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Local News

Port Huron Schools Using “Thoughtexchange” to Gather Back-to-School Ideas

Port Huron, MI — Port Huron Schools is asking for input from the community to help them make a plan for back to school. Answers and ideas can be submitted through the “Thoughtexchange” platform where users can unanimously leave comments and rate the comments of others. 

The survey was rolled out Monday and asks the question, “What important ideas should Port Huron Schools consider when developing a plan to re-open school buildings and educate our students safely in the fall?” It already had a large response with most of the comments related to safety and protecting students from COVID-19 infection.

The survey ends on June 30th. The results will be shared with the community on the district’s website and will be used by the Return to School Advisory committee. The Advisory committee is made up of Administration, Board of Education, Building Administrators, Teachers, bargaining group presidents,  a health department representative, transportation representative, and parent representatives.

Further state recommendations on getting students back to school are expected to be released from the Governor’s office on June 30th.

You can access Thoughtexchange <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

YMCA and The Athletic Factory get Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Grants

Port Huron, MI — The YMCA of the Blue Water Area and The Athletic Factory each received $20,000 for youth sports programming. The grants are from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation Legacy Fund, managed by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

The YMCA is partnering with the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan to operate Sport Port, where sports equipment can be borrowed to encourage neighborhood play. The Athletic Factory is a program that provides recreational, athletic, and educational opportunities and prepares student athletes. The Athletic Factory operates out of the James R. Leonard Center in Port Huron.

The Ralph C. Wilson Foundation awarded $1.7 million in total to youth sports facilitators throughout southeast Michigan. This year’s grants were intended to support organizations in the Detroit and Buffalo, New York areas that are adapting and adjusting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., who passed away in 2014 at the age of 95, was the owner of the Buffalo Bills NFL team. The sale of the team funded his philanthropic work.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Tri-Hospital EMS Receives Grant for UV Disinfecting Equipment

St. Clair County, MI — Many business owners are burdened with the cost of safety measures they have put into place in response to COVID-19. The added expenses of personal protective equipment for employees and an increase in sanitization procedures can be cumbersome.

The United Way of St. Clair County has been responding to these needs with grant money from its Emergency Services Fund ~ COVID-19 Relief. The latest recipient is Tri-Hospital EMS who received a grant to purchase five UV commercial grade disinfectant devices and replacement UV bulbs. 

UV light kills bacteria and viruses by damaging their DNA and RNA, and Tri-Hopsital EMS will use it along with chemical disinfectants to clean their equipment between calls. 

Grants are still available for St. Clair County organizations and businesses with unexpected costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To apply for a grant, visit uwstclair.org/EmergencyServicesFund-Covid-19-ReliefAid

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

Lambton College Gyms Transition to Field Hospital for Bluewater Health

Field Hospital at Bluewater Health Never Used

Sarnia, Ontario — In April, the gymnasium at Lambton College was transformed into a field hospital to prepare for an influx of COVID-19 patients. After two months and no use, it is being dismantled.

Bluewater Health originally asked Sarnia’s Office of Emergency Management for a secondary location to provide patient care should the health system become overwhelmed. Several businesses and tradespeople stepped in to establish the 150 bed field hospital, and it was a great display of community collaboration.

Two enclosed tractor trailers were purchased for storage and transport of the field hospital. The city will store the non-clinical equipment for the field hospital which can be easily mobilized for future pandemic use.

In a press release, Ron Realesmith, Emergency Manager of the City of Sarnia, said,  “The City of Sarnia has incredible community partners who came together in a time of need. Through their generosity of time, talent and financial contributions, our community was presented with a need and we collaboratively provided a solution in less than a week. The City of Sarnia was honoured to play our part for the community and we now have a mobile field hospital for years to come.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Cell Phone Contact Tracing Being Questioned

Ninety-six percent of Americans have a cell phone. Many of those phones have the capability of providing information used for COVID-19 contact tracing.

Michigan’s Attorney General, Dana Nessel, has joined a coalition of 38 attorneys general in asking Google and Apple to prove that they are allowing the tracking exclusively for public health initiatives and that consumers’ personal information is protected. Nessel and the other attorneys general have asked for a guarantee that the contact tracing apps are removed once the COVID-19 crisis has passed and the data is no longer needed.

In a press release referencing a letter sent last week, Nessel said, “Technology can provide valuable resources like digital contact tracing and enhance our understanding of this deadly virus, but that tool must be wielded appropriately so it does not infringe upon the privacy of our residents.”

On iPhones, the tracing is turned off by default, and users have to turn it on. It is called COVID-19 Exposure Logging. On Android phones, it is called COVID-19 Exposure Notifications.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Emergency Orders, Continued Precautions in Effect until Mid-July

Michigan will remain under a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic until at least July 16. Governor Gretchen Whitmer warned against complacency and encouraged continued mitigation efforts.

Michigan has shown success in “flattening the curve” so that hospitals are not overwhelmed by an onslaught of sick patients. Hoping for a July 4th move into “Phase 5” of the MI Safe Start plan, Whitmer said, ”The data backs it up: The Stay Home, Stay Safe Order undeniably saved lives. Very few states dropped their infection rate as low and for as long as Michigan has, and I want thank everyone who stepped up to do their part to protect our communities.” 

Whitmer also signed executive orders requiring face masks to continue to be worn in grocery stores and other public places. The order requires grocery stores and pharmacies to continue to set aside two hours per week as reserved for medically vulnerable shoppers until July 15.

Whitmer also continued the order allowing public bodies to conduct public meetings remotely until July 31, provided they adhere to the requirements of the Open Meetings Act. School boards are excused from monthly meetings under the order.

Reporting for WGRT- -Jennie McClelland