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Local News

Resources Ready for Veterans and Refugees Amidst Chaos in Afghanistan

The situation in Afghanistan is changing rapidly. The state of Michigan is preparing for the possibility of providing a home for those who have to leave Afghanistan and make a new home somewhere else.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a press release last week, “Michigan’s greatest strength is—and always has been—our people. We have a rich history of multiculturalism—from the Dutch who settled in the West, to the Finns who mined the North, to the Middle-Easterners who made Dearborn a flourishing center for Arab culture, and countless others who make us who we are. People from around the world have come to Michigan over centuries for good-paying jobs, a high-quality education for their kids, and the right to live and worship freely. “

Whitmer is waiting to hear more from the U.S. State Department, but Michigan’s departments and agencies are gearing up to provide support to those Afghans who may be calling Michigan home.

Whitmer also reached out to Michigan’s veterans who may be struggling with the images of chaos in the land in which so many sacrifices were made. Whitmer said, “You answered the call to serve your country and now we have a duty to serve you.” 

A link to resources for veterans:

Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (1-800-MICH-VET) 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Richmond to Dedicate New Football Field to Late Coach John Kocher

Before the first kick-off of the season on Thursday night, Richmond Community Schools will be dedicating their football field to the late Coach John Kocher and rededicating Ben Boldt Stadium. The Richmond community has a tradition of cheering their football teams on to victory, but they proved their support when they passed a $37.1 million bond proposal two years ago that included a state-of-the-art synthetic turf football field.

Chris Rinehart, Athletic Director for Richmond Community Schools, said he got goosebumps just thinking about how incredible the new football field is. Rinehart said every piece of the field is fantastic, from the color scheme to the feel of the turf, and the whole community is using it.

Rinehart said that the dedication of the field to Coach Kocher is important to the community because Coach Kocher, who battled cancer until his passing in March, enjoyed being a part of the success of students. He was passionate about kids and football.  The dedication was proposed by community members Nick Matthes and Pat Akerley and the whole community embraced the idea.

Referring to Coach Kocher, Rinehart said, “Knowing what he meant to this community, and what he did in Richmond, we are all proud to be a part of it.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Crosstown Showdown October 8th

Fall is just around the corner, and preparations are being made for this year’s Crosstown Showdown between the Port Huron High and Port Huron Northern football teams.

The event was cancelled last year, so organizers are looking forward to this fundraiser for the Port Huron Schools Endowment Fund. Funds are raised through sponsorships and ticket sales for a catered end zone tailgate reception held during the game.

Members of the Endowment Fund Committee hope to increase the fund from its current balance of $404,859.31 to $1 million dollars.

PHS Endowment Fund Advisory Chairperson Kim  Dooley said, “The annual principal of the fund stays invested, while the interest supports Pre-K through 12th grade related classroom grants and college access initiatives for Port Huron teachers and students.”

Each year, a group is honored at the pregame celebration, and this year, the focus will be on Port Huron Schools Food & Nutrition Department and their staff and volunteers who have served over 1.8 million meals to the community since March of 2020.

Sponsorships and tickets for the Crosstown Showdown can be purchased <HERE> or in person at football games at Memorial Stadium, the PHS Administrative Building, or by contacting Sue Schmid at the St. Clair County Community Foundation at (810) 984-4761 or by email to sschmid@stclairfoundation.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Quarantine Order in Effect Until Further Notice

Dr. Annette Mercatante, Medical Health Officer of the St. Clair County Health Department, issued a Public Health Order effective August 20th until further notice. The Order reaffirms that a close contact of person infected with COVID-19 must quarantine for 10 days.

Anyone who is notified by the the St. Clair County Health Department, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, or their local school district that they are a close contact of an infected person must quarantine unless they are fully vaccinated or have had a documented case of COVID-19 in the previous 90 days and are fully recovered.

Dr. Mercatante said, “Quarantine of a healthy individual who is identified as a close contact is necessary to control community transmission of COVID-19. We understand how difficult the last 18 months have been on everyone, however it is our duty to protect the health of our community and work to control the spread of this virus.”

The Order states that businesses, schools, and other facilities must continue to keep records for contact tracing purposes and provide them to the health department if needed. They are also subject to serious civil or criminal penalties if they permit an employee, student, or patron to act contrary to the Order.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Whitmer Asks Power Companies to Do a Better Job Handling Outages

Power outages have been a real hardship for many Michigan families this year and the state government is calling on utility companies to come up with a plan to help Michigan families deal with the inconvenience. Over 750,000 households have lost power at some point this summer.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “This summer, Michiganders have been dealing with extreme weather events that led to lengthy power outages and repeated flooding.”

Whitmer said that the outages have caused spoiled food, interfered with life-saving medical equipment, disrupted the workday, and exacerbated the dangers of unmitigated hot weather. The outages occurred on some of the hottest days of the year.

Calling for credits paid to those who lost power, Whitmer said, “We need tangible, immediate action from Michigan’s three largest utility companies to ensure the production and delivery of affordable, reliable energy to every family, community, and small business.” 

Whitmer also wants trees trimmed, power grids made more secure and reliable, and emergency plans tightened up to avoid these long outages in the future. She has made requests to DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, and Indiana Michigan Power to take immediate action.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

County Asks for Gypsy Moth Reports in Survey

2021 was the year of the gypsy moth in many parts of St. Clair County as massive numbers of the hungry gypsy moth caterpillars invaded properties in late spring and early summer.

Some property-owners placed blame on local government for getting caught off guard and not taking action, like spraying trees with an insecticide treatment, while neighboring counties had programs in place to combat the destructive pests.

The Board of Commissioners heard the complaints and action is being taken to identify the extent of the problem. Residents can fill out an online survey to report where the gypsy moth caterpillars were found this year and the extent of the damage.

There is a natural treatment of a fungus that is effective in killing the larvae, but it has to be applied at the right time in the right places. Rainfall was sufficient for most trees to recover from the early defoliation this year.

The County has not released any specific plan for treatment; they are just gathering data right now.

A link to the gypsy moth survey can be found below. A representative from the county may contact residents to inspect properties where high numbers of gypsy moths in any life stage have been reported.

http://www.stclaircounty.org/Caterpillars/CaterpillarsSurvey.aspx?fbclid=IwAR0Luhryjy6MsDT2pj54Sswwfh_ImQvr1TZKFC7vSqLb0FXKHBmC0hvd7h4

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland