George James

St. Clair County Community College (SC4) recently released the winter concert calendar for the upcoming semester. Similar to fall 2019 concerts, all winter 2020 concerts are free admission. The winter concert calendar kicks off Thursday, January 16th with the Stone Sound Collective. The group performs percussion traditions of Africa and India and also incorporates cello and saxophone. April 9th, Detroit’s Queen of the Blues Thornetta Davis will perform.  She is a highly celebrated, award-winning performer who opened for Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson and Etta James just to name a few. The college’s symphonic and jazz bands with also offer shows over the winter months. Coming up this Thursday at the college, the Smokin 45’s Rock and Blues Review will have performances at noon and seven. On the 23rd of November, you can hear the SC4 Choir perform at 7 p.m. The shows are free, but you must call ahead to reserve a seat. Visit sc4.edu for more information.

Reporting for WGRT, ebw.tv

The state of Michigan has announced nearly $1 million in Wildlife Habitat Grants that counties around the state, including St. Clair County, will benefit from. Audubon Great Lakes in St. Clair County was awarded just over $110,000 from that grant. Huron county will also receive some of the grant money through Pheasants Forever. The monies are to be geared toward enhancing large wetland complexes and winter deer complexes, as well as planting food sources for animals and forestry projects. 

The counties in Michigan who received the funding are projects that need to be completed by the last day of September 2021. The Wildlife Habitat Grant Program started in October 2013 and is funded through some of the revenue from hunting and fishing licenses sold each year. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) works with the Wildlife Division and Grants Management Section to administer the program. The program’s main objective is to enhance and improve the quality and quantity of game species habitat in support of the DNR Wildlife Division’s strategic plan.

Reporting for WGRT, ebw.tv

The Spero Center on Griswold Street in Port Huron is inviting the community to tour its offices. Spero will be holding an open house this Thursday from 4-7 p.m. where staff will be on hand to answer questions and offer tours of the building. Spero will also be showing some of the equipment used at the center, like the ultrasound system. The center is funded entirely through donations, and is a  non-profit, faith-based, medical clinic. Spero says they provide pregnancy tests, accurate medical information, prenatal and parenting education, and more for clients and their babies. They also provide referrals for community resources that are available in St. Clair County. The center has been in existence for 33 years and has offered free care for women who have an unplanned pregnancy. In a typical year, they assist over 700 clients.

Reporting for WGRT, ebw.tv

The United States Navy commissioned a new vessel on October 27th in Burns Harbor, Indiana at the southern end of Lake Michigan. The state of the art combat ship headed down the St. Clair River recently enroute to its final destination near Jacksonville, Florida. The USS Indianapolis is the fourth such Navy ship that bears that name. Many may remember the story of the U.S.S. Indianapolis that was sunk in July of 1945. The ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine after returning from delivering components for the first atomic bomb ever used in combat. Only 317 of the Indianapolis’s 1200 crewman survived the sinking after spending well over three days in shark infested waters. Four survivors of that event attended the commissioning. The new ship was designed with maneuverability in mind. It is anticipated that the Navy will use her for mine-clearing and anti-submarine warfare.

Reporting for WGRT, ebw.tv

After much anticipation the new Marysville City Hall is now open. Marysville Mayor Dan Damman said the new city hall was built at a cost of two million dollars and the project came in on time and under budget. Marysville’s City Council evaluated it’s infrastructure, and plans to build a new city hall were formulated in late 2017 and early 2018. To rehabilitate the old city hall and bring it up to current standards would have cost 1.4 million. Damman said the old city hall property was valued at around $500,000. After selling the old city hall, it brought the cost to build a new city hall down to an amount that was close to rehabbing the old one. 

One of the design features that Damman spoke about was the new city hall’s vestibule. The vestibule, said Damman was specifically designed to display Marysville’s history. Several different historical artifacts are on display, including a full size Wills Sainte Claire automobile. The Wills Sainte Claire was a luxury car that was built in Marysville in the late 1920’s. Residents of Marysville can now expect to be able to handle all business with the city under one roof in a building that is designed to allow for future expansion as well.

Reporting for WGRT, ebw.tv

Flu season is here and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is urging residents to get vaccinated. The 2018-2019 flu season saw an estimated 647,000 hospitalizations and nearly 61,000 deaths from influenza nationwide. Currently, there are only sporadic reports of the flu in the state of Michigan, but officials warn that could change quickly.  Once a person receives a flu shot, it takes up to two weeks for the body to build up enough immunity to prevent the flu. The flu shot is made with inactivated or killed viruses and cannot give you influenza. 

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy for Health said, “Residents should receive their flu vaccine today to have optimal protection throughout the flu season.” The MDHHS says that everyone six months of age and older should receive a flu vaccine every year. They also say that getting a flu vaccine protects not only you but those around you who may have serious complications if they get the flu. Officials say currently there are ample supplies of supplies of flu vaccine at several locations in Michigan.  The vaccines can be found at doctors offices, pharmacies, and local health departments.

Reporting for WGRT, Mike Smith.