George James

New Outdoor Learning Pavilion Launched at Keewahdin Elementary

Keewahdin Elementary School in Fort Gratiot will be getting a new outdoor learning space. The project is a collaborative effort between the school’s Parent Teacher Association, the Fort Gratiot Lowe’s store, and Park Place Landscaping.

The pavilion will be used as an outdoor classroom for science experiments, plays, readers theater, and to extend learning opportunities for students. The space has been on the minds and in the plans of the PTA parents, and came to fruition this fall.

The Lowe’s Heroes Project supplied labor and a portion of the pavilion, valued at $8400 while the PTA kicked in $7500 to make the 20 x 40 pavilion a reality. The Soule Family, owners of Park Place Landscaping, donated the site preparation services.

Acting Superintendent Theo Kerhoulas said, “Collaboration between parents, local businesses and our district has become a hallmark of Port Huron Schools. This flexible outdoor learning space will benefit students for decades to come.”

Brian Ebert, Store Manager for the Fort Gratiot Lowe’s, said, “At Lowe’s we take great pride in supporting local organizations and communities where we live and work.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

UPDATED: M-19 in Emmett to Close at Train Tracks for Repairs

*UPDATE: This project has been rescheduled for November 2nd – 13th.

The good news is that the railroad crossing on M-19 in Emmett is getting repaired. The bad news is that the road will be closed at times over the course of about nine days. The route is a busy one for commuters heading to expressways and Metro Detroit, as well as school buses and local travelers.

The village of Emmett in St. Clair County has one main road through town that also happens to be intersected by a busy rail crossing. The Grand Trunk Western line runs many trains down the track, both freight and the Amtrak line, all day, every day. The crossing is bumpy and in need of repair.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is spending $362,889 to improve the ride quality at the crossing.

Getting around the construction is cumbersome in a rural area of one mile grid country roads. The posted detour is Burt Road to Keegan Road to Dunnigan Road.

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland

Local Farms and Processors Get State Safety Grants

Michigan Agricultural Safety Grants have been awarded to seven St. Clair County businesses. The local farms and processors are among the 460 businesses statewide that received over $15 million.

The money is an allocation from the federal CARES Act and is to be used for COVID-19 testing costs, personal protection equipment, facility needs, and other expenses incurred to mitigate infection risks. 

Awards of $1000-$5000 were given to Dancing Meadows Homestead in Cottrellville Township, Fawn Hill Farm in Clyde Township, and Mark Heidt in Brockway Township. 

Grants between $12,000 and $50,000 were awarded to Berville Farms and Mike Pirrone Produce in Capac, C. Roy Inc. in Yale, McCallum’s Orchard in Jeddo, and Marysville Ethanol. 

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reports that food and agriculture contribute $104.7 billion annually to Michigan’s economy and represent 805,000 jobs statewide. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Schools Switches Up Free Meal Distribution

Port Huron, MI — It’s School Lunch Week nationwide. Also this week, Port Huron Schools has launched a change to their meal distribution plan. The district continues to provide lunches to all students whether they are learning virtually or in-person with the hybrid schedule. Parents are now able to pick up a whole week’s worth of food in one visit every Monday

Starting this week, meals were not sent home with students. The school district switched to parents picking up the lunches in order to provide a greater selection and allow uninterrupted instruction time at school. Both breakfast and lunch are provided and are available for all children ages 18 and younger.

Meals can be picked up on Mondays between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. and between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. at both the Port Huron Northern High School and Port Huron High School Performing Arts Centers. Meals can be picked up by friends or family if parents don’t have a ride to the centers.

Michigan State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said, “The federal waivers have just been extended through the rest of the school year so children will not lack the essential nutrition to be healthy.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

New Law Helps Those with Criminal Records Get a “Clean Slate”

Michigan House Bills 4980-4985 and 5120 were signed into law on Monday. The “Clean Slate” criminal justice reform is aimed at expunging the records of people who have committed certain felonies and misdemeanors.

With recreational marijuana decriminalized since late 2018, those convicted of both felonies and misdemeanors are now able to get one or more pot charges set aside if the crime would not have been a felony after the decriminalization. Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II said, “This anti-poverty, pro-job opportunity Clean Slate legislation will reinvigorate the economic potential of hundreds of thousands of Michiganders whose records have hindered their availability to get a job or secure housing, and it will help us grow our workforce.”

This law is estimated to affect over 80,000 Detroiters and likely has effects on residents of the Blue Water Area. A University of Michigan Law School study found that people who receive expungements see a 23% increase in income within a year.

The bipartisan effort was praised by Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield who said it helps to end the “cruel cycle of poverty and crime”.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Schools and Health Departments Have 24 Hours Inform of Possible COVID-19 Exposure

Any confusion over requirements for schools reporting COVID positive students has been cleared up by a ruling from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The ruling went into effect on Monday and is in effect until further notice. The ruling fills the gap left by the Executive Orders from Governor Whitmer that were ruled against by the Michigan Supreme Court.

According to the order, schools, both public and non-public, need to identify who may have been exposed using the criteria of being within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before illness onset. “The best available evidence demonstrates that these notifications must be made no later than 24 hours after suspected or confirmed exposure”, according to the order.

Once the local health department is notified that the case is school associated, they have to notify the school within 24 hours so the school can help them identify who needs to be called for contact tracing. Then, a public notice needs to be made in a highly visible spot on the school’s website.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland