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Local News

Kids in Foster Care Get Help from Dave Thomas Foundation

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the Dave Thomas Foundation to move kids from foster care into permanent homes. Dave Thomas was the founder of the Wendy’s fast food chain and an advocate for adoption.

The program provides the funding for recruiters who find homes for youth at highest risk of aging out of foster care, including teenagers, children with special needs and siblings. JooYeun Chang, executive director of the Children’s Services Agency within MDHHS said, “Wendy’s Wonderful Kids has demonstrated success at finding families for children who have waited in foster care the longest, and we are thankful for the opportunity to expand this program in Michigan.”

The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program has a success rate for placement that is three times higher than average. According to MDHHs, there are 13,000 children currently placed in foster care with 300 kids needing to be adopted. More information about fostering and adopting can be found at Michigan.gov. More about the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program can be found at davethomasfoundation.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Many Regional and Final Silver Stick Tournaments Cancelled

The cancellations due to COVID-19 aren’t showing many signs of stopping. On July 22nd, after consultation with numerous Minor Hockey Associations, the Board of Directors of the International Silver Stick announced the cancellation of many of their Regional and Finals tournaments for the 2020-21 season.

All Canadian Regional Qualifying tournaments for the 2020-2021 season are postponed until the 2021-2022 season. American Regional Qualifying Tournaments may be held as permitted by State and Local regulations; however, Champions will not advance to an International Final.

All Internationals Finals for the 2020-2021 season are postponed until 2021-2022, except Port Huron AAA. For now, the PeeWee and Bantam AAA teams are still scheduled to play the weekend of January 7-10.

The Board expressed how difficult it was to make the decision, but the health and safety of players, coaches, parents and tournament volunteers was of utmost importance.

SC4 Job Fair Goes Virtual This Month

Port Huron, MI — St. Clair County Community College has not given up on this year’s job fair. While indoor gatherings have been restricted, a Virtual Job Fair will be held on August 18th and 20th, with another one planned for September 22nd and 24th.

In partnership with the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County, the City of Port Huron, Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works, and the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce, the job fair has the same goal as the “in-person” job fairs: to allow employers to connect with job seekers who are actively seeking work in the area.

This week, employers can enter their company information, contact information, and available job openings through the SC4 Career Coach portal. Next week, job seekers can review the list of job openings and choose a fifteen-minute time slot to meet with employers to find out more about the jobs. Finally, on August 18th and 20th, the employers and potential employees will meet virtually. Job seekers can find more at sc4.edu/virtual-job-fair. Many local companies are in urgent need of new employees, according to SC4. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Bluewater Area COVID-19 Update for July 31, 2020

St. Clair County, MI — Lambton County, Ontario

Cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases as of July 31st, 2020 at  9:00 AM are as follows:

  • State of Michigan: 80,887  confirmed cases; 6,191 deaths
  • St. Clair County: 634 confirmed cases; 52 deaths
  • Ontario: 39,075  confirmed cases;  2,772 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton: 302 confirmed cases; 25 deaths

St. Clair County currently has 119 active cases of the virus, and 5% of hospital beds in the county are being used for COVID-19 patients. There have been 59 new total cases of COVID-19 in St. Clair County in the last 7 days.

Governor Whitmer released an Amended Safe Start Order on Wednesday night that allows for the opening of Michigan casinos at 15% capacity, and closes bars for indoor service throughout the State of Michigan. Bars in Regions 6 and 8 were previously exempt from the closure that has affected other Michigan regions since July 1st.

There has been a lot of confusion about whether the regulations on public gatherings were changed in this new order. The limit of 10 people for indoor activities and 100 people for outdoor activities has been in place our region (Region 1) since June 1, 2020. The newest order simply restates those limits, it does not change them. Both the rescinded order and the new order make some exceptions for the size of gatherings if they are outdoor athletic activities or involve medical services, crisis centers, and some professional services.

Lambton County currently has 12 active cases. The number of cases doubled since last week. In the course of the epidemic in Lambton County, there have been 58 hospital admissions for the virus.  Hospital admissions peaked at 5 during April, and the last case requiring admission to the hospital was on May 31st.

The City of Sarnia passed a by-law to impose temporary regulations requiring the use of masks or face coverings in public indoor spaces within the City. The regulations take effect today, and a list of exemptions for following the mask requirement are:

  • Children under five years of age
  • Persons with an underlying medical condition or disability which inhibits their ability to wear a mask or face covering
  • Persons who are unable to place or remove a mask or face covering without assistance
  • Employees or agents of the establishment within an area designated for them and not publicly accessible, or in an area separated by a physical barrier
  • Persons who are reasonably accommodated by not wearing a mask or face covering in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code
  • Persons in an establishment, while receiving services requiring the removal of the face covering, including but not limited to eating or drinking, or while actively engaging in an athletic or fitness activity
  • Persons within an establishment, while participating in a religious service, for rituals which require an uncovered mouth

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

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Opioid Overdoses Surge During COVID-19

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and emergency departments in Michigan have both seen substantial increases in opioid overdoses since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. These increases are a tragic reminder of the continued toll of the opioid epidemic.

According to statistics gathered by MDHHS, EMS responses for opioid overdose increased by 33% from April to May of this year. Additionally, EMS responses for opioid overdoses from April through June 2020 were 26%  higher than the same period in 2019. EMS responses for opioid overdoses increased for all regions and nearly all demographic groups, with the exception of residents aged 65 years and older.

Treatment centers are sill open during COVID-19, and those seeking help for a substance abuse disorder should not hesitate to seek treatment.

Local support for people in recovery is available from Blue Water Recovery and Outreach Center, St. Clair County Community Mental Health, or by calling 1-800-662-HELP.

Don’t Forget about Routine Vaccinations

“The Vaccine” is a hot topic in the news, but parents are asked not to forget about the routine non-COVID vaccines that their children may be behind on receiving.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, kids are falling behind on their vaccine schedule across the state. Well-child visits have been postponed in the wake of the global pandemic, making non-immunized children vulnerable to diseases. Both mumps and measles, which are vaccine preventable and highly contagious have presented in children in the area within the past two years.

The flu vaccine, while not required for school, is being strongly recommended this year. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS, said, “It will also be vital for everyone ages six months and older to get their flu vaccine this fall. The influenza vaccine will help keep Michiganders out of the hospital for flu-related illnesses, saving lives and protecting our hospital capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The flu vaccine will be available in early fall.

St. Clair County’s vaccination rate is considered “poor” and the waiver rate, where parents choose not to have their children vaccinated, is considered “high”, according to the county health department annual report.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland