George James

Thirteen hundred Americans die from cigarette smoking related causes every day and electronic cigarettes, or “vapes” have been thought to be a safer alternative. But, recent reports have called the safety of vaping in to question, especially when substances are added to the vaping liquids. 

A Michigan teen was the recipient of a double lung transplant at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. His symptoms are directly tied to vaping, but medical experts don’t exactly know why. The prevalent theory is that most injuries are caused when substances are added to the vaping liquids, particularly cannabis derivatives. Vaping or “Juuling” is heavily marketed to teens in a variety of ways.

According to the St. Clair County Health Department 2019 Community Health Improvement Plan, 31.9% of area high school students used an electronic vapor product in the last 30 days, at the time of the survey. The Health Department recommends against using e-cigarettes or “vapes” and that smoking cessation be chosen over vaping for those who are addicted to nicotine. If local residents do choose to vape, the Health Department says to be  very careful about avoiding any additives. Tomorrow is also the “Great American Smokeout”, as designated by the American Cancer Society, a day when smokers and vapers are encouraged to try to kick the habit.

Did you know that heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires in the United States? More than 65,000 home fires are attributed to heating equipment each year. As Blue Water Area residents plug in the Christmas trees, space heaters and general electrical appliances that make for a cozy evening at home, it’s important to remember that safety, sometimes, has to come first. 

Portable electric space heaters, specifically, can be a convenient source of supplemental heat for your home in cold weather. Unfortunately, they can pose significant fire and electric shock hazards if not used properly. Fire and electrical hazards can be caused by space heaters without adequate safety features, space heaters placed near combustibles, or space heaters that are improperly plugged in.

Here are a few simple things to remember this cold winter season. Did you know that  your space heater should have a label showing that it is listed by a recognized testing laboratory? The proper placement of space heaters is also critical. Heaters must be kept at least three feet away from anything that can burn, including papers, clothing and rugs. The biggest one to remember? Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet. Do not use an extension cord or power strip, which could overheat and result in a fire. Do not plug any other electrical devices into the same outlet as the heater.

To celebrate its 60th year in business, the Art Van Furniture store launched the “Inspiration Lives Here in Our Community” initiative that recognizes unsung heroes in the communities in which it has stores. 

The Port Huron Township Art Van store recently recognized a local pair of heroes, Tyrone and Laura Burrell. The pair won the Inspirational Hero Award and a $1,000 Art Van Gift Card to recognize their work with SONS Outreach, which has positively impacted children and families in the Port Huron area for decades. 

SONS’ goal is in their name: Saving Our Neighborhoods and Streets, which they aim to do through sports programs, camps, afterschool programs, and leadership training. Mr. Burell told us that he and his wife gladly accepted the award as it showed that the work of SONS does not go unnoticed. The Burrells’ goal is to inspire the community to be filled with kindness and purpose. Mr. Burrell mentioned that he certainly doesn’t do his work for the accolades, but the recognition is encouraging. SONS has been working with youth and families in Port Huron since 1992.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help after a 31 year old man from Westland was shot Monday evening during an altercation at a home in Algonac. According to St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon, deputies were called to the Algonac Fire Department shortly before 7:00 on Monday. When they arrived, fire department personnel were tending

to the victim, who was driven to the fire department by another man.

The altercation occurred at a residence in the 800 block of St. Clair River Drive in Algonac. The victim did not provide much information regarding the incident, other than he went into the house and was shot.

Sheriff Donnelon is assuring residents there is “no danger to the general public,” and that, “this does not appear to be a random shooting.”

According to Donnellon, “Detectives are currently investigating the incident.” The suspect in the shooting is unknown at this time. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Detective Haley Bonner at (810) 987-1728.

Did you know this week is hunger and homelessness awareness week? The national observance that runs this year from November 16-23,  is designed to educate the public, draw attention to the problem of poverty, and build up the base of volunteers and supporters for local anti-poverty agencies. 

The event was first held at Villanova University in 1975, and according to the official website, this year, more than 700 colleges, high schools, and community groups across the country will come together during this week to raise awareness about the pressing issues of hunger and homelessness.

Locally in St. Clair County, there are events every day this week to raise awareness and community support. You may have noticed orange ribbons around town? Those are a part of the movement to remind residents of the weeklong observance. Other activities include local food bank and homeless shelter tours, a poetry night, library movies and even a campout in Pine Grove Park. These events are centered around shedding light on this important topic in communities across the county. 

In the United States and Michigan alone, more than 1.3 million people are struggling with hunger, and of them, more than 345 million are children. According to the Hunger and Homlessness in St. Clair County movement, the way you can help? Donate to a local food pantry, host a food drive or food giveaway or maybe even volunteer at a soup kitchen, pantry or food bank. To learn more about local efforts, visit “Hunger and Homelessness in St. Clair County Michigan” on Facebook.

According to Michigan Farm News, a publication of the Michigan Farm Bureau, 43 counties in Michigan have been approved as primary natural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. St. Clair and Sanilac counties are included in the designation. Both counties, along with most of the state, were hit hard by an extremely wet spring and cold temperatures, as well as a dry summer. Some fields even went unplanted as they did not dry out in time for planting. For some fields that did get planted, a recent foot of snow did not help at harvest time. 

Now, with the federal designation, farmers have eight months to apply for emergency loans. Croswell area farmer, Dennis Gardner, told us that it has been a very stressful year. He said his family farm still has 250 acres of corn to harvest along with 200 acres of soybeans and the fall tillage still needs to be done as winter approaches. He thinks that those farmers who don’t have crop insurance will indeed have to apply for these federal loans. Mr. Gardner has already collected on his crop insurance and may have to again, as yields are way down. He hopes this will “definitely be a year not to repeat anytime soon”. While no farmer looks forward to taking out a federal loan, it may be what is needed to get through this year for local farmers hit hard by a stressful growing season.