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Local News

MOC Building Will List for $5 Million

At their regular meeting Monday night, the Port Huron city Council approved listing the Municipal Office Center, or the MOC building, for sale.  The building will be listed for $5 million with Kramer Realty on October 1st.

Port Huron Mayor Pauline Repp said the city has been considering listing the building for awhile, and the timing seems advantageous to pursue sale of the property now. They hope to see something move to the site that would be an economic driver for the city.

“When it was [built] it was the right thing to do because we got all kinds of money. The site down there was pretty much industrial, and we got a lot of federal funds in order to fix up that property and put the building up. So, it wasn’t a big cost to the taxpayers when that went up,” said Repp.

Repp also said the purchaser of the building would have to submit a development plan before the sale was approved. “We will not allow anyone to purchase it and just hold on to it,” she said.

The only thing for sale is the building and the parking lots. The City will keep ownership of Keifer Park, and the public will still have access to the waterfront.

At this time, there is no plan for relocating the city’s employees or tenants when the building sells. Current tenants include Michigan Works! and other State of Michigan offices, Port Huron Police Department, and the St. Clair County EDA. In August, The EDA announced plans to build its own building at Desmond Landing near the Blue Water YMCA.

Repp said the Council also issued certificates to DTE Energy and the city’s police, fire, and forestry departments at the meeting. They commended them for everything they did to assist residents and deal with the aftermath of last week’s storms.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

Home Heating Credits Mailed to Michigan Households

Checks are in the mail for families and individuals who qualify for the Home Heating Credit. The checks are for $100 or $200 depending on circumstances.

Over 178,600 households are getting the one-time payment. The recipients are the ones who got the Home Heating Credits for the 2020 tax year. The money is coming from the Fiscal Year 2021 federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

There’s still time to apply for the credit, but not much. Applications need to be turned in by September 30th. State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said, “There is still time to apply for the Home Heating Credit. You don’t have to file an individual income tax return to receive the credit. Please don’t wait and submit your application today.”  

According to a press release, households with seniors, disabled individuals, or children under 5 years old are receiving $200. Other eligible households are receiving $100.

The Home Heating Credit application form can be obtained at www.michigan.gov/taxes.  Additional information can be found on the Home Heating Credit website. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Booster Shots Recommended for Some Pfizer Recipients

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is recommending booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to certain people who received the Pfizer vaccine.

The recommendation is that people 65 and older and those aged 50 – 64 with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer’s vaccine at least 6 months after their last dose. This also applies to residents of long-term care setting who are 18 and older.

Other groups who may receive a booster shot include those 18 – 49 who have underlying medical conditions that would make them more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19 (for a list of medical conditions, click <HERE>), and frontline workers or those whose job make them more susceptible to contracting the virus.

The current recommendations for booster shots only apply to those who received the Pfizer vaccine. If you cannot remember which vaccine you received, it is listed on your vaccine card and can be accessed on the Michigan Immunization Portal <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

 

Betty Kearns Cancer Fund Helps Ease Burdens for Cancer Patients

Getting a cancer diagnosis is bad enough. Worrying about paying bills during treatment is even worse. The Betty Kearns Cancer Fund can help.

The Fund has been quietly giving money to cancer patients to help them with expenses. They recently reported giving out $16,000 over the past year.

The Betty Kearns Cancer Fund is trying to raise awareness of the fund so that cancer patients know its out there to help them. The money is available to all cancer patients, with any type of cancer, and who are getting treatment anywhere.

Most financial assistance grants are $1000, but larger grants can be given for extenuating circumstances. Several of the past year’s recipients used the grants for pre-planning their final expenses, which eased their minds quite a bit while dealing with cancer.

Applications for the Betty Kearns Cancer Fund assistance can be found at the Community Foundation of St. Clair County website <HERE> . Applicants must reside in St. Clair or Sanilac County.

The grants are meant to help cancer patients with daily living expenses so they can focus on their health and healing.

A link to more information can be found at WGRT.com.

Pottery for Everyone at Foundry

If you’ve ever wanted to take a pottery class, now is your chance. Foundry, Port Huron’s home for creators, has several pottery options in October for beginners on up.

Denny Snyder and Mark “Pappy” Brandt have been working hard to get the pottery studio at the former Studio 1219 rebooted to fit Foundry’s mission to connect local artists in a comfortable and inspiring atmosphere.

October’s classes mix traditional weekly beginning classes where students learn to use the wheel with “Just for Fun” nights and ceramic pumpkin carving classes. On Saturday, October 16th, there is an outdoor pottery experience where participants make RAKU Jack-o-Lanterns.

“This is a really cool process like the one we did last November on our big opening,” said Snyder.

They will have a bunch of pre-made Jack-o-Lanterns, skulls, ghosts, and maybe even a few Christmas trees that participants can pick out and paint. The RAKU process involves popping the piece into an open fire and then cooling it in a trash can. The whole process takes about an hour.

“It’s a really cool unique thing that you can’t really do anywhere else around here in the area,” said Snyder. “It’s instant gratification because you can do it and take it home that night.”

Classes are available for all ages, and booking is online at Foundry’s website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Be Aware of Deceptive Packaging on THC Edibles

The Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association, MCMA, is calling on lawmakers to regulate the market for marijuana products. Unlicensed cannabis products are causing concern as they are packaged and labeled to look like candy.

Imagine stopping at a gas station for snacks for a road trip and mistakenly giving the kids THC-laced edibles that you thought were fruit snacks. That happened to a Southeastern Michigan family this year.

Another family in southeastern Michigan got tricked into buying what they thought were Sour Patch Kids candies, but they were actually “Stoner Patch Dummies”, and contained THC. The name might be funny, but it was no laughing matter when the kids were taken to the hospital after consuming the edibles.

Stephen Linder, MCMA executive director said, “We’re seeing far too many young children accidentally poisoned by cannabis products with deceptive labeling. All cannabis products in Michigan should be tested, tracked, labeled and licensed to help ensure it is safe for patients and adult-use consumers.”

Until the industry is regulated, it is up to consumers to be very careful about what they buy and to be aware that THC products are sometimes packaged just like candy.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland