George James

Championship Disc Golf Course In the Works at Columbus County Park

Columbus County Park in St. Clair County is about to become home to a state-of-the-art Disc Golf Course. The cutting-edge course design work has been completed and the construction of the course is underway.

Jeff Bauman, a professional disc golf course designer, has been charged with the creation of the course. Bauman said the course will have something for everyone, with “Gold Level” long tees and “Fun Level” short tees. He said the course will challenge the best players, yet be fun for beginners.

Bauman said fifteen volunteers were ready to work at 8:00 last Saturday morning, in 17-degree temperatures. The projected June completion date could be moved up because of the hard-working volunteers and the enthusiasm for the project. Information about volunteer opportunities can be found at the Columbus County Park Disc Golf Course Facebook page.

Bauman said that interest in disc golfing “has really exploded” as people are looking for outdoor recreation during the pandemic. Bauman recommended PDGA.com for more information about getting started with disc golfing.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SCC RESA Great Start Program Earns Blue Ribbon Status

The St. Clair County Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) has announced that their Great Start Home Visiting Program has earned Blue Ribbon Affiliate Status with the Parents as Teachers National Center. The Status is the highest designation given by the Quality Endorsement and Improvement Process of the Parents as Teachers organization.

Parents as Teachers is a national organization based in St. Louis, Missouri, that “builds strong communities, thriving families and children who are healthy, safe and ready to learn by matching parents and caregivers with trained professionals who make regular personal home visits during a child’s earliest years in life, from prenatal through kindergarten.”

The St. Clair County RESA program offers free home visits with their Great Start program following the Parents as Teachers model. Participating families receive personal visits from a parent educator, participation in early learning group activities, a network of community resources, and child health and development screenings.

A link to more information and Great Start sign-up details:

http://sccresa.org/cms/one.aspx?pageId=13039614&fbclid=IwAR1LVlMCgbT0PglSa5mbqoN7PhKBgmYqVj0yndBX7EqsVEkUiq1vnZ3YhOI

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Local Non-Profit, A Beautiful Me, Awarded DTE Grant

The DTE Foundation has awarded a $1500 grant to A Beautiful Me, a local non-profit, to support the Pen Pal Program. DTE gives out millions of dollars in grants to organizations throughout its service area, as one of the largest corporate citizens in Michigan.

Lynette Dowler, president of the DTE Foundation, said, “A Beautiful Me – through its Pen Pal program – continues to serve as a stabilizing and inspiring force during an uncertain, lonely time for many young women. At the DTE Foundation, we know supported, nurtured youth are the bedrock of strong, vital communities.” 

Fowler went on to say, “And we know our partnership with A Beautiful Me, and the senses of pride, confidence and camaraderie it instills in young women – our future leaders – will continue to set them up for personal and professional success for years to come.”

With most kids spending a lot of time at home and social interactions curtailed by COVID-19 restrictions, getting a letter in the mail can be a real thrill. The Pen Pal Program has reached 700 youth with the work of 40 volunteers.

More information about the program and the work of A Beautiful Me can be found at abeautifulme.com.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Local March for Life Drew a Crowd on Sunday

Port Huron, MI — The local March for Life was held this past Sunday, with 125 pro-life activists carrying signs and marching along Pine Grove Avenue in Port Huron.

The activists hoped to make their viewpoints known to passers-by and to draw attention to the pro-life cause on the weekend of the 48th anniversary of the passing of Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States. The March was organized by the St. Clair County Right to Life, which is an affiliate of Right to Life of Michigan.

After the March down Pine Grove, the local pro-lifers held a community prayer service at St. Mary Catholic Church in Port Huron, led by Deacon John Fitzmaurice and Reverend Tom Seppo.

Members of the St. Clair County Right to Life group, along with pro-life youth from the region, have a tradition of attending the national March for Life in Washington, D.C., but like most other large gatherings, this year’s National March has been drastically scaled back due to COVID-19 fears. The usual buses full of hundreds of thousands of Marchers from all over the country will sit idle this year, as the March will be held virtually on Friday, January 29th.

A Michigan March for Life is scheduled to be held in Lansing on Wednesday, January 27th.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Preliminary Ruling Issued for Flint Water Crisis Payouts

Flint residents who were affected by contaminated water are one step closer to getting their share of the $641.25 million settlement, but there are still some details to be worked out. An approval order was issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, effective January 27th, 2021.

The settlement is effectively a class action process through which Flint residents can file claims. A final ruling is pending upon completion of a fairness hearing scheduled for July. While getting the actual restitution is still many months away, the steps are finally in place to resolve the crisis, which started in 2014.

Flint residents will have sixty days to file the claim and then 120 days after filing to submit the necessary paperwork.

The State of Michigan is paying $600 million in the settlement, while the City of Flint, which was under emergency management at the time of the crisis, is paying $20 million through its insurer. McLaren Regional Medical Center, the epicenter of the Legionnaires outbreak, is paying $20 million, and Rowe Professional Services, a contractor involved in the switch to drawing water from the Flint River, is paying $1.25 million.

A link to the full ruling:

Order Granting Motion for Preliminary Approval – Flint (michigan.gov)

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Drug Task Force Releases 2020 Incident Map

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office has released the Drug Task Force incident map. The interactive map shows DTF cases countywide, with the ability to zoom in to street level and see details of the activity.

2020 was a busy year for the Drug Task Force. They took 2,606 grams of crystal meth, 180 grams of cocaine, and 121 grams of heroin off the streets. The DTF also executed 34 search warrants and 183 drug related traffic stops. In all, 218 people were arrested, with 262 felonies and 145 misdemeanors charged.

Sheriff Mat King said, “The St. Clair County Drug Task Force faced new challenges in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the members of the DTF continued to fight to get drugs and weapons off the streets and bring criminals to justice.” King said he was proud of the work done by members of the Drug Task Force for the community.

The Drug Task Force relies on tips from community members. Tips can be left anonymously at (800) 243-DRUG. 

A link to the map:

https://scc-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=3a00cf874b944e8c87052eaa1dd78ca3&extent=-82.4664,42.9569,-82.4209,42.9861

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland