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Local News

National Drug Take Back Day at SCC Sheriff’s Office Saturday

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department is participating in National Drug Take Back Day this weekend. Medications can be dropped off at the Sheriff’s Office at 1170 Michigan Road between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 24th.

Responsibly disposing of unneeded pills helps deter drug abuse and crime as well as help protect the environment. Sheriff Tim Donnellon said, “We encourage everyone who has pills that are unwanted or expired to bring them to our office. Disposing of the pills properly ensures they don’t end up being improperly used and keeps them out of our drinking water.”

Only pills are accepted. Liquids, syringes, patches, inhalers, and creams are not accepted. The pills are turned over to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, which incinerates them.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office has been hosting Drug Take Back Days eighteen times and has collected over 2400 pounds of pills.

If you can’t make it to the Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, you can still drop them off at the Sheriff’s Office during business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Fall Carnival Planned at Carnegie Center

Port Huron, MI — As the temperature drops, outdoor options for families are starting to dry up and indoor options are few and far between. Yet, the Port Huron Museums have found a way to have a safe and fun indoor experience. 

They 2020 Fall Carnival is this Sunday, October 25th, at the Carnegie Center in Downtown Port Huron. Andrew Kercher, Director of Community Engagement for the Museum, said that there is plenty of space to spread out at the three-story building. The museum is planning indoor carnival style games geared toward elementary age children while offering cider and a campfire outside. They are maintaining social distancing and preventing large crowds by requiring advance reservations. 

The event is a fundraiser for the Museum, which has been hit hard by COVID related closures and loss of revenue. Kercher said that the silver lining to the COVID shutdown has been that it has forced them to be creative in maintaining access to local history and looking at their collections in new ways. 

The Museum is limiting capacity to twenty people per time slot during the Fall Carnival. The cost is $5 per person.

Reservations are available between noon and 3:00 p.m. They can be made through Eventbrite at phmuseum.org. 

Port Huron Museums are planning a telethon for Giving Tuesday on November 1st. Stay tuned for details as the event gets closer. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Sheriff Donnellon Retiring Early to take New Position

Sheriff Tim Donellon was elected St. Clair County Sheriff in 2008, and he will end his term a little early to take a new position with the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB). His new position is scheduled to begin on November 9th.

The MGCB’s mission is to ensure the conduct of fair and honest gaming to protect the interests of the citizens of the state of Michigan. They provide for the licensing, regulation, and control of casino gaming operations, and they regulate pari-mutuel horse racing and casino-style charitable gaming among other things.

Sheriff Donnellon has been active in the community and is thankful for its support. “We in St. Clair County law enforcement are blessed to have the backing of the citizens to do our job,” said Sheriff Donnellon.  “I will be forever thankful for your kindness and thoughtfulness throughout my career, ” said Donnellon.

Donnellon planned to retire in January after finishing his term, and current Sheriff’s Office Captain Mat King is running unopposed for his position. A board made up of Prosecutor Mike Wendling, Probate Judge Elwood Brown, and County Clerk Jay DeBoyer, will choose a replacement for Donnellon to serve in the interim before King takes the position January 1st.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Whitmer Urges Michiganders to Take Rise in Cases Seriously

Lansing, MI — In a press conference yesterday, Governor Whitmer pled with Michiganders to realize the seriousness of the rise the state is seeing in COVID-19 cases. “We have seen a steady rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. We are now at our peak when it comes to daily new cases – this peak is higher than the peak we saw in April, ” she said.

Whitmer displayed a graph demonstrating the correlation between actions taken by her administration to mitigate COVID-19 and the number of cases reported in the state. According to the graph, cases began to rise when the Governor rescinded the Safer at Home order and moved the state to phase four of the MI Safe Start Plan on June 8th and again when K-12 public schools began to reopen. Cases have been rising since schools were reopened and have continued to rise since the Michigan Supreme Court struct down Whitmer’s EOs at the beginning of October.

 

 

In light of the current data, Governor Whitmer urged people to continue following recommendations even if they are not mandated or enforceable. “At the end of the day, we don’t need an executive order or a court to know what we need to do in this moment. The good news is that we know what it’s going to take. We’ve done this; we crushed the curve in the spring…when we wear a mask, when we maintain six feet of physical distance, when we wash our hands frequently. I also encourage you to get a flu vaccine, and make sure your kids get one too,” said Whitmer.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Hand Deliver Absentee Ballots to Avoid Postal Delays

With less than two weeks left before the election, officials are recommending absentee voters hand deliver their ballots to their local clerk’s office instead of relying on the postal system.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said, “Only the absentee ballots received by 8 p.m. on November 3 can be counted, and voters should not risk possible postal delays this close to the deadline.”

Registered voters can still request absentee ballots until November 2nd at their local clerk’s office, and eligible citizens can register to vote at the clerk’s office until November 3rd.

As of October 19th, more than 1.5 million Michigan citizens had already cast their absentee ballots. Benson also issued a reminder that polling places will be prepared with personal protective equipment on election day to ensure safe voting. She also issued a directive on October 16th clarifying that the open carry of firearms is not permitted in or within 100 feet of voting locations on Election Day.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Beware of Fake Package Delivery Texts

Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a consumer alert to warn Michiganders about a new scam involving fake text messages about package deliveries.

Complaints are being received by individuals who are getting text alerts that they have an Amazon, FedEx or USPS package on the way along with a link to click on. An earlier version of the scam contained a link promising information about a missing package or a link to claim delivery on a pending package.

Attorney General Nessel urges those who receive text messages regarding a package delivery from an unfamiliar number to immediately block the number and delete the message. Do not respond or click on any links in these messages.

The Federal Trade Commission suggests three ways to report unwanted text messages:

  • Report it on the messaging app. Look for the option to report junk or spam.
  • If you are an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon or Sprint subscriber, copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM), free of charge.
  • Report it online to the Federal Trade Commission.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand