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Local News

Hope Blooms from Home

Port Huron, MI — It’s been a tough year for event planners and fundraisers, and businesses and organizations have learned to be flexible and adapt to changing rules on social gatherings. Hunter Hospitality House had to cancel their Hope Blooms event twice, and has now decided to go virtual for 2021.

The Hope Blooms from Home event give supporters an opportunity to donate to the nonprofit while entering drawings for a wide range of prizes. They are also accepting sponsorships along with regular donations to support their work.

Tracy Willard,  Executive Director of Hunter Hospitality House , said, “The Hope Blooms from Home idea started out as Plan D to our annual fundraising banquet.  Plans A, B & C had all been cancelled over the past two years, due to the pandemic, and we really needed to come up with an idea that would work well for HHH and our supporters in these uncertain times to bring some much needed funds in for the organization.  We’ve been overwhelmed with the response.  Even former guests, who live in other states, have been able to join in, providing free hospital lodging for people in the very same situations they’d experienced.  Hope Blooms from Home is going so well, we’re considering a “From Home” option to all of our future Hope Blooms live events!”

Hunter Hospitality House transferred all gifts to their cancelled events into their operational budget, but any tickets purchased for those events will be honored for entry to the next live event.

To participate in the Hope Blooms at Home raffle, visit Hunter Hospitality House’s website <HERE> and print the order form. Prize options are displayed on the website and include a kayak, a Smart TV, a Schwinn Cruiser, and overnight stays at several hotels and resorts.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Billions of Cicadas to Appear this Year after 17 years Underground

Brace yourself. The cicadas are coming. 

After seventeen years in hibernation, one of the largest broods of cicadas, Brood X, will be making an appearance. Cicadas are small flying bugs. 

Entomologists predict that the woods and even suburban areas will be filled with billions of cicadas. The whistling and buzzing that will take over the spring landscape is actually the sound of a mating call. Once the cicadas find their true love, the females will lay eggs- hundreds of them at a time. The call of the cicadas could last up to four weeks, predicted to start in April or May.

After coming out of hibernation, mating, and laying eggs, the adults will die. Then, when the eggs hatch, the babies will fall from the trees, burrow underground, and take a seventeen-year nap, just like their parents did.

According to Michigan State University entomologist Gary Parsons, the cicadas are harmless to humans but may be a little annoying with their high pitch relentless buzzing. The largest sighting of the Brood X cicadas, when they last appeared in 2004, was centered around Ann Arbor.

The appearance of the Brood X cicadas is expected to be seen in most of the eastern United States. They usually wait for the ground to warm up to the mid 60’s before making their appearance.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

PHHS Gets Recognition for Increasing FAFSA Completion, Increasing Options for Students

Port Huron, MI — Port Huron High School has received recognition from the Michigan College Access Network as being among the Top Ten College Bound Michigan Host Sites with the most improvement for FAFSA Completion. Nearly 700 schools participated.

FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The Big Reds saw a 40% increase in completed FAFSA applications compared to this time last year.

Getting all the options on the table when deciding on what to do after high school is critical, but not easy. One part of the planning is being realistic about college costs. Completing the FAFSA is a crucial step in determining how much of a college bill students and their parents will be required to pay.

The driving force behind that increase in completion, and increase in knowing real options, is Port Huron High School’s AdviseMI College Advisor, Brandon Warlow.

Warlow said his focus has been on talking to the students and staying consistent with following up with them. He makes sure students know his goal is to help them establish a plan for after graduation no matter what and that college, trade schools, the military, or others are all great options and the one that is best for them is all dependent on their goals.

Congratulations to Port Huron High School on this important recognition!

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie Mcclelland

CDC Makes Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated Individuals

So, you got the COVID-19 vaccine. Can you make up for all the missed gatherings of the past year and kick your social calendar into high gear? Will you be able to see people’s smiles mask-free and give hugs? Yes, but not immediately, and not with everyone, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of a two-dose vaccine series or two weeks after a one-dose vaccine. Until those two weeks have passed, even those who received the vaccination are asked to maintain vigilant social distancing and mask-wearing.

The CDC says that fully vaccinated people can visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing. They also say that it is safe to visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.

Fully vaccinated people can also refrain from quarantining and testing following exposure if asymptomatic.

The CDC acknowledges that they are still learning how the virus is transmitted and that recommendations are subject to change as more people get vaccinated and knowledge of the virus progresses.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Kid City Opening Soon at The Hallway Entertainment

Port Huron, MI — Families with young children will soon have a new option for play dates and birthday parties. The Hallway Entertainment in Downtown Port Huron is putting finishing touches on an indoor Kid City, and it will be ready for bookings in the first week of April.

The Hallway Entertainment’s owner, Carol Hall, is excited about this new addition to her business. The Hallway Entertainment currently offers escape rooms and game show nights in house, and has done escape dinners at restaurants and outdoor escape rooms in the past.

Hall says, the only thing missing was something for little kids. As a mother of two young children, she wanted a safe place indoors for her kids to explore and use their imaginations. She also wanted to create a way for small groups of children to play in a controlled environment with their parents and close friends.

Kid City’s central feature is a tree house surrounded by padded flooring, a mock grassy area, and foam logs. The room is brightly painted and has several small shops including a food market, dress up store, construction site, and a restaurant. The shops are sponsored by local businesses who helped outfit and decorate their tiny stores. Hall is currently looking for a sponsor for the restaurant, and interested businesses can contact her through The Hallway Entertainment’s website.

The room will be available for rent in 90 minute increments for up to 10 kids. Hall said, “Families can come by themselves or pitch in with a few friends and have a playdate.”

For Birthday Parties, there is an additional room available to rent which will accommodate food and beverages.

To learn more and book your visit, go the The Hallway Entertainment’s website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

The Diner at Kid City at The Hallway Entertainment
The Diner at Kid City at The Hallway Entertainment
The Grocery Market at Kid City in The Hallway Entertainment
The Grocery Market at Kid City in The Hallway Entertainment

New Ad Campaign Launched to Help Smokers Quit the Habit

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are launching a new round of television, streaming, and online commercials from the “Tips From Former Smokers” campaign. The campaign is in its tenth year and is estimated to have helped over one million American adults to quit smoking.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldoun of Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services said, “CDC’s Tips campaign is effective in bringing to life the harmful effects of smoking and connecting people with resources to help them quit.”  

Khaldoun went on to say that as a physician, she has seen the adverse effects of smoking on health, saying, “MDHHS is committed to helping Michigan residents understand the reality of smoking-related disease and death – and to prevent these realities from happening to them.”

Diseases related to smoking claimed the lives of 16,200 Michiganders last year. The Tips from Former Smokers campaign is thought to have prevented 129,000 early deaths and saved $7.3 billion in smoking-related healthcare costs.

The new round of ads will feature the stories of caregivers of those who are suffering from a smoking-related disease and will run through September of this year.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland