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Local News

Hope Blooms From Home Fundraiser to Benefit Hunter Hospitality House

Hunter Hospitality House will be holding its spring fundraiser, Hope Blooms, virtually this year. The Port Huron non-profit is offering an interesting mix of items that are being raffled off.

Hunter Hospitality House provides free lodging to anyone who needs to stay close to either of Port Huron’s hospitals. They have two bed and breakfast style homes and one family home.

Executive Director Tracy Willard said, “We’re really grateful for how the community always comes through for us with this important fundraiser. Once again, three Woman’s Life Chapters are providing matching funds up to $500 for donations and purchases of raffle tickets.”

Raffle items include a large screen tv, a Shinola watch, and many others. There are also sponsorship opportunities. The prizes will be drawn on April 28th, but tickets are on sale now.

Willard said, “Individuals and businesses donated really wonderful prizes, and we’re already hearing from sponsors. Supporting HHH through Hope Blooms ensures guests will receive free hospital lodging and abundant amenities.”

For more information, go to hunterhospitalityhouse.com.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Museums Looking for Artists for Upcoming Exhibit

Did pandemic life spark your creativity and inspire some artwork? The Carnegie Museum in Downtown Port Huron is looking for artists who want to display their work and perhaps make some money from the sale of their work. The exhibit is called “Perspectives: Art Out of the Pandemic”.

The exhibit opens on April 23rd but now is the time for artists to start submitting their work. The exhibit is open to local artists who work in all forms of media. Painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and other mediums are all part of the exhibit. While the exhibit name references the pandemic, the art does not need to be about COVID-19, but it should have been created during the pandemic.

Artists who wish to offer their art for sale are able to do so, with the Museum taking a small commission. The exhibit will be held on the Mezzanine through July 22nd.  

Artists have until April 1st to register up to five pieces. Port Huron Museums will decide what pieces they will display. A link to the registration form can be found below.

phmuseum.org/art

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 to Feature “Detroit’s Queen of the Blues” Thornetta Davis on March 17th

Thornetta Davis is coming to the Free Thursday Concert Series at St. Clair County Community College. Davis is known as “Detroit’s Queen of the Blues”.

Thornetta Davis is an international singer, songwriter, and recording artist. Davis was awarded the “Living Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Detroit Blues Society. She also was awarded a star on the Canada South Blues Museum “Walk of Fame”.

Davis has opened for B.B. King, Ray Charles, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, and others. Her list of accolades and recognition is lengthy. Davis’ career reaches back to the 1980s with her music having been featured in television shows and commercials over the past thirty years. Davis’ vocals have been heard as a background singer on recordings for both Kid Rock and Bob Seger.

Performances will be at noon and 7:00 p.m. on March 17th in the SC4 Fine Arts Theatre. The concerts are free, but seating is limited and tickets are required. Tickets are available here:

https://sc4.edu/event/free-concert-thornetta-davis-3/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Tax Relief Bill Making its Way Through State Legislature

State taxes could be reduced if the Senate approves a bill that has been bouncing around the Michigan Legislature.

Port Huron’s State Representative Andrew Beeler, a member of the House Committee on Tax Policy, endorsed the bill. 

The tax bill is estimated to provide $2.5 billion in tax relief to Michigan tax-payers, exemptions for seniors age 62 or older, and enable deduction from retirement income like pensions, 401(K) plans, and IRAs. 

The plan also allows parents to receive a child tax credit of up to $500 per child. 

Beeler said, “Inflation continues to creep, perhaps even leap, forward. Prices are climbing as working families and seniors alike dig deeper into their pockets to pay the cost of living. Meanwhile, the state government is sitting on a taxpayer-funded nest egg, and the extra money available should be returned to the people who paid for it. Our plan extends real relief to the people of Michigan with a forward-thinking and family-focused tax cut.”

The tax relief bill is now headed to the Senate for approval.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

PH Country Style Market - Photo by Jessie Wiegand

PH Country Style Market Opens Today

After many ups and downs, PH Country Style Market opens today in downtown Port Huron, and co-owners Steve Fernandez and Michelle Jones are excited to welcome the community to a new way to shop for groceries in St. Clair County.

The new grocery store will focus on small shopping trips for essentials, gourmet ingredients, fresh meat, dairy, and produce, and old-fashioned customer service. Both the interior and exterior have been lovingly remodeled to create a unique and aesthetically pleasing environment.

The soft opening starts at 11 AM on March 4, 2022, and the store will be open from 11-6 for the first month. A grand opening celebration is planned for April 2nd with hopes of unveiling the basement level of the store which will house a wine and beer cellar and sundries shop.

To learn more about the story behind the store, listen to Steve Fernandez on LIMElight with Jessie <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Canadian Law Enforcement Snags Narcotics at Border

A large quantity of narcotics was seized at the U.S.-Canadian border in January. The Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police made the announcement on March 2nd, 2022.

The drugs were found when a 23-year old truck driver from Quebec City, Quebec, showed up at the primary inspection booth at the Blue Water Bridge in Point Edward. The drugs were found in large garbage bags and in spare tires in the tractor-trailer.

Approximately 265 kilograms of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines were seized from the vehicle. The matter is being taken up by the Ontario Court of Justice in Ontario.

The release from the Canadian law enforcement agencies said, in part, ”The CBSA, Southern Ontario Region, in partnership with the RCMP is committed to keeping illegal goods from entering our neighborhoods. The dedication of officers from these forces kept approximately 265 kilograms of illegal suspected narcotics from reaching our communities, weakening the grip of organized crime.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland