George James

The Harvest Gathering encourages employees at McLaren Port Huron to collect food items and funds to donate to the needy in the area every year. The collection has been held for several years, and this year a record was broken. McLaren Port Huron Volunteer Coordinator, Mary Lou Kraft said the group of employees collected almost 17,000  pounds of food along with $2600 in cash. Kraft weighed the donated food several times to make sure the amounts were correct. To encourage donation efforts, the local hospital divided up into teams for a friendly competition to see which team could collect the most. Team McKenna beat out Team World by over 4000 pounds. Kraft said she was overwhelmed with the generosity and was extremely grateful

The original goal  was to break 15,000 pounds in donated food. The food and cash were donated to Mid-City Nutrition and the Blue Water Community Food Depot.

Reporting for WGRT, Mike Smith

The Council of Michigan Foundations held the 47th  annual conference this week at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. Six board members and three staff members from the Community Foundation of St. Clair County attended the event. The conference focused on equity, partnership, and impact. Community Foundation Vice President Jackie Hanton said “impact investing” was one of the hot topics at the conference. She explained that impact investing is a financial tool that compliments grantmaking at the foundation. 

In terms of “impact investing” at the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, Hanton  said, “The Community Capital Club, which is part of the foundation, leads local impact investing and contributes to the general prosperity of the region by helping worthwhile early stage and growth companies succeed.” Hanton said the group from the foundation that was at the conference was “busy learning, and sharing stories of philanthropic leadership through impact investing and connecting with peers in their field.”

Reporting for WGRT, Mike Smith.

A once in a lifetime opportunity is being offered in a raffle by the non-profit organization, A Beautiful Me. Every year the Mackinac Bridge Authority chooses 25 non-profit organizations to receive a Mackinac Bridge Tower Tour certificate. The certificate is then used by the non-profit to raise money to support the organization. A Beautiful Me was one of those 25 selected out of 454 who applied. 

A Beautiful Me is selling 1,000 tickets to raffle off the trip. Tickets are $20 each or 6 for $100. The drawing of the winning ticket will take place at the organization’s annual fundraiser on November 3rd. A Beautiful Me Board Chair, Kimberly Prisby said the “entire organization is beyond grateful to the Mackinac Bridge Authority for creating this once-in-a-lifetime fundraising opportunity…” Each of the bridges towers stands nearly 550 feet above the straits of Mackinac, and the elevator will take someone only so far. There are 40 different ladders and different passageways to navigate before reaching the top. The winner will be able to pick a date in the next year to take advantage of the unique experience. More information can be found at abeautifulme.com.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley. 

The second phase of a roadside oral fluid analysis program began last week in Michigan. The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department along with the Port Huron Police Department are taking part in the program. The Michigan State Police are conducting a second phase to test the roadside analysis program, because they felt the sample size was too small in the previous one. 

The oral fluid analysis uses a mouth swab to find out if a person is driving under the influence of drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, or opiates, along with others The swab sample is obtained by a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). The DRE’s are police officers who have highly specialized training to recognize someone who is impaired due to drugged driving. The roadside fluid analysis will be combined with a 12-step drug recognition that DRE officers already perform. If a person refuses to submit to the test, upon lawful demand of a police officer,  they can be charged with a civil infraction. In Michigan during 2018, there were 247 drug-involved traffic fatalities. The expanded Oral Fluid Roadside Analysis Pilot Program began October 1st and includes participation from DRE’s in every Michigan county.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

This time of year, some may find themselves with extra fruits and vegetables that they would like to enjoy during Michigan’s winter months. Canning is one of the processes that will allow you to enjoy this season’s corn, peaches, or tomatoes later as icicles dangle from your rooftop. 

The National Center for Food Preservation has some things you should know about canning. You should carefully select the fresh fruits or vegetables you want to can. It may be helpful to add an acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to some foods. Also, use acceptable jars with self-sealing lids, and process those jars for the correct amount of time in boiling water or a pressure canner. If you would like to know more about canning and food preservation, MIgardner will be having an introduction to canning and food preservation with a free workshop at their downtown Port Huron location on October 11 beginning at 5 p.m.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.  

Have you ever wondered who is responsible for keeping those high power electrical lines in working order? ITC Holdings based in Novi, is the nation’s largest independent electricity transmission company, and the company is responsible for the lines in most of the lower part of Michigan. At the end of September, ITC conducted an aerial patrol of lines in the St. Clair County area, which was originally scheduled for this week.

The patrols were completed by a helicopter flying at low levels over power lines and towers. The company reassures residents that there is no need to be alarmed over the flights. They looked for damaged or worn equipment, including steel towers, wood poles, and wires.  ITC also monitors the naturally occurring hazards from overgrown plants and trees during the patrols. If an issue is found, ITC’s maintenance team is informed to properly address the problem. ITC is responsible for 8,700 miles of transmission lines in the lower part of Michigan.  The semi-annual inspections throughout the state are slated for completion by October 18th.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.