George James

Fort Gratiot Lighthouse Wins Grant

The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse will be getting some rehabilitation thanks to a Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program grant from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office.

The lighthouse was built in 1814 and is the oldest lighthouse in Michigan. The $16,667 grant will go towards work to rehabilitate the watch and lantern rooms, repairs to the interior and exterior metalwork, painting, caulking, and installing new glass in window openings.

The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse is one of three lighthouses receiving grants. The others were Crisp Point Light and North Manitou Light.

Funding for the lighthouse projects comes from the sale of “Save Our Lights” license plates available through the Secretary of State.

Dave Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan, which is part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation said, “Michigan’s iconic lighthouses offer something for every traveler – from lighthouse enthusiasts, to history buffs, to curious tourists looking to get out there and experience one of Pure Michigan’s hidden gems. Programs like the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program are extremely important in supporting our tourism efforts across the state, and we’re pleased that these three one-of-a-kind coastal treasures will soon be restored for all to enjoy.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Police Youth Academy is Looking for Applicants

The Port Huron Police Youth Academy is accepting applications for the 2021 session. The Academy is a great way for high school students to get a taste of a career in criminal justice and public service.

The Academy will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm. from June 28th through July 2nd at Port Huron High School. It is open to current 8th-12th graders who attend schools in St. Clair County.

Participants need to be in good physical condition and pass a health physical. Attendance is mandatory for the entire Academy and a graduation will be held on the last day of the session.

Tuition for the Academy is $50 with meals, uniforms, and equipment provided. Tuition assistance is available.

Participants in the academy will get hands-on training in the daily operations of a police department along with participation in physical training. They will build search scenarios, learn defensive tactics, and study traffic stop scenarios.

There will also be time to check out the K-9 operations and the Special Response Team as well as learning how evidence is processed.

Link to the application: https://tinyurl.com/ymkthjmk

Officer Dennis Huisman: 810-984-2671, phpdya@gmail.com

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Michigan Learning Channel Launches to Teach Conservation

The Michigan Learning Channel has been launched to teach lessons about understanding and preserving Michigan’s natural resources. The channel is the result of a collaboration between public television stations and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

The content is aimed at children in grades Kindergarten through third grade and is available over the airwaves and on digital devices.

EGLE Director Liesl Clark said the purpose is to “get young students excited about the environment and instill in them at an early age a sense of stewardship of the state’s air, land and water resources.”

Clark said, “As this generation’s children grow up, they will be key to finding solutions to tough ecological problems and shepherding Michigan toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 in a manner that is equitable for all communities.”

The content will include videos that explain complex issues such as geology, recycling, and climate change in easy-to-understand ways, according to EGLE.

All public television stations in Michigan have established special on-air channels. The content is also available at MichiganLearning.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Spadafore Named St. Clair County Undersheriff

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office has announced some personnel changes. Matt Paulus has retired as Undersheriff and Jim Spadafore has been promoted to the job. Matt Pohl has been promoted to Captain of the Road Patrol.

Undersheriff Jim Spadafore has a Criminal Justice degree from Ferris State and started working for the Sheriff’s Office in 2001. He has served as Lieutenant in the Drug Task Force and Captain of the Road Patrol.

Sheriff Mat King said, “I am excited to name Jim as our new Undersheriff. With his knowledge and skill set, I know he will do a tremendous job in serving the citizens of St. Clair County.”

Reflecting on Matt Paulus’ retirement, Sheriff King said, “Matt has worn many hats throughout his career at the Sheriff’s Office. I was pleased when he agreed to stay in a transitional capacity after I was elected Sheriff. He has been a great help in making the transition from Sheriff Donnellon to myself seamless.”

Matt Paulus’ retirement as Undersheriff comes after 35 years of service. After a brief retirement in 2017, Paulus was called back to serve as Undersheriff with former Sheriff Donnellon after the retirement of Tom Buckley.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Landmark’s Wilton Selected as MAPSA Administrator of the Year Finalist

Kimball, MI — Landmark Academy in Kimball has something to celebrate. Landmark’s Superintendent Debby Wilton has been nominated as a finalist as the 2021 Michigan Charter School Administrator of the Year.

Wilton was a semi-finalist and one of only ten administrators chosen from among over 1500 charter school administrators across Michigan. According to MAPSA, the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, they received over 700 nominations from parents, teachers, school leaders, and students from urban, suburban, and rural areas statewide.

It was announced last week that Superintendent Wilton made it to the finalist round of just five administrators statewide.

Wilton has been Superintendent at Landmark since 2014. Landmark has around 800 students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Last year, Landmark Academy Teacher Bonnie Camm was a finalist for the 2020 MAPSA Teacher of the Year.

The winning MAPSA Administrator of the Year will be announced during Charter Schools Week on May 14th.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Don’t Get “Smished”

Phishing, brushing, now “smishing”. These are all different types of scams that try to get personal and financial information for identity theft or other fraudulent activity. “Smishing” refers to using text messages to commit fraud.

The latest scam involves text messaging and fake COVID-19 vaccine surveys. The texts ask people to complete limited-time surveys and then offers rewards. To get the rewards, shipping has to be paid with a credit card. For the people who fall for the scam, there is no reward and the scammers then have their credit card numbers.

Responding to a Federal Trade Commission report, Michigan’s Attorney General’s Office issued a consumer alert.

Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “Scammers are continuing to prey on our fears and concerns surrounding the ongoing pandemic. As a result, they are attempting to use the vaccine rollout to bamboozle people out of their personal information. Do not fall for these tactics.”

Smishing texts should be reported by texting 7726 for investigation. Unwanted messages can be filtered through wireless providers or with a call-blocking app.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland