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Local News

Beeler Has Plan to Help Veterans Become Teachers

There is a shortage of teachers in Michigan. There are also veterans looking for jobs. To possibly help both situations, State Representative Andrew Beeler, a Port Huron Republican testified before the House Committee on Military, Veterans, and Homeland Security.

Beeler presented a plan to make it easier for qualified veterans to get a teaching certificate.

The bill would allow United States veterans to get teaching certificates more quickly if they have instructional experience in the military. Honorably discharged veterans with both a bachelor’s degree and military certification to train service members could be eligible for taking a subject area test to gain teaching credentials.

Beeler said, “The goal here is to help veterans with the requisite experience move past some of the red tape involved in earning a teaching certificate in order to expedite them getting into the classroom. By helping veterans translate their military training experience into civilian terms, we can make Michigan a more attractive place to move for transitioning service members.”

House Bill 4913 is under consideration by the Committee.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Chesterfield’s Cindy Berry Announces Candidacy for Secretary of State

The 2022 election is about a year away, but the race for Michigan’s Secretary of State position is heating up with the addition of another candidate. Republican Cindy Berry has joined Republican Kristina Karamo in the bid to unseat Democrat Jocelyn Benson.

Berry is the current Chesterfield Township Clerk and says that she has saved local taxpayers over $3 million and reduced election costs by 29%.

In her candidacy announcement, Berry said, “I am passionate about public service and believe we can – and need – to do better. Over the next several months I will present more on my background and specific plans to improve service for all Michiganders.”

Kristina Karamo, of Oak Park, announced her candidacy for Secretary of State earlier this year and has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Karamo has been an outspoken critic of Michigan’s current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on the national media stage.

Benson had already raised $800,000 for her re-election campaign by mid-summer. Benson has consistently maintained that the 2020 elections were free and fair.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Fake Laced Pills Bring Urgent Warning from DEA

Local community agencies are echoing the urgent alarm from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency regarding the counterfeit pills that are flooding the nation. Fake pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine are being pushed by criminal enterprises nationwide.

The DEA says, “The only safe medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.”

The fake laced pills look like the real pills and people are definitely falling for the scam. The opioid dependence crisis is fueling the scam, giving the criminal enterprises a market for counterfeit opioids like Oxycontin, Vicodin, Xanax, and others; and stimulants like Adderall. Parents need to warn kids and teens to never take an unprescribed pill. Fentanyl can kill with one pill.

The warning does not apply to legitimately prescribed medications from licensed pharmacies. The deadly fake pills are often marketed on social media and e-commerce platforms.

The DEA blames fentanyl for the unprecedented 93,000 overdose deaths reported last year.

A link to more information: www.DEA.gov/onepill

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland

Kate’s Downtown Open and Staying Positive

Kate Voss had a flurry of messages this week when Google’s business profile started showing her Downtown Port Huron café as permanently closed. Voss wants to assure her customers and the community that she’s open and going strong.

As far as she knows, the Google business listing was changed by a hacker, and a friend was able to quickly resolve the issue.

The Google listing for Kate’s Downtown currently has the correct information and hours which are Tuesday – Saturday from 10 AM – 2 PM.

Kate’s Downtown recently celebrated its 9 year anniversary in Downtown Port Huron and is best known for its quaint interior, delicious food, and friendly staff.

Voss’s warm personality makes every guest feel like family, and her positive response to this recent issue demonstrates her desire to encourage others rather than dwell on the setbacks.

“Whomever the person is that decided to try and inconvenience us today…I encourage you to try & redeem yourself! Do something good for someone else. It’s very rewarding…way better than sabotage,” said Voss on Facebook.

To learn more about Kate’s Downtown, visit http://katesdowntown.cafe/

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

States to FDA: Do a Better Job at Regulating Baby Food

Baby food really should not have lead or mercury in it. That seems obvious, but there is concern that the FDA is not adequately regulating the baby food industry to address the mounting concerns over toxic heavy metals in baby food.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel signed the letter petitioning the United States Food and Drug Administration to accelerate their efforts to remove toxic heavy metals from infant and toddler foods. The petition is asking the FDA to move faster to reach their “Closer to Zero” plan.

Nessel said, “There is no population more vulnerable than infants and toddlers, and action must take place swiftly to ensure that foods designed for growing children are safe to eat.”

The petition was prompted by a report from the U.S. House of Representatives’ Oversight and Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy that found high levels of toxic heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, in many baby foods.

Rice cereal is of particular concern and the petition asks for the FDA to lower the acceptable level of inorganic arsenic in the popular “first solid food” of many infants.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Wizard School The Hallway Entertainment Art by Gordon Whitney

New Wizard School Escape Room at The Hallway Entertainment

The Hallway Entertainment has a new escape room debuting this weekend, and those who love tales of magic and wizardry will want to check it out.

The new Wizard School Escape Room sends puzzle-solvers on a quest to recover a magical element from the office of the school’s headmaster. In the one-hour experience, players will encounter riddles, clues, maps, and interactive puzzles that engage almost all of their senses.

Up to six people at a time can attempt to escape from the Wizard School room, and the cost is $25 per person.

Carol Hall, owner of The Hallway Entertainment, said “Escape rooms bring out the best in everyone. Some people take charge, some think out of the box, some are great at decoding puzzles, and some learn that they need to speak up to have their ideas heard.”

She recommends the escape rooms for families, corporate team-building, or just having fun with your friend group. The Hallway Entertainment is currently booking the Wizard School room along with Murder Mystery and Sunken Freighter Mystery rooms. They also host Game Show nights for bigger groups and have a rentable space for kids called Kid City.

To learn more, visit TheHallwayEntertainment.com

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand