Local News

Port Huron Schools has announced winners in the MathCounts competition. Fort Gratiot and Central Middle Schools got together in late February to battle it out at the annual national MathCounts challenge. The event is for middle schoolers to show their advanced math skills at the local level before going on to the state competition.

Much of the competition is timed and the students need to work under pressure, testing both individual skills and team problem-solving. This year’s big winner was Luke VanderHeuvel, an eighth grader at Fort Gratiot, who brought home the first-place trophy for the second year in a row. Shayan Lal, another Fort Gratiot eighth grader will be joining Luke at States. The competition is sponsored locally by the Blue Water Chapter of the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers. Mathcounts started in 1983 and Port Huron Schools have been hosting local competitions and sometimes sending students to states since 1986. The State finals are March 14 at Saginaw Valley State University.

Goodrich Quality Theaters, Inc., which owns the Krafft 8 theater in Port Huron, has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of Michigan. Several creditors have filed claims against the company. Taking the blame for the bankruptcy are lost customers due to streaming services and cash spent on investment in the theaters, according to a report from the owner on MIBiz. 

Patrons to the Krafft 8 theater have noticed upgrades in the seating in the local theater along with other improvements. Renovations were made to several of the theaters in recent years, according to the report. The investment did not pay off as quickly as intended and the company was left with a nearly $30 million bank loan default. The manager of the Krafft 8 theater declined to be identified by name, but confirmed by phone that it is business as usual at the theater and there are no anticipated changes to the movie schedule. She declined comment on the bankruptcy news. Goodrich owns thirty movie theaters with 281 screens in five states. Fourteen theaters are located in Michigan.

If you’re up for a last-minute road trip, head north for your chance to see the Northern Lights tomorrow night! The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is predicting a night of strong solar activity in the evening hours of March 4th. The rare chance to see the Northern lights towards the upper part of the lower peninsula and further north is due to the prediction that the Kp-index is expected to be higher than 4. 

On a scale of 0 to 9, the Kp-index is a measure of predicted aurora activity. Most nights in great aurora destinations, the Kp-index measures between 1 and 3, so a night of activity that’s higher than 4 is a good chance to try and see the northern lights. If you’re wondering where the closest place for the best chance to see the northern lights in Michigan might be, you will want to head to Headlands International Dark Sky Park. Located at the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, the park was certified in 2011 as the ninth dark sky park in the world. Today it draws crowds year round for astronomy programs and northern lights viewing; the park sits at the border of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron giving the park a great view of the northern horizon and any aurora.

Headlands International Dark Sky Park is a four-hour drive from Port Huron or Detroit.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The St. Clair County 4-H program is set to expand on its robotic presence by hosting a one of a kind off season robotics competition. While 4-H has long had a reputation of being an agricultural organization, its programs extend into areas such as sciences and technology as well, with the St Clair County 4-H  developing a program that has excelled in robotics with teams competing in multiple levels of FIRST Robotics. 

The new event, which has been dubbed, the Robotics Rodeo, will take place on Saturday, July 25, at the St Clair County 4-H and Youth Fair. Dawn Nowicki, robotics leader for 4-H, says that from her experience and conversation with other robotics leaders, this event fills a void in the learning cycle that often happens during the summer and makes it difficult get young people back into robotics during the fall. 

Fair President Rob Usakowski the group is “excited about the Robotics Rodeo.” He acknowledged that with such a large scale event, the fair group “will need to make some changes” to logistically accommodate the new competition, but there are plans in place to do so. 

The competition will be limited to 28 teams. Teams interested in participating should contact Dawn Nowicki or the 4H office.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The St. Clair County Health Department (SCCHD) says it is continuously working on preparedness and response planning for COVID-19 in the event the virus spreads to the area. In a recent press release, the Health Department assures residents that “communication occurs daily with federal, state and local officials and partners. Currently, Michigan, including St. Clair County has no confirmed cases at this time.”

As COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus, cases increase worldwide, including in the United States, it is important to be mindful of preparing for a shift from an epidemic to a pandemic. Taking action early can help protect your health and those you care about.

Health Department officials say measures like getting information from credible sources, practicing good hygiene and staying home when sick will help decrease and slow the spread of infection, and reduce the impact on our community. If you are sick and have any suspicion it could be COVID-19, it is a good precaution to call ahead before going to the doctor or hospital if you are sick. In most cases, COVID-19 infections are not serious, but be watchful of concerning symptoms like shortness of breath and prolonged fever. For the most up to date information on this developing situation, visit cdc.gov.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Seven years ago teacher, Jenn Gildenpfenning, created an activity to help her special needs students. After seeing its positive impact, she transformed the hobby into an official business in 2017 and it has been growing ever since. Now, Simply Silverware is opening a brand new space at the Red Barn in St. Clair.

The business concept is simple – employees assemble plastic silverware sets for events including weddings, showers, graduation parties, and other events. They also recently started putting together party favors for clients who provide the supplies.

As for the inspiration behind the business, Gildenpfenning says she wanted to help adults with special needs learn skills and build confidence so that they can later go out and help the community. She currently has four employees, two who are Autistic and two with Down Syndrome. When asked about her staff, she shares that they bring a lot of enthusiasm to their jobs.

Simply Silverware has moved into the new location at 2062 Fred Moore Highway in the red barn in St. Clair.