George James

A Beautiful Me Celebrates 13th Birthday

Port Huron, MI — Local non-profit A Beautiful Me is a teenager. The organization that works to build confidence in women of all ages is turning 13.

To celebrate the milestone, A Beautiful Me is having a celebration on Saturday, April 24th between noon and 3:00 p.m. The free, family-friendly event will be held at their program center, The Closet by A Beautiful Me, located at 235 Huron Avenue in Downtown Port Huron.

A Beautiful Me started in 2008 in Romeo and eventually established its program center in Port Huron while continuing to provide programs in schools in the entire region as well as events like Bloom, Avante Garde Hair Show, and the Runaway Bride Fun Run.

A Beautiful Me has adapted to being unable to go into schools because of the pandemic and has given outreach opportunities to both students and volunteers through a letter-writing campaign.

The 13th birthday event will celebrate the over 10,000 girls and women who have participated in the program and look forward to a bright future. There will be activities both indoors and outdoors like balloon art, fresh popcorn, and treats, along with a raffle of a gift basket worth over $150.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

McLaren Launches “The Ally Project”

Port Huron, MI — According to the dictionary, an ally is someone who supports someone else or joins in a common cause. McLaren Port Huron Hospital has initiated The Ally Project, which focuses on providing healthcare to members of the LGBTQ community.

The initiative was borne of a tragic situation with a local community member who felt desperate and nearly ended his life. Thankfully, the patient is now recovering and thriving according to his parents and credits compassionate care from McLaren Port Huron staff as the first step of his journey toward health.

The Ally Project looks to make all patients feel loved and valued and to be treated as such regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Ally Initiative is a fund associated with the McLaren Port Huron Foundation and is asking for community support through this year’s Community Foundation of St. Clair County’s “Big Give Day” on June 9th.

Funds will go toward staff education that is specific to LGBTQ patients, the hospital’s internal process improvements, and supporting healthcare providers that are allies of the LGBTQ community.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Workplace COVID-19 Rules Extended

Emergency rules for Michigan workers, businesses, customers, and communities have been extended to October 14th, 2021. The rules include things like COVID-19 emergency response plans, employee training, workplace infection control practices, proper use of personal protection equipment like masks, and protocol for reporting COVID-19 infections for contact tracing.

Remote work is recommended when possible. The process for reporting unsafe working conditions remains in place as well.

The extension of the emergency rules is a response to the surge in COVID-19 cases. Since then, there have been over 1600 outbreaks reported, with manufacturing and construction reporting the most.

Enforcing the rules falls on the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) within the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO).

MIOSHA COVID-19 Workplace Safety Director Sean Egan said, “As we work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the rules reinforce the importance of keeping workplaces safe for employees from COVID-19 transmission. We want employers to create a safe work environment for their employees, which is why we will continue to work with employees and businesses to help them understand how to safely stay open.”

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland

Playworks Michigan Wants Kids to Get Recess Time

Kids need recess. That is the message from Playworks Michigan, a coalition of a diverse group of state leaders, athletes, and educators, that advocates for statewide awareness and an increase in playtime and recess in schools.

Even though many students are learning remotely right now, the Playworks Michigan Coalition is working to make recess time happen for all students once school is back to being in-person.

Paul Liabenow, Executive Director of the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principal’s Association said, “Following the recent online and in-person learning changes throughout the pandemic, curriculum is being reshaped for the fall. As these conversations are happening, we want educators and parents to be aware of the benefits of recess especially after a year of online learning and limited interaction.”

According to Playworks Michigan, Michigan schools have no guidelines for providing recess time nor for removing recess.

Playworks reports that over the past ten years, nearly half of all school districts nationwide have either completely eliminated or reduced recess time and of the few schools that require recess, most kids only get 20 minutes or so per day, far below the recommended minimum of 60 minutes of activity. This is especially alarming as 30.6% of children in Michigan are considered either overweight or obese.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

DNR: Don’t Trim Oak Trees until Mid-July

With Spring in the air, it might seem like the perfect time to clean up the trees in your yard. But hold off on trimming oak trees.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says that oak trees shouldn’t be trimmed between April 15th and July 15th because of the risk of spreading “oak wilt”.

Oak wilt is a serious fungal disease that is a microscopic killer of oak trees. The fungus is spread by flying beetles. The disease is especially deadly for red oak trees and can kill them within weeks. It can also weaken white oak trees.

James Wieferich, forest health specialist in the DNR’s Forest Resources Division, said, “The guidelines against pruning oak trees during this time can help prevent the spread of the disease.”

Freshly cut firewood can also spread the disease.

Trees will show symptoms of oak wilt by wilting from the top down and rapidly dropping leaves. The disease usually shows up from late June to September.

The DNR warns that if you have a tree that gets damaged during the risk period from April 15 to July 15, immediately cover all wounds with tree-wound paint or latex-based paint.

Oak wilt outbreaks should be reported to the DNR.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

I-69/M-19 Road Work Begins

Orange barrels are out as a big road construction project in St. Clair County gets underway. The Michigan Department of Transportation is putting major investment into fixing the pavement on both I-69 and M-19 near the village of Emmett.  

The pavement on I-69 and M-19 has been deteriorating and in need of repair. The state is putting $38 million into the project, which is expected to last until November of 2022.

The roadwork will stretch from Miller Road to I-69, covering six miles, and will also take care of the slice of M-19 from I-69 to Burt Road.

MDOT says there will be single-lane closures and traffic shifts. The ramp at Riley Center Road will be affected intermittently throughout the project and M-19 traffic will be maintained with a temporary signal.

The work is being done to address the impact on commerce, tourism, and commuter traffic on the heavily traveled roads. I-69 is part of the International Trade Corridor.

The road work is part of the Rebuilding Michigan program which uses bond sales to finance the statewide infrastructure initiative.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland