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Local News

SC4 Program Gets $1.3 Million Grant

Port Huron, MI — The TRIO Student Support Services Program at St. Clair County Community College has received a $1.3 million grant. The program provides opportunities for academic success and is intended to motivate students toward completing their educational goals after high school.

The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education and had previously been awarded money in 2010 and 2015. It is one of eight TRIO programs nationwide that is funded by the Department of Education this year.

TRIO serves mainly low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities.

Shawne Jowett, interim director of the program at SC4, said, “These students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with their own challenges, but with the help of the TRIO program, and as importantly, the support they give each other, they’ve been successful at achieving their college goals at SC4.”

The program served 140 students last year. More information can be found at sc4.edu/trio.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

The Athletic Factory Moves into Trinity Lutheran Church Space

Port Huron, MI — The Athletic Factory, a Port Huron non-profit, is on the move. They will soon be calling the gym at Trinity Lutheran Church home.

Executive Director of the Athletic Factory, Cliff Thomason, said, “This move allows us to have more space for our program. We will have a full-size gym, storage area for our equipment, and a room for tutoring services. With this additional space, we will be able to run our own biddy ball leagues, basketball leagues for middle school and high school, training camps, volleyball leagues, and provide a closer tutoring service location for the south end student-athletes.”

The Athletic Factory was able to run an ACT/SAT test course for 32 students over the summer and continues to train college-bound athletes for success after graduation.

The organization won a $20,000 grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation earlier this year and is looking forward to a successful year in their new headquarters.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Today is Greatest Generation Day

Lansing, MI — Governor Whitmer proclaimed September 2, 2020 as Greatest Generation Day in Michigan to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and encourage Michiganders across the state to honor members of the Greatest Generation for their sacrifices during World War II.  

“From the founding of the nation to our current crisis, Michiganders have always shown a willingness to sacrifice for the common good,” said Governor Whitmer. “We are grateful for members of the Greatest Generation who set the example of sacrifice by serving in uniform, working in fields and factories to produce materials for victory, and supporting war efforts at home. Their work is an inspiration to our collective efforts in the fight against COVID-19. We can honor the Greatest Generation’s sacrifices by doing our part by wearing a mask and staying socially distant to protect ourselves and others from the virus.”

The Greatest Generation Day honors the sacrifices of those born between 1901 – 1927, a generation that came of age during the Great Depression, and later supported the United States during World War II. The Greatest Generation faced hardships and sacrifices, but never faltered in their loyalty to the nation. September 2, 2020 commemorates the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Loonies for Lunches Supports Sarnia Students

Sarnia, Ontario, CA — From now until September 13th, Sarnia area McDonald’s franchises owned by Colleen and Peter Buckley will be collecting $1 donations at their drive thru windows.

The 15th annual  Loonies for Lunches program is a fundraiser that supports The Inn of the Good Shepherd and helps them provide food for children.

The Inn of the Good Shepherd Executive Director Myles Vanni says, “Our Community and McDonald’s continue to care about the children who may go without food. Loonies for Lunches is a vital fundraiser to keep the food bank at The Inn stocked with children’s lunch and snack items. The numbers tell the story, over 800 children are provided with food monthly.”

Donations can also be placed online through The Inn of the Good Shepherd’s website at theinnsarnia.ca.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Local Entrepreneur Has Big Dreams for 1219 Military Street

Carol Hall is best known for using her creative skills and fun personality to entertain guests at The Hallway Entertainment. The escape rooms, game show nights, and escape dinners are immersive and unique entertainment experiences for groups looking for a fun activity.

Now she’s focusing on a new project in The Hallway Entertainment’s backyard: the property at 1219 Military Street. Formerly known as Studio 1219, the building was used as an art studio and gallery and run by a nonprofit organization for 15 years.

Carol has been hired by the Community Foundation of St. Clair County to re-imagine the space, and she has big plans. She still wants 1219 Military Street to be a gathering place for local artists, but her dream is to expand the offerings to include music and performing arts, and possibly some digital media arts as well.

The south side of downtown Port Huron has been slower to receive the revitalization efforts seen north of the Black River, but this project hopes to add to the foot traffic and entertainment offerings already happening there.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Michigan AG Education Lawsuit Gains Traction; Environmental Lawsuit Filed

Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel continues to push back against the federal government’s policies regarding both education and the environment..

Nessel won a preliminary injunction to suspend a CARES Act Rule that allows COVID-19 response money to be shared with non-public schools. Nessel argued that the rule would set the stage for unfairly siphoning money away from public schools. The preliminary injunction was upheld and is prohibiting the Department of Education from enforcing its rule until a decision on the merits of the case can be rendered, according to a release from Nessel’s office.

Nessel and other democratic AGs are also going after the Trump Administration by filing a lawsuit to challenge curtailed requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act.

While the Trump Administration says the changes to the Act modernize and streamline environmental policy to “promote better decision making by the Federal government”, Nessel argued that, “This rule not only weakens the federal government’s obligation to ensure it minimizes impact on the environment, but limits the public’s ability to participate in the process.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland