Local News

Sanilac County Sheriff Garry Biniecki has announced that he will not be seeking re-election for the Office of Sheriff at the end of his current term. According to a recent statement from the Sheriff’s Office, “having been elected to three terms as Sheriff and serving the Citizens of Sanilac County for more than 44 years at the Sheriff’s Office, he feels it is time to move on to new challenges.” 

Looking back at his time and accomplishments Biniecki said, some of the key accomplishments over his three terms include areas such as the Jail Addition and Renovation Project, where health and safety issues for staff and the inmates were addressed and remedied. Also, over the past several years under his leadership, the department has written and been awarded multiple State and Federal Grants, with several million dollars’ worth of equipment and technology grants coming back into Sanilac County. 

Sheriff Biniecki feels he is leaving the department in “very capable hands, with a challenge to carry on with the Mission.” He said at this point in his life, he hopes to focus on some personal goals like “a very long honey-do list of things that have been neglected over the years. Spending time with family will also be a priority along with exploring.” 

Biniecki said he and his wife and “have always wanted to go to Patagonia, not to mention that Lake Huron still has hundreds of undiscovered shipwrecks to locate and explore.”

In closing, he said he wanted to convey to the community how grateful he is for all the support they have shown over the years.

The Community Foundation of St. Clair County has announced its new leadership changes heading into the new year. Dr. Randa Jundi-Samman has been elected as the next Board Chair of the Foundation following Mike Cansfield who is completing his third and final year as the Board Chair. 

Dr. Jundi-Samman grew up in Syria and moved to the United States at the age of 22. She completed dental school at Tufts University and moved to Port Huron with her husband, Dr. Bashar Samman, in 1994. Together they have a daughter completing her fourth year in college and a son in California who is a journalist.

According to the Foundation, over the last decade Jundi-Samman has demonstrated a strong passion for her adopted community and has taken on numerous volunteer leadership roles, including; Board Chair of the Blue Water YMCA, Chair of the Foundation’s Women’s Initiative where she is also a founding member, Chair of the hugely popular Cross Town Showdown event and the endowment fund for Port Huron Area Schools. She has also been previously recognized as a Blue Water Woman of the Year. 

She joined the Community Foundation board in 2012 and has been the Vice Chair since 2017. In addition to electing Randa Jundi-Samman as the Board Chair, the Foundation also elected Hale Walker as Vice Chair. The Foundation manages approximately $80 million in assets including the Blue Water River Walk, farmland, Studio 1219, the courtyard of the Riverview Plaza and 260 endowed grantmaking funds.

While most people have finished their Christmas shopping and wrapped all their gifts, some people enjoy the thrill of last-minute shopping and are hitting the stores today. It’s estimated that 17 million shoppers start their shopping today, according to Consumer Reports. 

The hot gifts for 2019 are Apple AirPods, Instant Pots, weighted blankets, robot vacuums, Fitbit exercise trackers, and boots from L. L. Bean, among others, as reported by USA Today. 

Last year, holiday shopping surpassed a trillion dollars and American families spent an average of $1,536 during the season. To finance their spending, 14.2% of Americans sell something they own and 22% expect to go into debt once the credit card bills start showing up in the New Year.

According to a survey by Deloitte, just over half of all shoppers pick up a little something for themselves when out shopping for gifts. Of course, Christmas is about much more than gifts, and about 50-60% of Americans attend church on Christmas Eve or Christmas. Even if they don’t attend church, 90% of Americans say they celebrate Christmas in some way, according to Pew Research. About 85% of Americans donate to charities during the holiday season as well, according to a BusinessWire report.

24 hours a day, 365 days a year, NORAD tracks everything that flies in and around North America. On December 24, each year, the North American Aerospace Defense Command is tasked with the special mission of also tracking Santa.

Since 1955, NORAD has been tracking Santa. It all started when a young child accidentally dialed the unlisted phone number of the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, believing she was calling Santa Claus after seeing a promotion in a local newspaper.

Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, the commander on duty that night, was quick to realize a mistake had been made, and assured the youngster that CONAD would guarantee Santa a safe journey from the North Pole.

Thus, a tradition was born that rolled over to NORAD when it was formed in 1958. Each year since, NORAD has dutifully reported Santa’s location on December 24 to millions across the globe.

Thanks to the services and resources generously provided by numerous corporate contributors and volunteers, NORAD Tracks Santa has persevered for more than 60 years. Though the program began due to a misdialed number, NORAD Tracks Santa has flourished and is recognized as one of the Department of Defense’s largest community outreach programs.

Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa website receives nearly 15 million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers receive more than 130,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children around the globe. This year, children and the young-at-heart are able to track Santa through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. To see where Santa’s at, visit noradsanta.org!

The Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office is investigating several reports of stolen mail in Custer and Wheatland Townships that have occurred within the last week. According to the Sheriff’s office, it is believed the thieves are targeting mailboxes looking for Christmas cards with money or gift cards inside. The targeted thefts, the sheriff says, should prompt residents to use caution in sending these types of items by mail.

The Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents that this is the time of year when people also fall prey to thefts of packages being left on door steps. Be sure to contact UPS, FedEx or any other delivery service if you are expecting packages, to schedule deliveries for times that someone is available to receive the package without it being left out in the open.

If anyone sees any suspicious activity or has any information on the mail theft, residents are encouraged to contact Sanilac County Central Dispatch at 810-648-2000 to report it.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

With just a few days left of the signature holiday bell ringing campaign tradition, the Salvation Army is reporting that the group is quite a bit behind last year’s campaign numbers.

According to Major Wesley Dalberg, Port Huron Corps Officer, “These donations are vital to The Salvation Army. These funds help [the group] reach out and help people in St. Clair County during the holidays and throughout the coming year.”

Some 700 families and over 1,300 children have already received assistance with Christmas gifts and food for holiday meals through the Salvation Army. Thousands more will receive help and hope during 2020 thanks to the generosity of St. Clair County residents. Year-end donations can be made in several ways. Of course, the red kettles in operation throughout the county are the most visible and convenient way if you are out and about. But the local Salvation Army wants residents to know they can also drop donations off to The Salvation Army at 2000 Court St. in Port Huron or give online at www.porthuronsa.org.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.