Local News

The local Ottawa Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Lt. Isaiah Fuller Society, Children of the American Revolution hosted a drive-by parade on Saturday, May 9th to celebrate the 105th birthday of Mr. Walter Krupa of Port Huron.  Mr. Krupa served the U.S. valiantly during World War II, and the groups wanted to honor him with this outpouring of respect and support.

Over 50 cars joined the parade to celebrate Mr. Krupa. You can watch the parade on YouTube <HERE>. 

United Way of Sarnia-Lambton issued grants to six agencies in Lambton County on behalf
of United Way Centraide Canada and funded by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons
for Seniors Program. These six non-profit community service organizations met all
requirements for funding which included meeting the immediate and urgent needs of seniors in
Sarnia and throughout Lambton County. Organizations who received grants were: Family Counseling Centre – $16,000, Lambton Mental Wellness Centre – $1,261, North Lambton Community Health Centre – $15,000, St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank & Help Centre – $9,886, and YMCA of Southwestern Ontario – Petrolia and Sarnia-Lambton – $3,192 per site (2).

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded a $6.6 million grant to the Blue Water Area Transportation Commission as part of the CARES Act. The commission will use the grant funds to continue essential transit service during the COVID-19 public health emergency and to rehabilitate the roof at its administrative and maintenance facility.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Due to the state’s ongoing Stay Home, Stay Safe order, the organizers of the Port Huron Memorial Day Parade had to cancel the Downtown Port Huron Parade and the ceremony at the Eternal Flame Monument in Pine Grove Park.

However, they are asking Blue Water Area residents to proceed with observing the holiday and paying respect to our nation’s heroic men and women who sacrificed their lives for our country.

“Perhaps if each person in the Blue Water Area could observe a moment of silence at 12 noon as a show of respect for our fallen soldiers, we could still consider this another successful Memorial Day Celebration.” organizers said in a press release.

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, the 25th this year, and became an official federal holiday in 1971. WGRT joins our community in its strong tradition of honoring members of the U.S. military and their families, and we are grateful for their sacrifices for our freedom.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Lake Huron Medical Center (LHMC) is pleased to announce its May 2020 Employee of the Month, Patricia (Trish) McNeil, and its May 2020 Volunteer of the Month, Martha Bennett-Lewis. LHMC is honored to have a strong team of staff and volunteers working hard to deliver high-quality care to the Blue Water Area.

Trish is Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department and has been with LHMC since 1998. She was nominated by a peer who commented, “Trish has been a steadfast leader through this COVID pandemic.  She has been a constant in a sea of uncertainty and change.  Her management of the day to day work in the ER has made the flow and integrity of the process manageable and safe.  She is calm, knowledgeable, motivating, and makes sure everyone is on the same page.  She has stepped up beyond the call of duty, working extra when needed. She is what I hope to become!”

Martha has been volunteering at the hospital since 2010 in various roles. Martha’s nomination from an employee reads: “Martha goes above and beyond to ensure the front desk runs smoothly on the days she volunteers.  She greets each patient with a warm smile and is very welcoming.  Martha handles the front desk with ease- it can become very hectic when patients are checking-in, but she is always willing to take on additional tasks.  She is a valuable member of our team!”

Lake Huron Medical Center is proud of each of its employees and volunteers; and extends a special thank you and congratulations to all our team members, especially Trish and Martha, as we celebrate their accomplishments.

To learn more about the programs and services offered at Lake Huron Medical Center, visit www.mylakehuron.com. 

During these last several weeks, we’ve heard nurses referred to as heroes, rock stars, and miracle workers. Although the origins of nursing predate the mid-19th century, the history of professional nursing traditionally begins with Florence Nightingale.

Nightingale, the well-educated daughter of wealthy British parents, defied social conventions and decided to become a nurse. It takes a certain kind of person to become a nurse as they are called on to serve the sick, injured, or dying. Nurses Week is May 6-12 and the theme this year is ‘Year of the Nurse.’

“Nurses are the heart of healthcare. They are the patient’s advocate while balancing the needs of family, physicians, and other clinicians. This takes devotion. Nurses cannot promise to fix all of your problems, but they can promise you won’t have to face them alone,” says VNA & Blue Water Hospice Vice President of Clinical Operations & COO Stacey Lambert.

During Nurses Week, WGRT joins the community in saying thank you for all our nurses do. We appreciate the sacrifices you make and your dedication to patients.

Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn

Downtown Port Huron business owners would love to reopen their stores. Yet another extension of the Stay Home, Stay Safe order means they will have to wait awhile longer. In the meantime, they have planned the Downtown Port Huron Word Hunt, a fun way for walkers to explore downtown while doing a little window shopping.

From Alpine Cycles to Grand Trunk Marketplace, downtown businesses are displaying a few specially chosen words in their windows, and it’s your job to find them. Take a stroll downtown, and discover the words that make up four happy phrases. Download the form with the list of participating businesses <HERE> and fill in the words on the form, or take the more difficult approach and discover them on your own. Just find all the words and you’ll be able to decode the phrases.

Once you find the phrases, submit them along with your name, phone number or email address to downtownporthuron@gmail.com. Each phrase you find will give you one entry in the weekly drawing which will happen at 4 PM each Friday for the rest of May. This is your chance to walk, play, win, and have fun…every 6 feet!

Learn more about the Downtown Port Huron Word Hunt event on Facebook <HERE>

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

College students living in dorms experienced a major upheaval when on-campus life came to a screeching halt in March. The COVID-19 crisis forced them to hastily empty their dorm rooms and pack up to move home. Now, colleges want them to come back even though many aren’t exactly sure what they have to offer.

College’s are expecting new and returning students to commit for the fall semester, but many parents and students are finding it hard to sign contracts, pay deposits, and plan for the future. Many college’s have yet to provide assurance that on-campus living will be worth the Room & Board rates the college collects, especially if students can’t reap the benefits of the bustling dining halls, social activities, and recreational facilities that are included in the price.

Parents and students are also facing an unprecedented upheaval in their financial situations. For most people, the income they reported on their FAFSA applications, which is used to calculate scholarships and grants for the 2020-21 school year, is completely different now due to layoffs and loss of business revenue. COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Payments also left out college students who are still claimed as dependents by their parents; students did not receive the $1200 per person payment, and their parents did not receive the additional $600 per child payment for them either.

Thankfully, St. Clair County Community College isn’t being negatively affected by these issues. Bonnie DiNardo, Director of Community and Alumni Relations for SC4, said they are “cautiously optimistic for the fall.” SC4 is already seeing an increase in fall enrollment, and they are also seeing an increase in guest-student applications, which indicates more students are choosing SC4 for the fall instead of going back to their “home” college.

Recent high school graduates and their families definitely have a complex decision to make. In-district tuition for two full-time (12 credits) semesters at SC4 costs around $3,264 compared to around  $24,152 for tuition and room & board at Oakland University. That difference, along with the uncertainly of what exactly they are paying for, may be prohibitive for some families experiencing financial hardship.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand