George James

Lighthouses are some of the things that make the Blue Water Area so special. This year, both the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse in Port Huron and the Peche Island Lighthouse in Marine City are getting some special treatment. 

The Fort Gratiot Light Station turns 190 years old this year and has some unique projects coming to its grounds. It is the oldest lighthouse in Michigan, being commissioned by Congress in 1829. With a long history, comes some unique maintenance issues. The Keeper’s Duplex, on the grounds of the lighthouse, will be getting a new roof with metal Victorian shingles and will also have a “Yankee” gutter system that actually sends water to a cistern in the basement. This is a renovation that will take the building back to what it looked like in the 1930s. It is funded by the Friends of the Fort Gratiot Light and the St. Clair County Parks and Recreation Millage. 

Marine City is also getting an interesting new addition to its lighthouse, with lights at the base of the lighthouse that can change colors for different seasons and awareness causes. The lights have been donated by Brenner Electric as a way to give back to the community and are certain to be enjoyed by all.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.

Jowett Funeral Home is collecting donations for a few more days to honor veterans buried at St. Clair Allied Veterans Cemetery. On Saturday, December 14 at 12:00 p.m., Wreaths Across America will be at the cemetary to remember and honor veterans. The memorial is made through the laying of Remembrance wreaths on the graves of the country’s fallen heroes with the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud.

Wreaths Across America began in 1992 with the donation of laying 5,000 Christmas wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. In 2005, a photo of the wreaths circulated around the internet and created a movement. In 2018, nearly 1.8 million veteran wreaths were placed on headstones at over 1,600 participating cemeteries around the country. 

So far, more than 530 wreaths have been sponsored for the St. Clair Allied Veterans Cemetery with a goal to reach 1,000. The final day to purchase a wreath is December 1st. Those interested in being a part of the ceremonies are welcomed to volunteer. You can find more information on wreathsacrossamerica.org.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.

If you’re thinking about a new job for the new year, McLaren Health Care is hosting a regional job fair in Clinton Township to fill nursing and allied health positions at McLaren Macomb in Mount Clemens, McLaren Oakland in Pontiac and McLaren Port Huron.

Open to all interested individuals, the fair will be hosted at the main campus of Macomb Community College on Dec. 10 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. McLaren representatives will be onsite to conduct immediate interviews for open positions at each of the three regional McLaren Health Care hospitals. All attendees are asked to please bring copies of their resume.

In addition to onsite interviews, attendees will be provided refreshments and can shop an extensive selection of health care uniforms and shoes. Attendees are encouraged to register, but walk-ins are welcome as well. To register and find more information, visit mclarenconnections.eventbrite.com.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.

The holidays are a fun and exciting time filled with love, family, and gifts! As Black Friday and Christmas approach, buying gifts can be expensive or out of the question for some families. To help ease that stress, Harbor Impact ministries, a local charity, is making shopping free for many local families.

Barb Hanneke, director of Harbor Impact Ministries, told ebw.tv during an interview that about 500 families go through on an “impact day.” Once a month, families are able to go into the cafe to get perishable foods and shop for other items such as clothing, toys, and home decor located in rooms of Sparlingville Elementary School. They also had Christmas decorations collected over the year available for the November Impact day event. 

Currently, Harbor Impact Ministries is looking to get more children and men’s clothing, although they will take all donations. Some ways you can help is by volunteering, donating goods, and donating money.  Learn more in this feature.

Thanksgiving is the best time for family and delicious food. Many families have great holiday traditions that may include making a special dish. While some people have the “standard” turkey dinner with stuffing and other common sides like cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes, others have some pretty wild Thanksgiving recipes added to the table. 

People took to Twitter this year to share their wildest Thanksgiving recipes and some dishes are quite interesting… 

Ever heard of seafoam salad? What about a bologna cake with ranch cream cheese icing? As it turns out, many individuals have these kinds of unique creations that they have on turkey day. Surprisingly, Jell-O was a common ingredient for most so if you aren’t sure what to make this year or want to start a new tradition… Grab some Jell-O and get creative! It truly seems like the possibilities are endless. 

However strange your family dish may be, have a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Adapted from the Today Show’s “Jello-O and cream cheese?! People share their family’s wildest Thanksgiving recipies” by Aly Walansky

Winning the lottery is everyone’s dream. Would you quit your job? Buy a big house? Donate it to charity? Or all of the above? The answers to those questions have been public knowledge in multi-state lotteries like Powerball, which currently has a $90 million payout. 

Winners have their name, city of residence, date of winning, and amount of winning made public under current rules. However, State Representative Padma Kuppa, a Democrat from Troy, wants to give winners the option to remain anonymous for their own protection. She introduced a bill to the Michigan House of Representatives last week where winners would only have their names released if they consent in writing. 

Lottery winners often have little experience in handling such large sums of money and can fall prey to people trying to get their hands on the winnings. This bill is intended to protect those winners by letting them decide when to share their good news, if ever. Other states have similar legislation. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Regulatory Reform for further consideration.