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Local News

Free “Rec on the Go” Bags Ready for Local Families

Port Huron, MI — Kids bored? How about a new bag of games, crafts, and sports equipment every week to keep them busy? That is exactly what local recreation departments are doing for children in the community.

“Rec on the Go” bags are stocked with materials to keep kids active and are available for free at various locations. Children need not be present to get the bags. One bag is available per family.

In Port Huron, the bags can be picked up at the McMorran Pro Shop on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Mondays at 10:30 a.m. at Optimist Park and 2:00 p.m. at Garfield Elementary School. On Tuesdays, the bags can be picked up at 10:30 a.m. at Knox Field and at 2:30 p.m. at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School.

The Marysville Community Center will be handing out the bags on Mondays from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. They can also be picked up at Greig Park in St. Clair from 10-11 a.m. on Tuesdays.

The bags are limited in quantity and are given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. The bags have been made available to area families through a partnership between Sport Port Huron, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Red Cross Now Testing Blood Donations for COVID-19 Antibodies

New insight is now available for those who are curious if they have antibodies for COVID-19. The American Red Cross just announced that they will be testing all blood donations for coronavirus antibodies for a limited time.

Antibody testing indicates that a person’s immune system produced antibodies to COVID-19, regardless of whether they developed symptoms. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration just authorized emergency use of antibody tests to the Red Cross so they could test all blood, platelets, and plasma donations for the virus.

The Red Cross is not testing donors to diagnose COVID-19, and a positive test result does not confirm infection or immunity. However, the diagnostic test will offer insight to coronavirus exposure, and results will be available 7-10 days after donating.

Blood drives and donation sites are following strict safety standards to protect their staff and donors. To find out how to donate, visit RedCrossBlood.org or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App on your phone.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Two More Viruses to Avoid: West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Michigan– While the world’s attention has been focused on the coronavirus, health officials are now also warning about the West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis viruses, which are likely to show up over the summer.

West Nile virus has already been detected in Lapeer County in a captive hawk. Both West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis viruses originate from infected birds that are bit by mosquitoes who then bite humans.

According to Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services chief medical executive and chief deputy director for health, “It only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to cause a severe illness.” She urges Michiganders to take precautions to avoid bites.

While Eastern Equine Encephalitis has not been detected yet this summer, residents are warned that 2019 was the worst year on record for outbreaks. Six deaths were attributed to Eastern Equine Encephalitis last year.

Symptoms of mosquito-borne viruses are typically high fever, confusion, muscle weakness and a severe headache. More serious complications include neurological illnesses, such as meningitis and encephalitis.

The best line of defense is avoiding mosquito bites and trying to discourage mosquito breeding grounds. Information about virus detection can be found at Michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Two Arraigned Following Drug Raid

Port Huron Twp, MI — Two people are lodged at the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center following an investigation by the St. Clair County Drug Task Force.

According to Sheriff Tim Donnellon, the DTF conducted an investigation into the sales of methamphetamine in the county.  That investigation ended with the execution of a search warrant at the Quality Inn Hotel on Yeager Street in Port Huron Township shortly before midnight on June 10th.

Members of the Drug Task Force entered a hotel room, where they located and seized about $1100 worth of methamphetamine, analogue drugs, a large amount of cash and drug paraphernalia.

The two subjects arrested, 36 year old Megan Green of Sterling Heights and 34 year old Brandon Burck of Fort Gratiot were arraigned Friday in 72nd District Court.

Green is charged with delivery/manufacture of methamphetamine, possession of analogues, maintaining a drug house and being a habitual 4th offender.  Burck is charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of analogues, maintaining a drug house and being a habitual 4th offender.  Both Green and Burck are also on parole.  They are both being held at the IDC on $50,000 cash/surety bonds, along with the parole holds.

Both are next scheduled to appear in 72nd District Court for probable cause hearings before Judge John Monaghan on June 23rd at 9:00 a.m.

Whitmer Hopes to Move Rest of State to Phase 5 by July 4th

Michigan moved into phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan on June 1st. Entering phase 4 allowed small gatherings and the reopening of “lower-risk” businesses such as non-essential retail with strict workplace safety measures.

Last week, Governor Whitmer moved the Traverse City area and the Upper Peninsula, regions 6 and 8, into Phase 5. Indicating that cases and deaths related to COVID-19 have continued to decline in those regions, and outbreaks can be quickly contained. In phase 5, K-12 educational institutions can resume in-person instruction, and travel is no longer prohibited.

Even though the rest of the state remains in Phase 4, Governor Whitmer decided to open all personal care services such as salons and barber shops on June 15th. She also signed executive orders at the end of last week that lifted restrictions on overnight summer camps beginning June 15th and allows certain K-12 school sports activities and other in-person extracurricular school activities to resume.

In a press release citing a report by the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team showing that the aggressive actions Governor Whitmer took to protect Michigan families from the spread of COVID-19 significantly lowered the number of cases and deaths that would have occurred had the state done nothing. Whitmer announced that she hopes to move the rest of the state to phase 5 by July 4th.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Ontario Encourages Social Circles and Allows Wedding & Funerals

Sarnia, Ontario — The Provincial Government has eased restrictions on wedding and funeral ceremonies. Outdoor ceremonies are now allowed, but they are limited to 50 attendees.  Indoor ceremonies are limited to a maximum of 30% of the venue capacity.

Guests attending funeral or wedding ceremonies must follow the standard health and safety advice including physical distancing from those outside of their household or their established 10 person social circle. For more information about wedding and funeral gatherings go <HERE>.

On June 12th, the Provincial government recommended Ontarians establish a social “circle” of “no more than 10 people who can interact and come into close contact with one another without physical distancing.”

Social circles can include people outside of immediate household members, and the goal is to “support the mental health and well-being of Ontarians and help reduce social isolation.”

Reporting for wGRT – Jessie Wiegand