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Local News

Blue Water Fest Plans Moving Forward

Port Huron, MI — Plans are moving forward for this year’s Blue Water Fest, and the event is scheduled for July 22 – 23rd.

The event will have a smaller footprint in Downtown Port Huron this year, as most of the entertainment and activities will be on Quay Street and in the parking lot between the Zebra Bar and the 7th Street Bridge.

Huron Avenue (Main Street) will remain open this year, and instead of the usual entertainment performed on the Huron Avenue stage, artists and musicians will be spread throughout the downtown area in pocket parks and local businesses.

Cynthia Cutright, Director of the City of Port Huron’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA), said they are planning for a carnival this year as well. The carnival will be set up in the west parking lot of the Blue Water Transit station on the corner of Erie St. and Grand River.

Some other returning favorites to look forward to include Mannequins Making a Difference sponsored by Salon Pizazz and Operation Transformation’s Family Night which takes place the Thursday night before Blue Water Fest on the 22nd.

The Bayview Mackinac sailboat race is still planned to take off from Port Huron on July 24th, and as of yesterday, they had 172 boats registered.

Although those planning events are still working with a lot of unknowns, there is a feeling of hope that the community will be able to come together safely to enjoy outdoor summer events in the Blue Water Area.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Nursing Homes See Decline in COVID Cases Since Vaccine Rollout

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living are reporting a 96% decline in new COVID-19 cases in nursing homes around the country since the vaccine rollout in December.

Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL, said, “We are not out of the woods yet, but these numbers are incredibly encouraging and a major morale booster for frontline caregivers who have been working tirelessly for more than a year to protect our residents. This trend shows that when long term care is prioritized, as with the national vaccine rollout, we can protect our vulnerable elderly population.”

Data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services shows that hospitalizations in the current surge of the virus are down for the age groups 60 and up compared to the last surge of the virus in the winter. The data also shows that cases in those ages groups began to decline as the group began to be vaccinated.

New data from the CDC reports that in a study with 4,000 healthcare workers, first responders, and essential workers who were tested weekly for the virus, the vaccine prevented 90% of all infections, including those that were asymptomatic.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Secretary of State Takes Steps to Reduce Need for In-Person Appointments

Taking care of business with the Secretary of State is rarely something that is anticipated with great joy, but during the pandemic, it has been downright dreaded by most people. But Michigan residents can now take care of even more of their required Secretary of State business at self-service stations throughout the state.

Local self-service stations are found at the Secretary of State office on Krafft Road and inside the Marysville Meijer store.

New transactions offered include getting a standard or enhanced driver’s license or state ID if no new photo is required, printing out a temporary license or ID, signing up to be an organ donor, and others.

Other transactions have been streamlined recently. There is a new electronic lien and title program, making lien and title information available online for lienholders in lieu of a paper title if their financial institution participates in the program.

The licensing process for new drivers has been simplified to cut down on branch office visits. Student drivers are now issued a Level 1 photo license hard card, instead of a paper license and will receive their Level 2, 3, and operator’s licenses in the mail.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Ryan’s Liquor Planning Expansion to Gourmet Market

Port Huron, MI — The neighborhood near the intersection of Pine Grove Avenue and 10th Avenue in Port Huron could soon be getting a gourmet market complete with a deli, bakery, and fresh produce if the current Ryan’s Liquor store is given zoning approval to expand.

Brian Zetouna, whose family owns the store, and Store Manager Michelle Denney have been wanting to address the “food desert” that exists in the neighborhood. Getting to a grocery store with fresh foods is currently difficult for some residents of the area.

Zetouna said they are hoping to expand to 4300 square feet and offer everything neighborhood residents need to feed their families at reasonable prices.

Jack Smith’s Market went out of business in the neighborhood many years ago with nothing to take its place until now, according to Zetouna. He said they are going to “work with the space they have, do their best, and leave the rest in God’s hands.” He said they really care for the area and want to give it what it needs.

Renderings and plans have been presented to city zoning and planning commissions. The plans include a full-service grocery store with a butcher counter, deli counter, a bakery with fresh daily made items, a wood fire pizza oven, and a full line of produce, frozen foods, and dairy, along with Ryan’s current extensive party store offerings.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

DTF Seizes $25,000 in Meth After Suspect Flees

Port Huron, MI — The St. Clair County Drug Task Force seized narcotics valued at over $25,000 in an investigation that concluded during the early morning hours of Tuesday.

According to Sheriff Mat King, the DTF conducted an investigation into the sales of narcotics in the Port Huron area.  The suspect, a 34 year old man from Port Huron was located driving a pickup truck in the parking lot of the Comfort Inn on Hancock Street at about 12:30 a.m.  When members of the Drug Task Force attempted to make contact with the suspect, he fled in the truck, ramming several vehicles in the parking lot.  The suspect then drove through a chain link fence out to I-94, where he got stuck in the median.  The man then fled on foot before being apprehended by the DTF.  Once he was taken into custody, members of the Drug Task Force searched his vehicle, where they located and seized $24,800 worth of crystal methamphetamine, $400 worth of analogues, over $9500 in cash and a handgun.

The suspect is lodged at the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center, where he is expected to face charges including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of analogues, possession of a firearm in commission of a crime, possession of a firearm by a felon, resist and obstruct police and malicious destruction of property.

The suspect also had an outstanding felony warrant out of St. Clair County for narcotics.

Submitted by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office

Dr. Shuayto MI Neurology and Spine

Work Progressing on First Congregational Church Transformation Into Medical Center

Port Huron, MI — The transformation of the First Congregational Church into a state of the art neurology and spine clinic, open MRI center, and outpatient surgery center is well underway, and Dr. Marwan Shuayto, the president and founder of Michigan Neurology & Spine Center, is looking forward to moving his practice across the street to serve more patients.

During a recent tour of the progress, Dr. Shuayto eagerly shared his excitement for the project and his vision for future patient care.

The first phase of the renovation, the Blue Water Open MRI Center, will be ready for patients in a few days and offers a unique experience for those coming in for testing. Both the patient changing area and the MRI room have been designed to feel more like a Caribbean getaway than medical testing rooms. From floor to ceiling, patients will feel like they are stepping onto a beach and being immersed in a scene of sand, water, and sun.

When asked what his goal was with the MRI Center’s decor, Dr. Shuayto remarked, “I just want it to be a comfortable experience. Patients who seek an open MRI usually have claustrophobia or fear of tight spaces. Making the entire experience calming will help patients get over their anxiety.”

With much of the building under construction to make way for a clinic with seven providers, a physical therapy center, infusion center, and eventually a brand new surgery center, the building is undergoing remarkable changes. The new MRI Center currently occupies the previous choir practice room, and the patient changing area used to be inhabited by a giant fan that fueled the church’s pipe organ.

The church’s sanctuary will be the future main entrance for patients, and will keep its grand personality and high ceilings. It will feature the lobby and check in for patients visiting the center.

The middle of the building, which was once the fellowship hall and kitchen area, is being converted to the physical therapy department, and the educational wing will be part of the surgery center with the main floor functioning as pre-op and post-op patient areas, and the second floor housing the staff break rooms and locker rooms.

The operating room of the surgery center will be added as a new addition to the east side of the building in the current courtyard along 7th Street.

Dr. Shuayto expressed the importance of the operating room being new construction which is ideal for the sterile environment needed to protect patients. He also wants to accommodate those who will work in the future operating rooms by featuring high ceilings that will make everyone working in the space more comfortable.

“By doing an expansion and not just using the existing building, we are able to have a spacious, brand new, state of the art operating rooms and sterile corridors. I’m very excited about the surgery center because I believe Port Huron and the neighboring communities deserve the best.” said Dr. Shuayto.

The new medical center will be hiring a multitude of staff once it’s up and running. There will be openings for surgical techs, Registered Nurses, and administrative and management staff, and the priority will be to hire from within the community.

“I’m the type that likes to hire from within the community that I work in. With the surgery center, we could have applicants applying from all over the country for the position of CEO and CFO, but I will be looking to hire from within the community,” said Dr. Shuayto.

The transformation of a church with a long history in the community into a medical facility can be seen as a sign of the times. Churches in Southeast Michigan have been converted into residential homes, retail stores, and even breweries.

Dr. Shuayto’s investment in the building, and his desire to create something valuable for the community, will continue to make it a place of comfort for those who need to be cared for.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand