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Local News

Millions in Federal Funds Being Used to Facilitate Mail-In Voting

The state of Michigan is spending $1.4 million to send postcards to 4.4 million active registered voters who are not already receiving absentee ballots. The postcard is a reminder of the right to vote from home in the November election. The postcards will be mailed between August 20 and September 20. Clerks can start mailing out ballots on September 24.

The Bureau of Elections has allocated $5.5 million of federal CARES act money toward reimbursing jurisdictions for postage and other expenses. There are also matching funds for ballot tabulators and high-speed scanners for some jurisdictions. $11.2 million of federal funding has already been spent on elections this year.

The mail in effort relies heavily on the Postal Service delivering on time. Many campaign materials for the August election arrived long after the polls were closed and inefficiencies with USPS have been part of a national conversation. 

To avoid relying on the postal service, absentee ballots can be hand delivered to local clerks until the polls close on election day. Some jurisdictions have dedicated ballot boxes.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Bluewater Area COVID-19 Update for August 14, 2020

St. Clair County, MI — Lambton County, Ontario

Cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases as of August 14, 2020 at  9:00 AM are as follows:

  • State of Michigan: 90,392 confirmed cases; 6,289 deaths
  • St. Clair County: 712 confirmed cases; 52 deaths
  • Ontario: 40,367  confirmed cases;  2,787 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton: 331 confirmed cases; 25 deaths

St. Clair County currently has 89 active cases of the virus, down 12 cases from last week, and 4% of hospital beds in the county are being used for COVID-19 patients. The last death in the county attributed to a confirmed  case of COVID-19 was on July 8, 2020.

Lambton County currently has 13 active cases, and is still experiencing a low rate of hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19. There hasn’t been any new hospital admissions among COVID-19 cases in Lambton since May 31, 2020, and the daily average of hospital admissions has been zero since mid-April.

Mitigation efforts are still important while the virus is active in our communities. Wearing masks in enclosed public spaces, frequent hand washing, and staying home when sick will help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Please continue to rely on reputable sources for information on COVID-19:

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Improvements Being Made to Maternal and Infant Health Programs

The health of mothers and babies in Michigan could be getting a boost thanks to a grant from Arnold Ventures and a collaboration between the University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The grant will fund a full review of the Maternal Infant Health Program, the state’s largest evidence-based home visiting program. Michigan’s infant and maternal mortality rates are higher than the national average, with worse outcomes for racial minorities. The evaluation will investigate those disparities. The grant will also direct $350,000 to hiring community workers to do intensive community outreach.

The current Maternal Infant Health program partners moms and babies with nurses, social workers, dietitians, lactation consultants, and mental health specialists. Over 15,000 moms and 20,000 infants are served each year statewide. St. Clair County offers the program to Medicare and Medicaid eligible mothers and infants up to age one.

According to Robert Gordon, MDHHS Director, “Careful program evaluation can help us to make our home visiting programs more effective.”

The program continues through 2025.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Micro-Grants Available for St. Clair County Entrepreneurs

Port Huron, MI — Blue Water Startups & Entrepreneurs is offering micro-grants to St. Clair County entrepreneurs who need a boost to their businesses.

Micro-grants are small, one-time cash awards that can help a small business fund an innovative idea or project they are working on. Grants can help with marketing efforts, educational training, or memberships to professional organizations.

Matt Brooks, Founder of Blue Water Startups & Entrepreneurs said, “When I started my first business, a micro-grant could have helped in many different areas. Now as the founder of over five different businesses, I want to help others fulfill their dreams through our nonprofit Blue Water Startups & Entrepreneurs. A big business starts small. Micro-grants are opportunities to grow your success.”

The grant process begins with filling out a short survey at Blue Water Startups’ website <HERE> , and it only takes about 15 minutes to apply. Applications are due by Friday August 28, 2020.

Funding was provided through the generosity of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Port Huron Museum Asks for Community Input for Black History Exhibit

Port Huron, MI — The Port Huron Museum is reaching out to the community to help them get started on a new permanent exhibit on local Black History.

The new project will showcase the history of the African-American population of the Blue Water Area and will be displayed in the renovated area under the mezzanine. The new exhibit is expected to contain both permanent collection items along with rotating items.

For those who are interested in the exhibit, have a story to tell, or have an artifact that could be part of the collection or loaned out, the museum has created a survey. While any feedback or information is welcome, the survey seeks specific details about notable civic leaders, public servants, educators, as well as the South Park Neighborhood and many other aspects of life in the Blue Water area. The focus is on the past as well as the present and future.

The Port Huron Museum is in the midst of the Carnegie Re-Imagined project that is overhauling the way the entire collection is shared with the community after a massive inventory cataloging project that took place over the winter.

The Black History exhibit will tell the most important stories, as determined by the community. The link to the survey can be found <HERE>. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Town Hall 2020-21 Season Cancelled

Port Huron, MI — The Port Huron Town Hall Board of Directors announced that they are calling an “intermission” in their speaker series. The Town Hall series planned for the 2020-21 season has been shifted forward to 2021-2022.

Speakers were already lined up to begin appearing at McMoran Auditorium in October, but the healthy and safety of ticket holders, speakers, volunteers, and community has to take precedence over holding the events.

They will kick off next year’s season on October 4, 2021 with Derek Hough, best known for his amazing performances on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Derek is a professional dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer.

Port Huron Town Hall has been bringing entertaining and informative guests to the area since 1955. They are working hard to secure seating for their current and future season ticket holders, and the application deadline has been extended to Friday, September 18, 2020. Without an application and payment, they cannot guarantee seating requests or pricing for future presentations.

More information is available on their website www.porthurontownhall.com.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand