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Local News

Hear From Candidates Running in the Primary

The August 2nd primary election is just around the corner, and WGRT has created an election page to help voters get to know more about candidates.

The WGRT website has a 2022 Election page that features interviews and candidate submitted bios from several candidates running for Governor of Michigan, State Representative, St. Clair County Commissioner, and more.

All of our interviews with candidates are available on our website or by finding the WGRT Local News Podcast on your favorite podcast app.

Voters should keep in mind that there is no split-ticket voting in the primary election. They must choose to vote for candidates running in either the Democrat or Republican party, not both.

There are also several millage proposals on the ballot which will determine future taxpayer funding for several St. Clair County services: the community college, library, parks & recreation, ambulance services, and  support for senior citizens.

The polls will be open on Tuesday, August 2nd from 7 AM until 8 PM.

To learn more, visit the Election page here:

https://wgrt.com/category/2022-election/

McLaren Port Huron Recognized as “High Performing” Hospital

McLaren Port Huron Hospital has something new to brag about. The hospital was named by U.S. News and World Report as a High Performing Hospital for 2022-23.

This is the 8th year of the Procedures and Conditions ratings, which are designed to assist patients and doctors in making choices about their healthcare, especially as it relates to common conditions and procedures.

Eric Cecava, President and CEO of McLaren Port Huron said, “Every day, we’re fortunate to have a team of physicians, nurses and health care professionals who commit themselves to providing the highest quality care for our community.”

McLaren Port Huron received the High Performing rating, the highest rating given by U.S. News and World Report, for being better than the national average in treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, Heart Attacks, Heart Failure, and Kidney Failure.

Fewer than half of the more than 4500 medical centers received the High Performing rating for any condition or procedure.

Cecava said, “Being recognized as a High Performing Hospital, among some of the nation’s best health care providers, is an honor.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron DDA Wants to Know What You Thought of This Year’s Boat Weekend

Did you go to downtown Port Huron during this year’s Boat Weekend? Planners want to hear from you with a short survey about your experience.

The yearly celebration that serves as a kickoff to the Port Huron to Mackinac sailboat race had to improvise a bit this year as major construction closed down the usual venue.

City of Port Huron Downtown Development Authority Director Natacha Hayden said that she thought the event went extremely well. Hayden said that the new layout due to the ongoing construction at the Zebra Bar parking lot “caused some last-minute changes, but it still allowed festival goers to enjoy festival favorites”.

Hayden said that there is always something that can be improved, and feedback is essential to do that. She is looking forward to gaining insight into the participants’ experiences.

The survey asks for a rating for various experiences and also asks some open-ended questions for general comments.

A link to the survey can be found below.

Boat Weekend Survey

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Theater Bootcamp Kids Present “The Claw” Directed by McKale Bingham

Kids in the Port Huron Parks and Recreation Department’s Theater Bootcamp have had a crash course in putting on a show. They were given their parts on Monday and their performance is on Friday. Over 70 kids, ages six to fifteen, have learned from a pro, Port Huron native McKale Bingham, over the two sessions of the program.

Bingham, a 2013 Port Huron Northern High School graduate, is a working actor living in Los Angeles. She has appeared in several TV shows, most recently in an episode of the CBS sitcom “How We Roll”.

McKale has been coming back to Port Huron to direct the theater camp since 2019 and said that she really tries to make it a valuable experience for the participants.

This year’s show is called “The Claw” and is a story of toys that have been stuck in an arcade claw machine since the ‘90s. The show is sponsored by Sperry’s which just opened their own Arcadehouse.

The 35-minute show is Friday, July 29th at 6:00 p.m. in the McMorran Theatre. It is free and open to the public.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Parking Info for Main Street Memories Car Show

Main Street Memories Wheels on the Waterfront car show is coming to the Acheson property Saturday, July 30th from 10 AM – 4 PM.

The show happens annually on the last Saturday in July, and last year was the first year it moved from the Main Street area of downtown Port Huron to the waterfront near Vantage Point.

The car show donates all funds raised to the Council on Aging (CoA) serving St. Clair County, and the CoA will be running a shuttle service Saturday to help people get to the show and around the downtown area to visit local businesses.

CoA’s Starpath Adult Day Services bus will be used as the shuttle, and car show visitors can pick it up at various parking lots in the city and get dropped off at the show.

The shuttle will pick up and drop off at:

  • East Quay Street Lot
  • North Fogcutter Lot
  • North McMorran Lot
  • Blue Water Bus Transit Parking lot along Superior Avenue
  • Military Street Parking Lot (Military & Wall Street

Here is a map of the parking lots where the shuttle will stop:

Main Street Memories Car show Parking Shuttle

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Pine Grove Construction Wrapping Up Next Week

While no one has enjoyed the delays and traffic congestion caused by the months-long rebuilding of Pine Grove Avenue, also known as M-25, through the north end of Port Huron and into Fort Gratiot, the finished product from the extensive repairs looks to be worth the wait. And the wait is almost over.

Jocelyn Garza, Communications Representative from the Michigan Department of Transportation, said that the work is wrapping up and that traffic is expected to be placed in its normal configuration on August 1st.

Garza said that there will be some occasional lane closures after August 1st to finish up the remaining work. Garza said that the $5.8 million project is on schedule and on budget and moved smoothly.

Hopefully, vehicles will also be moving smoothly when the project is complete. The final touches include painting the bridge railing, completing an epoxy overlay on the bridge deck, replacing some remaining sections of curb, and repairing drainage structures. Pavement markings and adjusting traffic signals are the last things to be done.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland