Local News

A local man recently made a trip to Washington, D.C. to advocate for rights of those living with disabilities. Robert Furtado of Burtchville traveled as one of two legislative liaisons for the State Chapter of the Michigan Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired.

While in the nation’s capital, Furtado attended a two-day conference of the American Council of the Blind. Furtado told us that the Council worked on bills including advocating for a wage increase for the sub-minimum wage that disabled workers sometimes earn and eliminating the marriage penalty for those who receive Supplemental Security Income. Furtado’s group worked on another issue involving transportation and the coverage of things like Uber to get disabled persons to public transportation options.

Furtado said that his long history of disability advocacy began in the 1970s when he was denied a bank account from a Port Huron bank because as a permanently blind person, he did not have a driver’s license. This prompted him to lobby for state ID cards to become acceptable forms of identity for financial institutions. Furtado is the organizer of a statewide MCBVI conference and convention for the entire disability community that will be held at the Blue Water Convention Center in October.

Director of Port Huron’s Parks and Recreation Department, Nancy Winzer, is continuing her department’s quest to make the city’s parks into individual destinations. Gratiot Park could be getting some help from the Chris and Dana Reeve Foundation, in the amount of $25,000, to get some equipment to make a day at the park fun for everyone, even those living with paralysis or other disabilities. 

The Port Huron City Council has approved applying for the grant and the application is now being completed. According to the Reeve Foundation’s website, “…the Reeve Foundation Quality of Life Grants Program awards grants to nonprofit organizations that impact and empower people living with paralysis, their families and caregivers.” 

Christopher Reeve was an actor who famously played the role of Superman and was later paralyzed in an accident. He and his wife, who have both passed, dedicated their foundation “to curing spinal cord injury by advancing innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis.” 

The city has already received a $50,000 grant from the DNR for upgrades to Gratiot Park. Michigan Rehabilitation Services has been assisting with the planning of the park accessibility upgrades and is planning fundraisers in the fall. Winzer said the goal is not just to make the park accessible, but to make it fun for everyone of all physical abilities.

Blue Water area businesses, municipalities and residents are taking measures to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19 resulting in many event cancellations, limited services and more. Perhaps one of the biggest impacts comes as the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Division II women’s basketball championship set to be played in Port Huron next week has been postponed. The 16 team tournament was scheduled at the St. Clair County Community College (SC4) Fieldhouse for March 17-21. 

Initially, tournament organizers had announced the games would continue, without fans, but as of 2:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon, a representative from the Blue Water Convention and Visitors Bureau confirmed that tournament organizers had postponed the event and were in the process of advising local hotels of the cancellations. 

Representatives from the college and Visitors Bureau had previously stated the tournament was expected to bring in thousands of guests and substantial economic impact. At this time, a rescheduled date has not been announced. 

There are several other events around the Blue Water Area that have been cancelled after two cases of the novel COVID-19 (coronavirus) were confirmed in Michigan. To see a full list of cancelled events and closures, visit our website.

With the report of two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our state yesterday, many of us are beginning to experience changes to our daily routines. Classes have moved online at many universities, events are being cancelled, and we are all being asked to be mindful of our role in preventing the spread of this virus. As your local radio station, WGRT is committed to bringing you up-to-date information about news related to public health and changes in our community’s routines and public services. We are also supporting recommendations from local officials and government leaders on how residents should respond to this pandemic. In a press conference yesterday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer made these recommendations:

“We’re going to have to make some tough choices in the coming days and weeks. The Department of Health and Human services is encouraging everyone to avoid large gatherings of 100 people or more. Groups should evaluate and make decisions about whether or not to cancel conferences, sporting events, or concerts. This is to keep the most people we can safe. I encourage everyone to be flexible. Take care of one another. We’ve gotten through tough times in Michigan. We’re going to get through this.”

WGRT is ready to support our community with reliable information. If you need to report a closing or cancellation, visit WGRT.com and follow the prompts at the top of the page. Stay tuned for local news and updates at the top of the hour, follow us on social media (Facebook – Twitter), and add us as a news source on Google News and Apple News for subscription free news every day. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

The Port Huron Police Department is going to be getting a new officer. This new recruit will be on four legs, though. The Port Huron City Council approved the acquisition of a new canine officer, or police dog, at Monday’s meeting. Officer Chad Smith has been the officer in charge of the current police dog, but with his promotion to Detective, the department will be needing a new dog.

City Manager James Freed explained to the council that the current dog has a year or two of service left in him, but police canines cannot be transferred from one handler to another. The current dog will “go home” with Officer Smith. 

The new dog will be coming from Shallow Creek Kennels of Pennsylvania, which is a privately owned and operated police service dog importing and training facility that the city has acquired dogs from previously. The $8,000 fee charged by the facility will be covered by the Canine Services Fund which is supported by the Dorothea Knight charitable donation. 

A new dog handler will be selected in the next few weeks. Representatives from the Port Huron police department said that the new dog will not be trained to sniff out marijuana, as it is now legal. Marijuana detection leading to searches has been ruled unconstitutional in other states.