Local News

Avoca Elementary School Principal, Therese Damman, has been recognized by the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principal’s Association as the Region 6 Principal of the Year. 

Mrs. Damman was nominated by a colleague in the Yale School District. Damman told us that she is “genuinely humbled” by the award, and that it’s really about what they do as a team at Avoca Elementary along with the community. She credits everyone from “fabulous parents to phenomenal staff” and especially her wonderful students at the vibrant rural school. She told us that having their encouragement makes her want to be a better principal. 

There are fourteen regions in Michigan. Region 6 includes St. Clair and Macomb counties. According to MEMSPA, which is based in Mason, Michigan, the award is designed to recognize outstanding principals whose contributions to the profession are exemplary and recognized by their peers and communities alike. The program honors principals who have exhibited extraordinary leadership, commitment to their students and faculty, service to their communities and contributions to the overall profession.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Visa is warning customers who use a credit card at the gas pump, as the company believes it could now be a means for cybercriminals to steal information. 

Visa said it has identified three unique attacks that were “likely carried out by sophisticated cybercrime groups.” Two of the schemes targeted North American fuel dispenser merchants, which it said are an increasingly attractive target for hackers.

According to a company statement, “The recent compromises of fuel dispenser merchants represents a concerning trend whereby sophisticated threat groups have identified fuel dispenser merchants as an attractive target for obtaining track data.”

In one incident, hackers were able to gain access to systems through a phishing email containing a malicious link that was sent to an employee. Through the link, cybercriminals accessed the merchant network and harvested payment card data from there. In the second attack, experts were unable to determine how hackers gained initial access, but magnetic strip data from payment cards appeared to have been targeted specifically. The third attack occurred at a hospitality merchant.

Right now, it’s unclear how many accounts are at risk of being affected, but Visa warned in November about the rise of attacks on people at the pump. Merchants that have not yet adopted chip technology on terminals are more likely targets for these types of attacks.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

This week, the Port Huron Police Department conducted a compliance check operation focusing on underage sales of alcohol to minors. 

During the operation, police sent underage decoys into 29 Port Huron stores licensed by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission to sell alcohol. Of the 29 businesses that were checked, the majority were found to be in compliance by refusing to sell alcohol to the underage decoys. 

Only two establishments were found not to be in compliance and were cited for selling alcohol to a minor. 

Last year at this time, 33 Port Huron establishments were checked for compliance by the department. The 2018 raid saw six violations. In this year’s check, there were no repeat violations from last year.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Maybe you are finishing up your Christmas shopping, or maybe you haven’t started yet. Either way, state Attorney General, Dana Nessel, has some reminders for residents during the holiday shopping season. Under the Shopping Reform and Modernization Act, retailers are required to clearly display the price of items within the store. 

The intent is to protect consumers by making sure they pay the lowest price for items. If a consumer is charged more than the listed price, they are entitled to a refund if they meet certain criteria. To get a refund, you need to have been overcharged, actually paid for the item, and have a receipt. According to the Attorney General, to receive a refund, a consumer must notify the retailer within 30 days of the transaction. The retailer has two days to refund the consumer for the difference between the listed price and the charged price, plus a “bonus” of 10 times the difference not less than $1 and with a maximum of $5. 

She also said that if a consumer suspects a store’s failure to properly display the price of an item under the Shopping Reform and Modernization Act, they may file a complaint with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at Michigan.gov.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Local Technical Education students completed the first step in their quest toward the National Competition in Kentucky. Saturday was a big day for 130 students who attend the Technical Education Programs at the St. Clair County RESA, as well as the industries that rely on a skilled labor force.

Students from ten programs, from construction to cosmetology, competed in the local Skills USA Program, held at the Marysville campus. Tom Koehler RESA’s TEC program School to Work Coordinator, said that the event puts students, teachers, and the business community together to give kids opportunities to compete for possible scholarships and job opportunities as they advance through the levels. Judges for the event include industry leaders in the represented fields as well as past students who are part of the TEC Advisory Board. Skills USA is a national organization that works to fill the gaps in the workforce for the skilled trades.

According to a report from the Associated General Contractors, with the retiring baby boomers and the lack of skilled trades, there will be a half million jobs to fill in Michigan alone by 2026.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.

The 72nd District Court in St. Clair County will be undergoing some changes. Judge Cynthia Platzer has announced her retirement, effective at the end of this month. Her current term ends December of 2020. Governor Whitmer will be required to appoint a replacement for the remainder of the term. Judge Platzer was elected to the court in 2002, following Judge John Cummings on the bench, and took her oath of office in January of 2003. She was re-elected in 2014 in an unopposed race. 

Judge Platzer graduated from the University of Michigan in 1975 and received her law degree from the Detroit College of Law in 1981. Judge Platzer has presided over many high-profile criminal cases during her tenure. She has been involved in both the St. Clair County Mock Trial Competition and the D.A.R.E. Program, which teaches 5th graders about the dangers of substance abuse. She has also publicly endorsed the work of Operation Transformation in the fight against substance abuse and recidivism. She has been regarded as a no-nonsense judge who gets things done and who tries to expedite justice.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.