Local News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for booster doses, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said vaccine providers throughout Michigan are prepared to begin administering booster shots now.

The bivalent booster helps fight both the original strain of the COVID-19 virus and Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. It’s recommended that individuals 12 years old or order receive the bivalent booster if they have completed their primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine, and they can receive the bivalent booster even if they have previously received a monovalent booster.

The FDA has removed the Emergency Use Authorization on the monovalent boosters, and they are no longer available for administration.

According to MDHHS, individuals are eligible to receive a single bivalent booster:

• If they are 18 or older, and it has been at least two months since they completed primary vaccination or received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
• If they are 12 or older, and  it has been at least two months since they completed primary vaccination or received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

Influenza vaccines are also available now, and can be administered at the same time as the COVID-19 booster.

For more information, visit https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/resources/covid-19-vaccine

Fall term at Port Huron’s School for Strings starts September 19th, and music lovers of all ages looking for an opportunity to learn violin, viola, cello, or double bass can register for classes now.

School for Strings has been teaching students on St. Clair County for over 22 years, and Executive Director Dr. Rebekah Brown said the school has the most experienced and highly trained faculty in the area.

Private lessons, group lessons, and youth orchestra classes are available in 12-week terms, and prices vary depending on the length of the lessons. School for Strings also has music theory classes, exploratory workshops, and Fiddle Club, a popular performance group that plays toe-tapping favorites at area festivals and special events.

Although many people think of string instruments as primarily featured in classical music, Dr. Brown said you can find the violin, cello, viola, and bass in a multitude of genres including jazz, pop, rock, hip hop, and other contemporary music along with Celtic, bluegrass, folk, and more.

“Playing a string instrument means possibilities of going down so many different musical avenues. We teach our students about all these style of playing then they can specialize as they wish,” said Dr. Brown.

For more information and to register for classes, visit SchoolforStrings.net.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Beginning Tuesday, September 7, 2022 the City of Port Huron will be making improvements to the area from Cedar Street to Oak Street between 10th Street to 16th Street. These improvements will include new asphalt pavement, concrete curb and gutter, and sidewalks. Funding source for this project is the voter approved street millage.

These roads will be closed to thru traffic until approximately November 15th.

Please observe the “Road Closed Local Traffic Only” signs.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If there are any further questions regarding this matter, please contact the Department of Public Works.

Submitted by the City of Port Huron DPW

Looking for a concert experience that is family friendly to close out the summer? Look no further than Bridge Fest 2022, a Christian centered concert experience put together by Brad Allen of Bridges Church.

Allen decided to start the event due to lack of places to play. “We found it difficult to find places to play any more than 4-6 songs, so I got the idea to organize the event last year. We had 6 – 8 bands playing as well as speakers. The event was successful enough to do it again this year,” says Allen.

Beginning Saturday, September 10th, from 11 AM – 8 PM this year’s event will feature 12 groups playing genres from rock to folk on two stages. The event will be located at Bay Mills Indian Community Property on Court and 4th St, in Port Huron, MI.

Bridge Fest 2022 is free and will also feature food trucks from vendors such as Daylicious Drinks & Treats, Coffi, Extra Pastabilities, and Pop’s Sweets on the Streets.

For more information contact them on Facebook at Bridgefest.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

Our friends across the border in the city of Sarnia are announcing the installation of five Little Free Libraries (LFL) across five different parks around the community. The goal of the project is to strengthen connections in the community by providing more access to reading materials.

The Little Free Libraries project was started in 2021 by Literacy Lambton as a pop-up program in public spaces. An initiative to cooperate on installing permanent LFLs at city parks soon followed.

The five parks that will see the new LFLs are Germain Park, Twin Lakes, Wiltshire, Centennial, and Marcin Park. All made possible through a partnership with Literacy Lambton and the Rotary Club of Sarnia. The volunteer members of the Rotary Club of Sarnia will ensure that each library is stocked with reading materials and well maintained.

Recreation Superintendent, Shelley Kern says, “These additions to our parks expand access to literacy right where our residents live, fostering a sense of community as neighborhoods come together to share their favorite books and the joy of reading.”

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell