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Local News

Sturgeon Festival 2022

Get Tickets Now for Sturgeon Encounter on Huron Lady II

Organizers are preparing for this year’s Sturgeon Festival, and a limited amount of tickets are now available for the live sturgeon encounter aboard the Huron Lady II on June 4th.

Friends of the St. Clair River (Friends) will be celebrating their 15th anniversary at this year’s Blue Water Sturgeon Festival, the organization’s largest annual fundraiser to support its local conservation and education programs.

Tickets are available for the Huron Lady Sturgeon Cruise, an event designed to connect the community with the scientists who study Lake Sturgeon under the Blue Water Bridges. Tickets for the cruise are available for $30 <HERE>.

Along with the cruise, there will will also be sturgeon Festival events at Lighthouse park on June 4th from 10 AM until 3 PM. Admission is free, and there will be many activities available for visitors to learn about Lake Sturgeon.

Sheri Faust, Friends President, said “Sturgeon have been around for 136 million years, but in the last century they’ve nearly been wiped out. Numerous federal and state partners invested $4.3 million to construct three fish spawning reefs in the St. Clair River to study environmental cues to spawning and mortality.”

For more information visit http://www.sturgeonfestival.com/.

 

Avian Flu Detected in St. Clair & Macomb Counties

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has identified cases of avian flu in the state’s wild bird population.

Cases of avian flu have been confirmed n free-ranging Canada geese and tundra swans in St. Clair County, snowy owls from Macomb County, and in a mute swan from Monroe County.

The birds identified with the flu in St. Clair County were collected at St. Clair Flats State Wildlife Area and sent to labs at Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s lab in Ames, Iowa.

Avian influenza is low risk to humans, so the danger lies in transmission to other bird species, including domestic poultry.

Multiple agencies will work together to monitor the spread of avian influenza and monitor the health of poultry, livestock, wildlife, and residents in Michigan.

If you notice the death of three or more free-ranging bird in your yard, report it to the DNR through the Eyes in the Field website <HERE> or by calling 517-336-5030.

If you notice illness or multiple deaths in your domestic poultry, contact MDARD at 800-292-3939.

Veterans Have Access to Updated Websites

The Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs launched four new websites this week in an effort to improve access to information for its users.

They split their past website into four new sites to simplify what each site offers and make it easier for people to find the information they need. The Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, Michigan Veterans Homes, and Michigan Youth Challenge Academy now all have their own sites.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said, “Our websites provide valuable information and services to our service members, employees, stakeholders and the communities we serve. That is why it was imperative that we remove and prevent barriers to accessibility while improving site navigation to key services so that all visitors will have a positive experience when interacting with our websites.”

The sites are more streamlined so users can find information based on key services available from each department and they are more mobile-friendly. They will also help veterans and their dependents connect with a Veteran Service Officer in their area so they can get one-on-one help accessing their benefits.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

MI New Favorite Snack Competition Looking for the Next Big Thing in the Snacks

Everyone loves snack foods like chips, pretzels, candy, and more. The next big thing in snacks could be right here in Michigan.

The MI New Favorite Snack Competition has begun the search for Michigan’s next great snack food. The top prize is $30,000 and a distribution contract with All-Star Services, a Port Huron-based company that supplies workplace vending throughout the state.

The second-place prize is $15,000 and the third-place prize is $5,000. The entry period has begun and goes until August 1st. The finalists will compete for the top prizes on September 17th.

To qualify, entrants must have appropriate licensing and insurance and be headquartered in Michigan. The makers of the snack foods must be a small business with no more than ten employees at the time of entry and have the product packaged for consumer purchase.

The registration for MI New Favorite Snack is hosted by the Blue Water Chamber of Commerce and is supported by the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Michigan Essential Health Provider Program Pays Loans for Doctors in Underserved Areas

For those who want to become a doctor or other health professional, but are scared off by the cost of tuition, there is a new law that can take away some of the burdens of paying for higher education while helping bring care to the communities that need it most.

After bipartisan cooperation, Senate Bills 246 and 435 were signed into law to increase loan forgiveness for health professionals who work in underserved communities. The program is part of the Michigan Essential Health Provider Program.

Those who go into healthcare fields can have up to $300,000 in loans forgiven over the course of ten years. The bill also expands the physician specializations that qualify for the loan forgiveness to include mental health professionals. 

The sponsor of the bill, Senator Curt VanderWall, a Ludington Republican, said, “I’m excited by the unique opportunity that this bill offers. Communities all around the state are facing a real problem in this shortage of medical professionals. This bill will offer tuition relief for medical students that sign contracts in areas of need.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 Challenger Center has All-Star Lineup for April 30 Launch

The St. Clair County Community College Challenger Center is gearing up for the public launch of the facility. The founding chair, June Scobee Rodgers, Ph.D., will be featured at the April 30th kick-off.

Rodgers is the widow of Challenger Space Shuttle Commander Dick Scobee. The Center was founded in 1986 in the aftermath of the Challenger disaster.

Rodgers will be joined by former NASA astronauts Robert Curbeam, senior vice president of space capture at Maxar Technologies, and Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, earth scientist at Geosyntec Consultants, LCC.  

Dr. Deborah Snyder, president of St. Clair County Community College, said, “We are thrilled to welcome June, Robert and Dottie to campus for this event, which honors the legacy of the Challenger crew and opens the door to new and exciting immersive STEM education and engagement opportunities for Michigan and Ontario residents.”

The Challenger Center offers unique learning and team-building opportunities for students, educators, corporations, and community residents. A link can be found at WGRT.com.

To register for the April 30 event, visit challenger.sc4.edu/launch-event/. For more information and to book a Lunar Quest mission, visit challenger.sc4.edu

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland