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Local News

Town Hall Speaker Shares Wisdom and New Season Announced

Amy Dickinson, syndicated columnist of “Ask Amy”, shared her wisdom at McMorran Place during this month’s Port Huron Town Hall speaker event. Dickinson’s warm and friendly personality lit up the room in her first appearance since the pandemic.

In an interview with WGRT, Dickinson shared, “This is my first trip! I mean, I put on mascara for the first time I think in two years. Honestly, it’s ten in the morning and I’m acting like I’m on spring break because I’m away and feeling good and just hearing the sound of the audience in the background is really a thrill for me.”

As Anne Landers’ successor, Dickinson shares her advice in over 150 newspapers around the U.S.

“After two years of tackling unsolvable pandemic problems…I knew that the pandemic was on the wane or taking a pause or something when just last week I started getting stupid questions again,” said Dickinson.

Amy Dickinson is also the bestselling author of two memoirs, Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Coming Home, and The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, A Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them.

The personal stories she shared during her Port Huron Town Hall presentation were drawn largely from her experience being raised by strong women and paying close attention to the lessons life has taught her through her own struggles.

You can learn more about Amy here: https://amydickinson.com/

Port Huron Town Hall shared its upcoming speakers today, and there was a buzz of excitement as the lineup was announced. The series will include four speakers and the series spans from September – December 2022.

Speakers for the 2022 Series are:

  • Brooke Shields – September 12th
  • Kate Andersen Brower – October 10th
  • Elliot Engel – November 14th
  • Javier Munoz – December 12th

Tickets are now on sale for the 2022 series and can be secured by following the directions at

porthurontownhall.com/tickets/

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

 

Middle and High School Students Asked to Complete Youth Advisory Survey

The Youth Advisory Council of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County is asking area middle school and high school students to complete a survey asking for their take on issues affecting teens.

Avery Allen, President of the Youth Advisory Council, said, “Our youth survey is designed to gather and use information straight from the youth in our community to create our priorities. We use our priorities as a measurement tool to effectively assess grant applications.”

Allen said, “The survey itself is a series of questions regarding the most important issues in our community right now, both positive and negative, according to the youth. The students on our committee came up with the questions using past surveys and current events. We wanted to cover as many serious issues as we could in our survey.”

Jackie Hanton, Vice President of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, said that the Youth Advisory Council has given out more than $1 million in grants since its inception in 1994. The Council reviews its priorities every three years.

A link to the survey can be found below.

https://www.stclairfoundation.org/yac-youth-survey/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

New Law Establishes Michigan First-Time Home Buyers Savings Program

First-time Home Buyers can now have tax-exempt savings accounts and deduct contributions from their taxes. A new law has been signed that would establish the Michigan First-Time Home Buyer Savings Program housed within the Department of Treasury.

On signing the bill, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “Homeownership creates opportunity for Michigan families and sets a foundation for economic success.” 

The bill was met with praise from real estate industry leaders.  James Iodice, Michigan Realtors President, said, “This new law sets up the state’s first dedicated savings vehicle for a new home purchase. These accounts will help individuals and families achieve the dream of homeownership, retain our talented college graduates, and promote financial literacy and smart savings.”

The law allows for tax exemption for accounts that are used to save for and purchase a single-family residence. Michigan home buyers can claim up to $5,000 for a single return and $10,000 for a joint return.

The average price for a single-family home is over $200,000 in Michigan.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Now Is the Time for Businesses to Sign Up for SC4 Career Fair

For businesses looking to recruit employees, there’s no need to look any further than downtown Port Huron. St. Clair County Community College is hosting an in-person Career Fair this spring and the time for employers to reserve their spot is now.

The Career Fair will be held on April 28th in the SC4 Fieldhouse. The popular event is part of a partnership between the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County, Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works!, the City of Port Huron/McMorran Place, and SC4’s TRIO Program.

Bonnie DiNardo, Executive Director of Community and Public Relations at SC4, said, “The Career Fair is a great opportunity for employers in our region to showcase their company, network with other employers, and above all, find the best candidates from our community’s rich talent pool.”

The annual Career Fair is expected to quickly reach capacity, so employers should sign up as soon as possible.

For registration details, go to the news section at WGRT.com.

https://sc4.edu/employment/career-fair/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Electric Vehicle Charging Grid to Get $110 Million Investment

Ready or not, electric vehicles are the vehicle of the not-so-distant future. Michigan is taking another step toward being ready to provide an infrastructure that supports charging the future of transportation.

Michigan is set to receive $110 million over five years to support expanding the electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration efforts to invest $5 billion in a national network of electric vehicle chargers.

Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan, said, “Here in Michigan, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to advance the state’s automotive and technology landscape in a way that improves the quality of life for all Michiganders.”

Pawl explained that the money will be used to continue building the infrastructure, attracting new businesses to build the network, and preparing the workforce.

Jane McCurry, Executive Director at Clean Fuels Michigan called the investment “historic” and said that the trade group stands ready to support the charging infrastructure.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Beeler Takes Action on Healthcare Transparency, Fetal Research

Michigan State Representative Andrew Beeler, a Port Huron Republican, has taken action to increase transparency in the health care industry and to prohibit research on aborted babies.

Beeler was part of a bipartisan coalition that presented House Bills 5074-5077 that would require transparency in the handling of Certificates of Need. Certificates of Need are legal documents needed for healthcare organizations to make major expenditures. The bills were unanimously approved and move to the Senate.

Beeler said, “Michigan medical professionals provide life-saving health care, and the people of our state deserve a health care system unencumbered by excessive government restrictions. Certificate of need regulations affect the availability of medical services in our state. Transparency will keep the program visible and accountable to the people of Michigan.”

Beeler was one of the votes that helped House Bills 5558 and 5559 pass last week. The bills would prohibit research on fetal tissue obtained by an abortion.

Beeler said, “Abortion devalues human life. Experimenting on the remains of aborted babies further denigrates lives and sanctions the horrific act of abortion. Our state should prevent this backwards experimentation and fight back against the commodification of human beings.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland