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Local News

Magna Expanding its St. Clair Facility and Creating 920 Jobs

Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Tuesday to announce three investments by Magna in St. Clair, Highland Park, and Shelby Charter Township with support from the Michigan Strategic Fund. In total, the projects are expected to generate a capital investment of more than $526 million and create 1,569 jobs for Michigan residents.

In St. Clair, Magna Electric Vehicle Structures employees along with St. Clair County stakeholders joined to celebrate the expansion of their location. They are adding 740,00 square-feet to their St. Clair facility, and the expansion of their operations at the plant will bring an additional 920 new jobs to St. Clair County.

Magna currently has 13 open positions listed on the St. Clair County EDA’s Hot Jobs website, ranging from Maintenance positions to Human Resources to Engineers.

During the press conference at Magna, Dan Casey, St. Clair County EDA President and CEO, said they would be working with multiple organizations to assist Magna with filling open positions.

Casey also said, “The confidence Magna has shown in our community for this expansion is a tribute to our region’s strong automotive manufacturing success and DNA. We are on the cusp of growing EV industry trends across the globe, and St. Clair County is glad to be a small part of the industry’s growth, as well as ensuring mobility and electric diversification in our region that will provide jobs for our residents for years to come.”

St. Clair Mayor, Bill Cedar said, “The City of St. Clair is very excited to have won this significant project. So many states and communities are competing for projects in the growing EV sector. I’m extremely proud of our city council, county officials and economic development partners for aggressively competing to win the
Magna project.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

If Wood Is How You Heat Your Home It’s Time To Stock Up

It’s projected that this will be a winter with colder temperatures than the more mild temperatures of winters past. If  wood is the primary method used to heat your home you may want to stock up, due to firewood supplies being less than usual.

Due to market forces, and competing demands for firewood-friendly hardwood material, it’s becoming more difficult for consumers to find fuelwood. Options to obtain fuelwood include: Firewood Scout, as well as state and national forests.

To prevent spreading harmful forest pests or diseases, try to harvest wood sources from your local area if possible. 

For more information about collecting fuelwood from your state forests read here: Fuelwood Permit FAQ Document

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

How Climbing Can Provide Winter Clothing For Youth In Need

The drop in temperature is letting us know winter is on its way. Many of our local youth, teens and young children, struggle with having warm clothing to protect themselves from the elements. Port Huron Museums in partnership with Kids In Distress Services are holding an event to help keep our children warm this winter.

The Sunset Tower Climb for K.I.D.S (Kids in Distress Services) will take place Friday, November 11th from 6:15 PM – 8:15 PM. Tickets are free, but donations of diapers or towels (bath or hand) are welcomed. 

Guests will be climbing the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse at dusk to see a beautiful sunset from a different perspective. Clothing items provided for those in need consist of clothes, hats, mittens, and gloves, as well as deodorant and other personal hygiene items.

For more information on the event and how you can help, visit: kidsindistressservices.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

Port Huron Schools Teens Start Nonprofit to Help Other Girls

Two sisters in Port Huron Schools have started a nonprofit to assist their classmates with feminine hygiene products. Cassidy Middleton, a Port Huron Northern junior, and her sister Kenzie, a 7th grader at Holland Woods Middle School, collaborated with their mother, Heather Carleton a teacher at Northern, to start “The PHN at PHN”.

“The PHN at PHN” stands for The Period Hygiene Network at Port Huron Northern. Cassidy, Kenzie, and Ms. Carleton have received over 500 donated items this month, and they have placed them in the girl’s restrooms. Students who need products may take them free of charge.

In a press release, students noted that their mission is “to eliminate lost instructional time and embarrassment over the need for menstruation products.” They also said that the service “is proven to increase attendance and improve a young woman’s self confidence.

Port Huron Northern Principal Alycia Shagena said, “We are always so proud of students who step up and support others. These girls have shown thoughtfulness and really made an impact on their peers.”

Those who wish to donate can find The PHN at PHN on Instagram and Facebook, drop items off at Port Huron Northern or Holland Woods Middle School, or order things through the group’s Amazon wish List.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

Learn Life Saving Procedure For Your Animal Friends

In the event of a medical emergency are you prepared, or qualified to administer a life saving practice to someone in need? What about if that someone isn’t a person, but a beloved pet?

Our friends at Country Critter Farm are welcoming the community to its CPR and First Aid for Human, Animal Petting Farm. This Saturday, October 29th, you’re invited to learn how to perform life saving skills on humans from children to adults, as well as dogs and cats. Great knowledge for those who have a service animal, as you never know when the skills learned will be of use.

Guests can go through demo training or they can be certified through the American Heart Association. If you just want to stop in to enjoy the animals at the petting farm, you can do that as well.

For more information visit their Facebook page at: Country Critter Farm.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

Are Court Street and Union Street One-Lane or Two-Lane Roads?

If you’ve ever been driving down Court or Union Street in Port Huron and had someone pull alongside you as if you were travelling on a two-lane road, you may have wondered which one of you were right. Are Court Street and Union Street one-lane roads or two-lane roads? And what are drivers supposed to do at the intersections?

Eric Witter, Port Huron City Engineer and Director of Public Works, said Court Street and Union Street are one-lane roads with parking permitted on both sides.

He also noted that there are no pavement markings or lane lines because there is only one travel lane, and drivers can pull alongside one another at intersections if parked cars are not in the way and they are proceeding in different directions.

The bottom line: drivers should form one line in the center of Court and Union Streets, and they can pull to the right, left, or stay in the center at intersections depending on the direction they’re traveling and available space.

For those who travel these city streets frequently, knowing the rules yourself may not prevent encountering deviations by other drivers. If someone begins driving alongside you as if the road had two lanes, you may have to slow down and let them pass to avoid issues when the road narrows due to parked cars. Additionally, even though both of these streets are clearly marked as “One Way”, it’s possible you may face another driver coming toward you travelling the wrong direction.

Whatever the case, be observant of the drivers, pedestrians, and bikers using these streets, and use caution when encountering someone who doesn’t seem to know the rules of the road. This is especially important after dark when there is a higher incidence of wrong-way driver accidents.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand