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Local News

Blue Water Area COVID-19 Update January 7, 2021

As of January 6th, St. Clair County currently had 3,153 active cases of COVID-19 and 20% of hospital beds in the county were being used for COVID-19 patients.

The St. Clair County Health Department is providing information about COVID-19 vaccination on their website which includes answers to frequently asked questions about vaccine safety and the phased rollouts for vaccinating the public. Currently, the health department is actively vaccinating the first group, Phase 1A, persons including health care workers and residents of long term care facilities. As soon as they have completed vaccinating this group, they will roll into vaccinating the next group, Phase 1B, which includes other essential workers and individuals 75 years of age and older.

In the last Facebook Live session provided by the Health Department, Dr. Annette Mercatante, Medical Health Officer, said “How can I say that we know vaccines are safe? Because we have the most robust post-marketing systems in the world that monitor vaccine outcomes and safety.” She also said, “We do have a way of watching real time these vaccines and making sure no surprises hit us.”

Lambton County currently had 289 active cases, and Lambton Public Health was monitoring 15 outbreaks of the virus. The province of Ontario continues to be shutdown until further notice. Details on the shutdown are available at ontario.ca.

Please continue to rely on reputable sources for information on COVID-19:

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Sherman Woods Raises $11,000 in Red Kettle Drive

For many Blue Water area residents, a drive through the Sherman Woods neighborhood in Port Huron is an essential holiday tradition. Viewing the beautifully decorated homes and trees filled with glowing orbs is the perfect accompaniment to the Christmas playlist coming from the car radio.

Five years ago, the Sherman Woods Homeowners Association decided to take their Christmas cheer in a more philanthropic direction and began participating in the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Drive. Neighbors take turns collecting donations on weekend evenings when there is a steady flow of traffic through the neighborhood.

This year’s efforts generated an $11,000 donation to the Port Huron Salvation Army, surpassing last year’s total by nearly $7,000.

Fred Kemp, president of Sherman Woods Home Owner’s Association, said, “The response to the Red Kettle Drive in our neighborhood was nothing short of tremendous.”

He also said, “Visitors to our neighborhood during the campaign were equally generous in the money they donated. The funds helped to provide gifts and food for families in need during the holiday season. That was all the more important in this pandemic year. We want to thank everyone who made this such a huge success and we look forward to doing more in 2021.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Red Cross Offers Super Bowl Ticket Drawing as Incentive for Donors

The American Red Cross is in dire need of donor plasma. The need for convalescent plasma from COVID-19 survivors has created a shortage of the potentially lifesaving blood product.

Dr. Erin Goodhue, Red Cross medical director of clinical services, said, “Blood and plasma donors who have recovered from COVID-19 may have the power to help critically ill patients currently battling the virus. With hospital distributions for convalescent plasma increasing about 250% since October, these generous donations are vital in helping to save lives throughout the winter – a time that is often challenging to collect enough blood products for those in need.”

All blood donors in the month of January will be automatically entered to win a trip to the 2022 Super Bowl in Los Angeles. They will also be entered to win a “Big Game at Home” package which includes a 65” television and a $500 gift card.

Appointments need to be made by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or activating the Blood Scheduling Skill for Amazon Alexa.

Upcoming Blood Drives:

Emmett 1/7/2021: 1 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Our Lady of Mt Carmel Hall, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Hall, 10828 Brandon Road

Yale 1/11/2021: 11 a.m. – 4:45 p.m., Sacred Heart Church, 310 N. Main St.

Port Huron 1/15/2021: 9 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., St. Clair County Administration Bldg., 200 Grand River

1/18/2021: 12 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Port Huron Elks Lodge 343, 3292 Beach Road

1/29/2021: 10 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., St. Clair County Community Mental Health Authority, 3111 Electric Avenue

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Criminal Justice Reform Bills Signed into Law

A package of criminal justice reform bills was signed into law this week as a result of the findings and recommendations of the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration. The task force conducted a year long study of the criminal justice system in Michigan.

The twenty-bill package was written by a bipartisan coalition and passed with a wide margin. The bills were based on the task force findings that showed that low-level infractions, like driving on a suspended license, violations of probation, and other misdemeanors, were taxing public safety resources and their prosecution did not result in safer communities.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack said, “Our courts and justice system belong to the people, and these reforms reflect a consensus-based process that brought together all who share our commitment to fairness, accountability, transparency, and efficiency. We have more work to do to continue making Michigan even safer, but we are now a national leader in implementing criminal justice reform that is data-driven, informed by research, responsive to community input, and committed to building public trust.”  

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Police Looking for Suspect in Port Huron Home Invasion

On Tuesday, January 5, 2021 around 10:15 p.m. officers were called to the 1800 block of Water Street on a report of a Breaking and Entering into a home. The homeowner/victim, a 30 year old male, was alone inside the residence. The victim stated he did not know the suspect. 

The suspect broke into the home. He confronted the victim with a handgun and demanded money. The victim ran past the suspect and was struck in the head. The victim managed to get out the door and alerted neighbors to call the police. The suspect took an undisclosed amount of money and then fled the residence. The Major Crimes Unit as well as a PHPD K-9 responded to assist road patrol. Evidence was collected, but the suspect remains at large. 

Suspect: Black male, age range in the 20’s, approximately 6 feet tall with an athletic build wearing a ski mask and a sweatshirt. 

If you have any information on this home invasion or have video surveillance/Ring camera in this area call the Major Crimes Unit at (810) 984-5383 or CAPTURE at (810) 987-6688. 

Anonymous texts can also be received by texting the keyword CAPTURE and the message/tip to 847411 or by downloading the Port Huron PD app on an apple or android device. Tips can also be emailed by clicking on the CAPTURE link at www.porthuronpolice.org.

Submitted by the Port Huron Police Department

St. Clair County Library Switches to New and Improved Website

The St. Clair County Library System has a brand-new website and is phasing out the old one. Patrons are asked to make sure to get into the habit of using the updated website, stclaircountylibrary.org.

The new website is the workhorse of the library system, as much business is now done online as in-person services are significantly restricted by COVID-19 precautions. The new site is optimized for mobile devices and has been reorganized to meet the needs of patrons as they navigate the current reality.

Users can directly access the library catalog, the Michigan eLibrary, and other online resources in one spot. The library catalog now includes cover images and format icons to reduce clicks and increase efficiency. The new website also prominently features upcoming events and links to information about each branch.

According to the Library, “Online engagement has never been more important, and the new SCCLS website is just one more way to stay connected.”

A link to the new website:

https://stclaircountylibrary.org/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland