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Local News

St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office Explorer Post #2004 Accepting Applications

For young people who are interested in a career in law enforcement, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office is recruiting for its next session of the Explorer Post #2004.

The Post is for high school and college students between the ages of 15 and 21. Participants will receive weekly training in law enforcement-related topics. There will also be job shadowing and a week-long summertime youth police academy.

Applicants to the program must live in St. Clair County or attend a St. Clair County school. They should exhibit good moral character, be in good physical and mental health, have no criminal record, and pass a background investigation.

Those accepted to the program will learn about traffic stops, traffic crash investigation, firearms, and building searches. The program is described as a “stepping stone” to a career in law enforcement.

Interested students can contact Detective Kelsey Wade to apply.

Contact kwade@stclaircounty.org or cwilczak@stclaircounty.org for an application.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Schools Updates Quarantine Rules

Port Huron School Superintendent Theo Kerhoulas sent a letter to district families and staff explaining the quarantining requirements for those who have contracted COVID-19 and those who have possibly been exposed. Kerhoulas made it clear that the district’s goal is to keep kids in school in person while following all health mandates.

All students and staff are encouraged to wear masks, whether vaccinated or not, but it is not required, except for on buses.

Superintendent Kerhoulas sent a graph that lays out the various scenarios based on level of exposure and vaccination status. The vaccine is not currently available to kids under age 12.

Close contact exposure is going to require frequent testing and mask wearing. Students and staff showing any symptoms of infection will need to stay home and call the doctor.

Kerhoulas said, “Our teachers are ready to support your child while they are unable to attend classes due to illness or quarantine. Our goal is to keep students in school and these orders give us many more options that were not available last year.”

A link to the full plan can be found below.

Letter to Families 9.15.21 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Bridge Cards to Get Loaded with Extra Money

Those who receive food benefits from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will be receiving an additional monthly payment in September according to a recent announcement.

Bridge Cards will be loaded with the additional food assistance benefits between September 18th and 28th. The payment will be separate from assistance provided earlier in the month.

MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said, “MDHHS remains committed to continuing to help families affected by the pandemic put food on the table. Addressing food insecurity is one of the department’s top priorities and becomes even more important during a pandemic.”

Some families have been receiving additional benefits for 17 months. All eligible recipients began receiving benefits in May of this year. The minimum additional payment is $95 with payments up to $1408 for a family of eight. Eligible families do not need to reapply to get the benefits. They are loaded onto Bridge Cards automatically.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Michigan on Alert for Dreaded Spotted Lanternfly

Don’t let its unusual and colorful wings fool you, the spotted lanternfly is trouble. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is asking the public to be aware of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect.

The insect has the ability to kill more than 70 varieties of plants, including grapes, apples, hops, and hardwoods. There have been no sightings yet in Michigan, but neighboring states have reported confirmed infestations. Dead lanternflies have been found in packaging in Michigan, demonstrating a way in which they can make their way around the country.

Robert Miller, invasive species prevention and response specialist for MDARD said, “Spotted lanternfly may be a colorful insect worthy of an Instagram post, but also is an invasive species with the potential to wreak havoc on trees, plants and other natural resources, resulting in millions of dollars in damages.”

If you find a spotted lanternfly egg mass, nymph or adult, take one or more photos, make note of the date, time and location of the sighting, and report to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, MDA-Info@Michigan.gov or phone the MDARD Customer Service Center, 800-292-3939. If possible, collect a specimen in a container for verification.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Will Bendik Disc Golf Course Opens With Tournament September 25th

Disc Golfing is hot right now with lots of interest in the outdoor sport. St. Clair County is now the place to be for disc golfing with the new Will Bendik Memorial Disc Golf Course at Columbus County Park.

The Grand opening will be on September 25th at 1:00 p.m. at the park, located at 1670 Bauman Road in Columbus Township. A tournament will be held on opening day with both men’s and women’s divisions. The registration deadline for the tournament is September 23rd.  There are cash prizes to the winners.

The course has been a labor of love for many months as the state-of-the-art course has been constructed in the beautiful Columbus County Park setting. The course was professionally designed by Jeff Bauman with “Gold Level” tees as well as fun tees for beginners.

Funding for the course was provided by the family of Will Bendik, in his memory. Cooperation with St. Clair County Parks and year-round hard work from disc golf enthusiasts have made the disc golf course a destination.

Links to more information and tournament signup:

https://www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/Will_Bendik_Memorial_2021

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2783535091863861/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

What is There To Do in the Port Huron Area?

If you have guests visiting from out of town, or you are a native looking to see your city with fresh eyes, you can take multiple tours of Port Huron on Google and discover much of what the area has to offer.

The Blue Water Convention and Visitors Bureau has created several community tourism maps on Google that feature shopping, dining, and indoor and outdoor recreation and entertainment options in the city of Port Huron and the Thumbcoast region.

Maps include Discover Port Huron, Thumbcoast Beer, Wine & Spirits Tour, Michigan Thumbcoast Heritage & Lighthouse Tour, Michigan Thumbcoast Road Trip M29 – M25, and Haunted Sites.

According to Katie Stepp, Marketing Manager for the Blue Water Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, they are working on maps for each of the major shoreline communities. They are also active on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and, more recently, TikTok spreading the word about our region and its amenities.

For more information, visit: bluewater.org

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand