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Local News

“Return to School” Planned for Port Huron Schools

Port Huron, MI — Port Huron Area School District has published a “Return to School Plan” and has emailed it to all parents in the district.

The Port Huron School Board approved the offering of both virtual school and a hybrid option where students alternate between in-person instruction and virtual instruction, which is online at home.

For those attending in-person classes, students are divided into two groups. Group A consists of those with last names A-K. Group A will attend in-person classes on Mondays and Wednesdays and every other Friday starting September 11. Group B consists of students with last names L-Z. They will attend in-person classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and every other Friday starting September 18. On the “off” days, students will attend classes online from home.

Families choosing all-virtual instruction can pick up a week’s worth of breakfasts and lunches on Mondays at the high schools. For those attending in-person, face coverings will be worn at school and many measures are in place to keep students safe, including adjustments to furniture in classrooms, procedures for lunchrooms, and minimized congregating of students.

The first day of school is Tuesday, September 8th. The full plan can be read here.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

MDHHS & EMS Will Provide Overdose Survivors Extra Naloxone Kits

In honor of Overdose Awareness Day, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is launching a new program with emergency medical services (EMS) providers to further prevent opioid overdose deaths. EMS providers will give overdose survivors extra naloxone kits – the medication that reverses opioid overdoses.

In 2018, overdoses killed 2,599 Michiganders. Nearly 80 percent of those deaths involved opioids, continuing an epidemic that has devastated countless families. Overdose Awareness Day memorializes the individuals whose lives have been lost to an overdose, and marks an occasion to offer support to the family, friends and communities impacted by this epidemic.

MDHHS encourages Michiganders to help prevent overdose deaths by carrying naloxone; offering support to family and friends who use substances; and ending the stigma that surrounds substance use disorders.

Overdoses have surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and MDHHS data shows that EMS responses for opioid overdose increased by 33 percent from April to May 2020, and still remain elevated. From April through July 2020, EMS responses for opioid overdose were 22 percent higher than the same period last year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of EMS-treated overdose patients that have declined transport to an emergency department. This indicates that EMS staff may be the only healthcare providers many individuals interact with following an overdose and underscores the urgency of this new naloxone leave behind program.

 

 

Construction on 16th and Howard Streets

Port Huron, MI —  The City of Port Huron will be making improvements to 16th street between Gillett Street and Howard Street and to 24th Street between Cleveland Street and Dove Street.

The improvements on 16th Street will include a complete road reconstruction, water main replacement, and new sidewalk and drive approaches. The improvements on 24th Street will include concrete panel replacements and sidewalk ramp improvements. 

These improvements will be complete by the middle of November. Detour routes will be posted. 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If there are any further questions regarding this matter, please contact the Department of Public Works.

State to Use $25 Million in CARES Act Money to Reimburse PPE Purchases

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is spending $25 million in federal CARES Actmoney on personal protective equipment, or PPE, for frontline workers and patients.

The Michigan PPE Program gives money to places like long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, outpatient medical facilities, home health care providers, dental offices, pharmacies, EMS providers, funeral and mortuary services, long-term acute care hospitals, and residential congregate facilities.

The facilities will have to front the money first, as payments are actually reimbursements for eligible items. Businesses can get up to $250,000 in grant money, depending on the number of client-facing workers each day.

MDHHS Director Robert Gordon said, “Michigan’s providers are on the front lines every day, delivering essential health care services and caring for our loved ones. This grant program helps ease the financial burden of buying PPE, ensuring all facilities can afford the supplies they need to keep themselves and their patients safe.” 

The deadline to apply for the grant is September 8th. More information, along with the application can be found at mihealth.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Help with Paying Energy Bills Available

Don’t wait for a shut off notice if you can’t pay your energy bill. That’s the message from the Michigan Public Service Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services.

There is help available, but residents need to seek it early. The first step is to contact your energy provider, like DTE, SEMCO, or a local propane supplier, to see what they can do to help with payment plans. There is also assistance available through the State Emergency Relief Program and the Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP).

Michigan Public Service Commission Chair, Dan Scripps, said, “There are still MEAP funds available to assist customers in need of energy assistance and self-sufficiency services. Also, the amount of funding available per person was increased from $2,000 to $3,000, but goes back down after Sept. 30, so it’s important that customers seek assistance right away if they have a past due account or are struggling to pay their energy bills.”

The fastest way to access the energy bill help is to go to Michigan.gov/mibridges or to dial 211 or go to mi211.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Citizen Mistakes Construction Worker for Suspicious Person at YMCA

Port Huron, MI — On Monday, August 31, 2020 at 7:59 a.m., a citizen observed a suspicious male dressed in tactical clothes with a mask on enter the west side entrance of the YMCA, 1525 3rd Street, Port Huron. About fifteen minutes later the citizen called Central Dispatch and advised what was observed. The citizen believed the suspicious male was armed and placed the call to 911 with good intent. 

Police responded inside the building. Employees and children participating in daycare were secured in a safe area. Port Huron Police Patrol, Criminal Investigative Division along with members of the Michigan State Police, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and Marysville Police created a perimeter outside the building. Officers checked the building while the construction crew was interviewed. 

Citizens picking up or dropping off their children were advised to wait until the building was secure. After the building was thoroughly searched, video footage revealed the suspicious person described was the construction worker who was unarmed when he entered the building 

The YMCA is back open for daycare. We would like to thank the YMCA for their cooperation and their safety procedures and protocols that they have in place. 

Submitted by the Port Huron Police Department