Send new stories and press releases to JP at news@wgrt.com.

Local News

Support Available to Frontline Workers through EOC and CMH

St. Clair County, MI — As businesses in the Blue Water Area prepare to transition back to regular operations, the  St. Clair County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has partnered with St. Clair County Community Mental Health to deploy a team to assist healthcare providers, first responders, organizations, and businesses to support their front-line workers.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team is made up of professionals from a variety of disciplines that have been trained to provide support after a critical incident occurs in St. Clair County. The goal of this team is to provide support to essential workers and other employees returning to work as they cope with the stress, anxiety and other complex emotions related to the COVID-19 pandemic by:

  • Allowing employees to come together to talk about how they have been affected by the pandemic.
  • Offering support and education regarding normal stress reactions to a traumatic event.
  • Providing education regarding the importance of self-care and support for co-workers.
  • Expediting recovery and keep employees performing at their best.
  • Minimizing absenteeism and maintaining a solid workforce.

Debra Johnson, Executive Director of St. Clair County Community Mental Health says, “Caring for the mental health of employees in St. Clair County is critical in maintaining a healthy workforce.  Our goal is to support both businesses and workers by offering this level of hands-on care and support. We know that people have experienced a range of emotion in response to COVID-19; anxiety, anger, stress, apathy, burnout, fear, compassion fatigue, feeling overwhelmed, depression, isolation, and more. We are here to help people heal, process, and prepare to move forward.”

Group sessions run between 60 – 90 minutes long, depending on group size and discussion content. Teams can be available to lead sessions at various times to support and reach employees regardless of working hours. Sessions are confidential, intended to support employees to educate them about managing stress reactions. These interventions are not psychotherapy.  Interventions are intended to provide support and education to participants.

For more information and to schedule sessions for employees, contact Amy Smith, St. Clair County Community Mental Health at asmith@scccmh.org, 810-650-8737 or Mark White, St. Clair County Emergency Operations Center at mwhite@stclaircounty.org, 810-989-6965.

Rotary International Day Parade Cancelled

Port Huron, MI — The Port Huron Rotary club announced the cancellation of the annual Rotary International Day Parade, which was scheduled for July 8, 2020. This would have been the 100th parade hosted by the Rotary Club of Port Huron, a tradition older than both the Detroit and New York Thanksgiving Day parades.

The theme for this year’s parade was going to be “Decades”, and the club plans to maintain this theme for the July 21, 2021 parade. The club did not have any registrations for this year’s parade as it had not been soliciting participation. McLaren Port Huron is the parade’s annual sponsor for the next four years and the club would like to express appreciation for the hospital’s support.

Dr. Annette Mercatante, St. Clair County Medical Health Officer provided a statement in support of the club’s decision to cancel this year. “The St Clair County Health Department applauds and supports the difficult, but responsible, decision that the Port Huron Rotary, and all the citizens of our community, have made to reduce the risk of spreading the COVID virus. Cancelling or postponing a beloved event like the International Day Parade highlights the cooperation and commitment that everyone is making to conquer this common enemy – the virus. Together we will endure and flourish!”

Rotary Club of Port Huron plans at this time to continue its 100th Anniversary celebration with a program focused on “100 Years of Service.” The club will be granting 10 prizes of $1,000 to local nonprofits at this celebration event. It was announced earlier that this event is rescheduled for October 16, 2020. It will be hosted at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Port Huron and tickets can be purchased on the Blue Water Area Chamber’s website <HERE>.

To learn more about Port Huron Rotary, please go to @PortHuronRotary on Facebook <HERE>.

Water Rescue Kits Play Vital Role for Local Law Enforcement

Port Huron, MI — Being the first person on the scene of a water rescue is extremely risky. Without proper equipment the rescuer’s and the victim’s lives are in danger. Mustang Survival Water Rescue Kits were created to give first responders the necessary tools to safely address these situations.

The Port Huron City Council recently approved the purchase of Mustang Water Rescue Kits, and now all Port Huron police Department vehicles are equipped with them.

According to a letter from Chief Platzer to the Council, the equipment has already saved the life of a young person in our community.

On May 28th, a 13 year old in distress attempted to take his/her life by jumping into the St.Clair River. Platzer said, “If it was not for the officers having readily available to them the Mustang Rescue Kit, the juvenile most likely would have drowned and would have put my officers in harm’s way.  One officer on scene was ready to jump into the river to save the juvenile’s life.”

The juvenile was rescued from the river and taken to a nearby hospital to receive needed help.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Governor Appoints Barbara Payton to State Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports

Port Huron, MI — The Blue Water Area now has local representation for statewide health and fitness programs. Barbara Payton, of Port Huron, was appointed to the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports. The appointment was made last week.

Payton is well known in the area as a musical performer, and has a long history of performing with the likes of Bob Seger and Kid Rock. But she is also a certified massage technician and an avid bicyclist. Payton can now add Governor’s appointee to her list of accomplishments. Payton joins eight other new appointees on the thirteen-member council.

The Council began in 1992 under the orders of Governor John Engler with the goal of improving health and increasing physical activity among Michigan residents. The Council’s policies are advanced by the Michigan Fitness Foundation, which organizes outreach programs such as the Farm to Family program distributing healthy food every Wednesday morning at Central Middle School and Port Huron Northern High School.

Payton’s term on the Council expires in April of 2022.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Colleges Opening Back Up for In-Person Classes

Port Huron, MI — College students have been forced to be flexible this year, as classes moved from in-person to online and dormitories shut down.

Locally, St. Clair County Community College opened to in-person classes starting this week for the Summer Semester. SC4 students and staff will be screened for COVID-19 upon entry to campus buildings and social distancing precautions are being taken.

State colleges and universities are starting to make announcements that campuses are opening back up for fall semester. Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., President of Michigan State University, said MSU is altering the academic calendar, setting up contact tracing and testing, managing residence halls, and allocating and scheduling class spaces.

Central Michigan, Saginaw Valley, Grand Valley, and other universities have announced similar plans. University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel says he is “cautiously optimistic” the university will be able to deliver “as much in-person instruction as possible” during the fall semester.

Most colleges have announced tuition rate freezes and have waived some testing requirements along with offering virtual advising and freshman orientation. 

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Whitmer Lifts Stay at Home Order – State Enters Phase 4 of Re-opening

Governor Whitmer said in a press conference today that the state of Michigan is now in Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan, the “Improving” phase. She also rescinded the Safer at Home order previously in effect until June 12th.

The shift will begin in phases. Immediately, outdoor fitness classes are allowed with social distancing. Offices previously deemed nonessential can go back to work unless people can reasonably work from home. Children’s day camps and swimming pools can reopen with safety measures. Crowds of up to 100 people can gather outdoors, and outdoor parks and recreational facilities may open.

On Thursday, retail can open at full capacity with social distancing and safety precautions in place.

Next Monday, June 8th, bars and restaurants are allowed to open their dining rooms at 50% capacity with social distancing.

The re-opening does not include gyms, hair salons, tattoo parlors, movie theaters, and casinos which are still closed.

Whitmer said, ““While Michiganders are no longer required to stay home, we must all continue to be smart and practice social distancing, and encourage those who meet the criteria to get tested for COVID-19. If we all do our part, our goal is to announce a shift to phase five for the entire state prior to the fourth of July. Stay smart, stay safe, and let’s all do our part.”

The full order is available <HERE>

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand