George James

SC4 Students Could be Eligible for SNAP Benefits

Port Huron, MI — St. Clair County Community College is raising awareness of resources available to students who may be needing food assistance. Federally funded SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, benefits are available to qualified students.

The December Covid Relief Package passed by Congress made more people eligible for food benefits. Being enrolled in only six credit hours at SC4 is enough for some people to qualify for SNAP.

Students who are eligible to participate in federal or state work-study programs or students with an Expected Family Contribution of $0 are likely qualified for SNAP for the duration of the public health emergency. Whether or not a student actually holds a work-study job does not matter for eligibility.

Qualifying for eligibility is determined by the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It’s not too late to fill out the FAFSA for this school year. Applicants need to be sure to check the box that asks if students are enrolled in school at least half time. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services may follow up to prove eligibility.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Hospital Visiting Restrictions Tighten Up as COVID Infections Surge

Visiting hospitalized loved ones is restricted as the pandemic goes into its second year with a local surge in infections.

Visitors with a positive COVID test or who are waiting on the results of a test need to stay home. Hospitals generally screen all entrants for COVID symptoms and require masks to be worn at all times.

McLaren Port Huron allows one visitor per patient per day with visiting hours restricted to noon to 6 p.m. Check with the hospital before visiting as policies could change at any time.

Lake Huron Medical Center is no longer allowing visitors or nonessential traffic into the hospital. They are asking loved one to use FaceTime or Zoom. In-person visiting is only allowed if arranged ahead of time for extenuating circumstances.

Beaumont Hospital in Detroit is allowing fully vaccinated individuals, 14 days post final dose, to visit non-COVID patients. Proof of vaccination needs to be provided.

Exceptions to visitation policies are generally allowed for situations like patients needing a support person after anesthesia, mothers giving birth, and end-of-life or hospice situations.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Spero Pregnancy Center Updates Boutique

Port Huron, MI — The Spero Pregnancy Center in Port Huron has done some Spring Cleaning and is revamping its Baby Boutique. The Boutique provides free items to clients who use the services at Spero.

If you are doing some spring cleaning yourself, you may come across some items to donate to Spero.

Most of the items in the Boutique are donated by community members who either buy new items or donate gently used items. Donations are accepted from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays.

Spero gladly accepts diapers, wipes, and baby toiletries. New cribs, along with new small toys and small stuffed animals with tags are accepted, as are infant car seats if they are new and in the original box.

Used items that are accepted include maternity and nursing clothes, parenting books, and children’s books for kids up to age five. Used strollers, high chairs, and other equipment are accepted if the serial number is visible and all parts are included with the donation.

Spero can not accept items for a child over 24 months, knitted or crocheted items, used baby clothes, used bottles, used breast pumps, or adult clothing. They also no longer accept used toys, baby walkers or saucers, or furniture.

For the full updated list of accepted and unaccepted donations:

https://bluewaterbabies.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/S-Material-Donation-Items-Accepted-2.pdf

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Home Depot Donates To Blue Water Habitat for Humanity Project

Port Huron, MI — Home Depot is partnering with Blue Water Habitat for Humanity to “Bring on Spring” by donating products to a Port Huron neighborhood revitalization project. Port Huron is one of 11 recipients nationwide.

Sean Walker, the Programs and Partnership Manager for the Home Depot Foundation said, “Home Depot is pleased to support the communities involved, including the Blue Water Habitat for Humanity, which has played a pivotal role in the Port Huron community for 31 years.”

Walker said, “Due to longstanding partnership of The Home Depot Foundation with Habitat for Humanity – and Habitat’s innate “doing” spirit – the partnership was a no brainer!”

While the exact project is still being worked out, CEO of the Blue Water Habitat for Humanity Ernest C. Werth-Toward said, “Spring projects will be coordinated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations. Blue Water Habitat for Humanity will select and coordinate the Bring on Spring project in Port Huron based on community needs.”

Home Depot had a good year. Walker said, “Spring is an important time for homeowners everywhere and it’s no secret that many folks took on DIY projects over the last year. The Home Depot wants to continue to empower that spirit of ‘doing’ by supporting the community.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

DNR Says Leave Baby Wild Animals Alone; They Will Be OK

Spring is in the air and nature-lovers are taking to hiking trails in wooded areas. What should one do if a helpless baby animal is found all alone?

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ weekly News Digest, nothing.

Hannah Schauer, wildlife communications coordinator with the DNR, said, “One survival strategy wild mammal moms use is hiding their young while they are elsewhere, but don’t worry; they will return periodically to nurse and care for the babies. This tactic helps young animals stay safer from predators while mom goes elsewhere to avoid drawing attention to where they’re hidden.”

Birds that appear to have a broken leg often pull on the heartstrings of well-meaning people, but the bird is probably fine.

Shauer said, “As we get later into spring and into the summer you might see fledgling birds hopping around on the ground, and this is completely normal. These fluffy youngsters are getting old enough to start trying to fly and need more space than the nest has. Their parents aren’t far and will continue to feed and care for them.” 

It is actually illegal to possess a wild animal in Michigan. If an animal appears in true danger, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator should be called.

Learn more about what to do if you find a baby animal and get a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators at Michigan.gov/Wildlife or contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Standardized Tests Still a Possibility for Public School Students

Michigan schools are off the hook when it comes to federal requirements for school accountability, but they are still in limbo when it comes to actually administering standardized “high stakes testing”.

The United States Department of Education waived the federal requirements for school accountability for the 2020-21 school year. The reason for the waiver is the disruption to instruction caused by the pandemic.

Michigan can now use testing to measure long-term goals instead of yearly benchmarks. The state is also required to identify schools for targeted support and improvement based on the 2020-21 data.

Districts are further encouraged to reduce the impact of “high stakes testing” by not holding poor scores against students and teachers when figuring grades, being held back a grade, teacher evaluations, and local school ratings.

Casandra Ulbrich, a Blue Water area native and President of the Michigan State Board of Education reacted to the announcement saying, “The waiver removes the federal ‘high stakes’ from the summative test, but still does not address whether schools will be required to administer the tests this year.”

Ulbrich said that the state is still awaiting a decision from the USDOE on the test waiver.  

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland