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Local News

Is It Time for a New Pet?

St. Clair County, MI — It’s time for the annual Empty the Shelters event sponsored by the BISSELL Pet Foundation, and those interested in adopting a new pet from the Blue Water Humane Society need to be pre-approved by May 1st.

Empty the Shelters helps reduce the adoption fee of pets from participating shelters. The regular price to adopt a cat from the Blue Water Humane Society is $100 and $150 for a dog. During Empty the Shelters, the cost is reduced to $25 or less.

The Blue Water Humane Society is open by appointment only on Tuesdays – Fridays from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM and Saturdays from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM. They are closed to the public on Sundays and Mondays.

Interested new pet parents can view available pets at the Blue Water humane Society by viewing their profile on Pet Finder.com <HERE>, and then call the shelter to get pre-approved by filling out an application.

Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation, said “The national Empty the Shelters event in May will be our largest yet, and as a small foundation, we are incredibly proud to see the growth of this program as we continue to expand its impact. Empty the Shelters not only helps our shelter partners free up space in their facilities, but it places pets in permanent homes. It’s a win-win for everyone involved…our partners, ETS adopters, and most importantly, the pets.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

“Family Emergency” Scams on the Rise

The Michigan Attorney General Office is alerting Michiganders of the latest telephone scam that exploits the love and concern that parents and grandparents have for their kids. The “Family Emergency” scam is making the rounds.

There have been increasing reports of residents being targeted by sophisticated scammers who demand ransom for kidnapped children and by scammers who target grandparents by pretending to be a grandchild in trouble.

Thankfully, there is no actual kidnapping or emergency, but people often fall for such scams out of fear that the claims are real. The criminals often use the correct names of the children to display credibility and prey upon parental fears.

There is a recent report of grandparents being tricked into paying $33,000 to scammers thinking they were talking to their grandson who claimed he was in trouble in Canada and needed money wired immediately.

The Attorney General warns that if you do receive a “Family Emergency” type of call, you should immediately contact the relative to verify their true situation, and of course never send money or give out financial information unless you are 100% sure you know who you are talking to.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Summer Jobs Still Available with City of Port Huron

Port Huron, MI — As the City of Port Huron endures what it hopes will be the last cold spell of spring, officials are looking forward to a busy summer of outdoor recreation. With city facilities opening back up and recreation programs planned, the need for seasonal workers is pressing.

In a letter to the Mayor and City Council, James Freed Port Huron City Manager, said the need for seasonal workers in the parks, recreation, and cemetery departments was urgent.

The city currently has openings for a variety of positions including pool maintenance, cashiers, and lifeguards, along with lawn maintenance, park rangers, and parking booth attendants. There are several openings for program staff at the Parks and Recreation Department such as Day Camp Leaders and Palmer Play staff. Most jobs are part-time and pay between $9.87 – $15 per hour.

Freed also said in the letter that “often times, when fulltime jobs open up our seasonal workers are at the front of the line. It’s a good foot in the door.”

For a fill list of job openings at the City of Port Huron, visit their website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

McMorran Boulevard Being Rebuilt

Port Huron, MI — Improvements to a vital downtown street will cause some traffic adjustments for a few months. Road construction on McMorran Boulevard in Downtown Port Huron will bring some temporary changes to parking and traffic patterns for visitors to the Main Branch of the St. Clair County Library, along with the county courthouse and other businesses and offices between Merchant Street and Huron Avenue.

A temporary aggregate surface will be placed across the median on Fort Street to enable access and on-street parking north of McMorran Boulevard. On-street parking south of McMorran Boulevard will be prohibited.

The work is being contracted by the City of Port Huron to Raymond Excavating. The project includes the installation of new water mains and fire hydrants, new catch basins, and new sanitary sewers. It also includes new curbs and gutters with the street reconstruction. Repairs will be made to any sidewalks or drives that are disturbed, as well as any site restoration.

The traffic light at Michigan Street and McMorran Boulevard will be removed during the project. The construction is expected to be completed by July 20th, 2021.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Quarantine Recommendations for Partially Vaccinated Individuals

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office reported on Tuesday that 45% of Michiganders have now received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 30% are fully vaccinated. The state is set to surpass six million doses of the vaccine given over the last four months.

While the number of COVID-19 cases in Michigan remains high, and more contagious variants of the virus are spreading, some families are finding themselves in odd situations where they are being exposed to COVID-19, or infected, between vaccine appointments.

Vaccines are most effective two weeks after the last dose, so a person is not considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after their second dose of a two-dose vaccine or two weeks after the first dose of a one-dose vaccine. You are at risk for contracting COVID-19 until you are fully vaccinated.

Because those who receive the first dose of a vaccine are still at risk for contracting COVID-19, they should continue to be vigilant with hand washing, mask wearing, and physical distancing.

If partially vaccinated individuals are exposed to the virus by a close contact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends they quarantine and watch for symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms begin, they should be tested and isolate for another 10 days. Quarantine time can be reduced to 10 days if they remain symptom free, or 7 days if they receive a negative test on day 5 or after.

While some research shows that having a confirmed COVID-19 infection within the last 6 months along with receiving the first dose of a two-dose vaccine results in a more robust immune response, the (CDC) still recommends quarantine for those in that category.

Those who become infected or are in quarantine between vaccine doses may have to reschedule their second dose. Infected individuals can receive their second dose of the vaccine if they have completed their isolation period and are symptom free. Those who were quarantined due to exposure can receive their second dose when the quarantine period ends.

To reschedule a vaccine appointment in St. Clair County, call the Health Department at (810) 966-4163 during regular business hours.

Quarantine is not recommended for those who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from a confirmed COVID-19 infection in the last 90 days. A person who is fully vaccinated is two weeks past their second dose of a two-dose vaccine or two weeks past their first dose of a one-dose vaccine.

For more information on the CDC’s recommendations for quarantine visit their website, <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

Port Huron Schools Will Remain Remote for Now

Port Huron, MI — At a meeting Monday night, the Port Huron Schools Board of Education voted to keep its schools 100% remote for Pre-K – 12. They plan to re-evaluate the situation in a special meeting next week.

School Superintendent Jamie Cain said in a letter to parents that daily Zoom classes will continue and all coursework will be posted in Schoology. Students who are enrolled in the district’s virtual program will be unaffected.

In November of 2020, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) paused in-person learning in high schools because of a spike in COVID-19 cases. They reinstated in-person classes on December 21, 2020, but many school districts chose to continue instruction remotely.

In January, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and her administration set a goal to have all Michigan students transitioned to face-to-face learning by March 1st or earlier. She reported in a February 24, 2021 press release that 85% of Michigan school districts were back to in-person learning and by March 1, 2021 97% of districts would be in-person.

Cases of COVID-19 in Michigan have been increasing since March 1st, partially due to cases among school-aged children and their families. An April 16th extension of the MDHHS Epidemic Order, stated that “as of April 8, local health departments [in Michigan] had reported 312 new and ongoing outbreaks among K-12 schools.”

Each school district in Michigan is responsible for coordinating with their local health departments and officials to determine the safest way to educate their students.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand