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Local News

Port Huron Museums to Host Telethon on “Giving Tuesday”

Port Huron, MI — The Port Huron Museums need help. And they need it fast. This year has dealt one blow after another to this cornerstone of the educational and cultural foundation of the area. With a drastic decrease in admission fees collected, there is not enough cash flow.

To help raise funds, the museum is hosting a telethon on “Giving Tuesday”, December 1st, from noon to 8:00 p.m. The telethon will be held via Facebook Live. There are many presentations on the schedule throughout the telethon, from live music to art to cooking demonstrations.

The point of the telethon is to provide a little bit of entertainment and draw some attention, while asking for donations.  

While the Museums were closed, the museum staff found ways to reach out to the community through their Facebook live videos that featured Museum Community Outreach Director Andrew Kercher giving historical tours of the area. They have also held outdoor events and hosted private trolley tours, but they are still in need of help until they are able to get back to hosting field trips and filling up the sites with visitors.

A link to the Telethon event page as well as the Port Huron Museums donation page:

https://www.phmuseum.org/donate/ 

https://www.facebook.com/events/389243292446133

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

MIOSHA Steps Up Monitoring of Construction and Manufacturing 

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is ramping up its focus on workplace safety in the construction and manufacturing industries.  They are implementing two State Emphasis Programs to try to mitigate COVID-19 transmission and ensure compliance with workplace safety rules. The programs are in effect through February.  

Michigan has seen increases in virus transmission in both construction and manufacturing recently and is trying to keep both critical industries up and running through the crisis.  

According to Michigan COVID-19 Workplace Safety Director Sean Egan, “Our goal is to educate before we regulate, and by MIOSHA increasing their presence in these industries where we see outbreaks, we can better ensure employers are following the MIOSHA Emergency Rules. We must remain vigilant to guarantee that Michigan’s businesses can stay open, workers can keep working, and we can continue to see economic recovery.” 

Compliance includes things like daily health screenings, isolation and quarantine, requiring face coverings, and others. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Census Shows that Families are Changing

The composition of the families that are gathering this Thanksgiving, whether in-person or virtual, is shown to have changed over time. The U.S. Census Bureau recently shared data on how the modern American family has changed over the past decade.

Like the Pilgrims, many Americans are recent immigrants. One in seven Americans were born outside of the United States. Most Americans have some branch of their family that has fairly recent immigration. Thirty-six million Americans are “first generation”, with their parents being immigrants, with 235 million (about 75%) able to trace their immigrant roots to their grandparents’ or earlier generations, according to the Census Bureau.

Family size is changing for the smaller. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, average family size declined from 3.27 persons in 2016 to 3.23 in 2019.

The 2020 Census is being prepared for submissionl right now and statistics will be analyzed and shared over the next several years. More information about families can be found at census.gov.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Downtown Port Huron Ready for Shoppers & Diners This Weekend

Downtown Port Huron business owners have their lights twinkling and their holiday spirit ready to welcome visitors this weekend for the Sperry’s Drive-Thru Santa Spectacle, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday.

The Sperry’s Drive-Thru Santa Spectacle is a reverse parade staged in Pine Grove Park. Participants can register for a free timeslot to enter the parade route from McMorran Blvd. and travel north through the park in their own vehicle. For even more fun, participants are encouraged to decorate their cars as well. Register for your slot <HERE>.

Black Friday is always a big day for shopping, and shopping local businesses helps the local economy. Small Business Saturday is always the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and many stores will have extended hours to welcome guests. Special teddy bear themed holiday displays are in many of the Downtown shop windows, and bears can be adopted to support the nonprofit A Beautiful Me.

For those who enjoy holiday lights, the trees along Huron Avenue are sparkling, and the Christmas Tree is ready to view  in front of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County’s building in the corner of Huron and Lapeer Avenue.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

MDHHS Warns Against Thanksgiving Gatherings with Elderly

Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with loved ones and often a reunion of the generations within a family. But this year is different, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is asking families to look ahead to next Thanksgiving and take a break this year.

MDHHS Director Robert Gordon warned, “While we are advising everyone to avoid Thanksgiving gatherings beyond their own households, it’s especially critical that residents of nursing homes and other group homes remain in their homes during the holiday. If these individuals contract COVID while traveling, they run the risk of bringing it back to others who are especially vulnerable to illness and death. This year, please celebrate Thanksgiving by Zoom or by phone, and next year’s Thanksgiving will be better.”

Residents of long-term care facilities are not prohibited from leaving for Thanksgiving, but they are strongly encouraged to stay in place. Providers are encouraged to both educate about the risks of contracting COVID-19 and of the toll it takes on elderly populations and to facilitate phone and video calls to bring the generations together in a different way this year.  

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Effort to Stop Nestle’ Water Bottling Loses Appeal to EGLE

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, EGLE, has dismissed a case that challenged the permit that allowed Nestle’ Waters North America to increase water withdrawals. The company was granted a permit to ramp up water withdrawals from a source near Evart, Michigan, in 2018.

Currently, the company pays $200 to draw 130 million gallons of water per year. EGLE dismissed the appeal on the grounds that it should have been filed in circuit court.

EGLE Director Liesl Clark said, “EGLE remains committed to protecting our state’s valuable water resources, but as a regulatory agency we must act within our statutory authority. The Safe Drinking Water Act only allows EGLE to hold contested case hearings under very limited circumstances which are not present in this case.”

Clark went on to blame the previous administration for allowing the permit in the first place and called on the legislative branch to “update regulations to give the agency more authority over water withdrawals for bottled water and royalties to compensate Michiganders for the commercial use of the state’s freshwater resources.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland