huron City Council adopted an ordinance change.

The change will allow Port Huron Housing to operate both the Public Housing Program and the Housing Choice Voucher, or Section 8, outside the city and county. The program can now expand into Sanilac, Lapeer, and Macomb counties. It is endorsed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the collaborative model is being promoted statewide.

James Dewey, Executive Director of Port Huron, Marysville, St. Clair, and Algonac Housing Commissions, said, “Currently our Housing Choice Voucher program’s approved jurisdiction through HUD is all of St. Clair County and we would like to expand that to Sanilac, Lapeer and Macomb Counties because our clients are not having much luck finding available apartments within St. Clair County.”

Dewey said that the regional approach will also deconcentrate the use of vouchers within the City of Port Huron. A new low-income housing development is in the works in Fort Gratiot Township. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Local Entrepreneurs to Get Help from Michigan Women Forward

Women who are looking for help in starting new businesses have an advocate right here in St. Clair County. The Community Foundation of St. Clair County has announced Maggie Toole as the new business development officer with Michigan Women Forward.

Michigan Women Forward is a community development organization in which the Community Foundation of St. Clair County has invested $250,000. The money will go toward supporting and connecting business owners with financial resources.

With her new job, Maggie Toole will be providing technical assistance for loan programs for entrepreneurs in St. Clair County.

Michigan Women Forward has a long list of projects, all with the goal of removing obstacles to success for women entrepreneurs. Toole will be helping to navigate any obstacles and also reaching out to local minority-owned businesses, according to the announcement from the Community Foundation.

Toole, a Port Huron resident, is an SC4 graduate and has experience in the financial and real estate sectors.

More information can be found at miwf.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland