Local News

Thumb Coast Kitchens just opened its first shared kitchen in Port Huron. The shared kitchen is at Grace Episcopal Church on 6th Street, and it is ready to host food-based entrepreneurs who would benefit from use of a commercial kitchen.

The kitchen at Grace Episcopal has commercial ovens, large range stoves, and prep tables. It’s perfect for bakers, chefs, and caterers who need a larger space to prepare food for their businesses.

The shared kitchen can be rented for $25.00 per hour or on a monthly plan that could include access to dry storage.

Kitchen Manager Daysha Woodley is excited to be open and looks forward to helping food-based businesses grow and the food offerings in the area to become more diverse.

“I am a local entrepreneur, and I own Daylicious Drinks & Treats. This gives me the opportunity to grow my business, and I get to help others,” said Woodley.

This first shared kitchen is part of a bigger plan for food-based businesses in St. Clair County. The next step is to open the former Atrium Café and operate it not only as a shared kitchen with more options for chefs, but also as a dine-in space for pop-up meals, parties, and more.

Woodley said the projected opening for the shared kitchen at The Atrium is the spring of 2022.

For more information about Thumb Coast Kitchens, follow them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/Thumb-Coast-Kitchens-104613232014599

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

House Oversight Committee Chair Steve Johnson (R-Wayland) today requested that the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) turn over any documents concerning COVID-19 citations given to the city of Port Huron that have not already been destroyed.

MIOSHA reportedly dismissed a case against the city of Port Huron after the city decided to contest charges while deposing MIOSHA’s director. During this legal dispute related to supposed violations of COVID-19 protocols, MIOSHA reportedly destroyed and burned documents.

“Hearing that a state department was burning or destroying documents is very troubling,” said Johnson, referencing news reports on the issue. “The Oversight Committee will be looking further into this case to see what happened.”

Johnson said the committee will conduct a hearing on what has unfolded in the near future.

Submitted by Rep. Steve Johnson’s Office

On October 21st, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) filed to dismiss a citation against the city of Port Huron. The citation was related to claims that the city violated COVID-19 regulations.

MIOSHA dismissed the citation 6 days after city officials said they planned to have their lawyer, Todd Shoudy, depose the agency’s director, Bart Pickelman.

The city of Port Huron has consistently maintained that it was not guilty of violating the COVID-19 workplace mandates established by Governor Whitmer in Executive Orders.

According to Port Huron City Manager James Freed, everyone was following safety protocols such as mask wearing and physical distancing, and the city was spending over $100,000 on microbial cleaning in its buildings, facilities, police cars, and fire trucks.

“When this first started, we took it very seriously. My job is safety: safety of our residents, safety of our staff. So if you ask people to come to work, you must provide a safe environment, and we took that very seriously,” said Freed.

When the inspector visited, he told city officials that he observed no violations. They later learned that he wrote a citation anyway which is what motivated the city to appeal.

During the deposition for the appeal, Freed said the inspector admitted under oath that he had observed no wrongdoing and destroyed emails and documents related to the case.

“It’s very disheartening. We have the resources to defend our name, to challenge when wrongfully accused, and to follow due process. My heart does break for the small business owners, for the mom-and-pops, who didn’t have the resources to defend themselves, to either plead guilty or take a settlement, because they couldn’t go through the process, and they didn’t have the resources to put MIOSHA under oath,” said Freed.

The city spent between $10,000 – $15,000 to appeal the citation.

The Michigan Supreme Court determined that all Executive Orders issued by Whitmer after April 30, 2020 were unconstitutional, and there are still cases similar to the one involving the city of Port Huron that are in appeal or open until the business resolves the situation.

A formal adoption of the Attorney General’s request to dismiss the case against the city should happen soon, and Freed expects the Michigan House and Senate Oversight Committees will begin investigations into this situation.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Foundry calls itself the Home for Creators in Port Huron. With a mix of art experiences, pottery workshops, and live performances, the building at 1219 Military Street is becoming just that.

One of Foundry’s regular live performances is the Writer’s Round, a monthly music event that features three musicians performing their own unique songs. The artists take turns telling the story behind their song and then performing it for the audience. Concerts usually last around an hour and a half, and the cost is $25 per person.

Writer’s Rounds take place in Foundry’s Listening Room which has a warm aesthetic featuring multi-colored pallet wood walls and eclectic furniture. The room seats about 50 people.

Caleb Malooley, chief songwriter and lead vocalist for The Gasoline Gypsies, organizes the Writer’s Rounds and chooses the artists who participate.

Malooley said, “It’s a cool experience. It’s a whole different thing than pretty much any other show I’ve ever been part of.”

To hear Caleb talk more about Writer’s Rounds and the way they help him connect with fans, listen to him share on LIMElight here: https://wgrt.com/limelight-podcast/songwriters-sharing-the-stories-behind-their-music/

The next Writer’s Round at Foundry is November 20. 2021, and tickets are on sale here: See Tickets

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand