Local News

The St. Clair County Economic Development Alliance (EDA) has announced that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has approved a regional grant for the I-69 Thumb Region.

Approval of this grant in the amount of $850,000 allows the I-69 Thumb Region, consisting of seven counties, to issue prompt Small Business Relief funding. St. Clair County’s portion of the grant is approximately $142,000. On Wednesday, March 26th, applications will open to St. Clair County small businesses who are encouraged to apply online via the Economic Development Alliance’s website, if they meet certain criteria.

The EDA is coordinating the submissions and processing of all St. Clair County applications. Local chambers have been invited to assist the EDA with reviewing applications and making recommendations for awards. It is anticipated that 14-20 businesses will be awarded grants averaging $8,000 with maximum grants of $10,000. Grant applications selected from St. Clair County will then move forward to be approved by a regional panel. Dan Casey will be sitting on the regional Review Panel as the economic development representative for St. Clair County. The goal of the MEDC and the EDA is to get funds disbursed to businesses quickly. The application period opens on March 26th and closes on March 30th.  

Michigan is reporting 2,295 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 43 deaths.  St. Clair County has ten (10) confirmed COVID-19 cases, an increase of two since yesterday’s report:

·         52 year old female, no travel history, recovering at home

·         39 year old male, no travel history, hospitalized

St. Clair County Health Department is currently monitoring 36 people who are awaiting COVID-19 test results.

The St. Clair County Health Department receives information about confirmed COVID-19 cases from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The number of COVID-19 tests are reported to the St. Clair County Health Department by hospital systems, however, may not be a complete report of all tests conducted.

According to Dr. Annette Mercatante, Medical Director at the St. Clair County Health Department, “There are several reasons we are seeing more COVID-19 patients being hospitalized. Hospitalized patients are prioritized for testing, so we will detect those patients more often. Additionally, complications due to COVID-19 typically occur after the first week of symptoms. Since we identified our first cases two weeks ago, it makes sense that we would see more cases that need advanced health care as this pandemic plays out. The most critical response to this event is that we slow transmission down by social distancing and quarantine efforts as needed so that our healthcare system can keep up with those that need the care. It is too early in this event to fully compare severity and other epidemiological factors with other locations, but we still have an opportunity to protect those people around us by following all the recommendations provided.”

The St. Clair County Emergency Operations Center functions as a centralized coordination of emergency resources to provide overall policy and guidance for strategic objectives related to the COVID-19 situation. For further information visit: cdc.gov/coronavirus; Michigan.gov/coronavirus; or scchealth.co.  A general St. Clair County COVID-19 Informational Hotline is available Monday through Friday, (810) 966-4163, 8:00am-4:30pm or email questions to covid19@stclaircounty.org. The State of Michigan hotline is 1-888-535-6136 and is operational daily 8:00am – 5:00pm or email questions to COVID19@michigan.gov.

This information was submitted by the Joint Information Center at 4:33 PM on 3/25/2020

To prepare for the expected increase in Coronavirus infections in the area, St. Clair County’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has set up drop off zones for citizens to donate health and safety items. The items are intended to be used by medical staff and emergency first responders as their protection from infection is critical during this time of global pandemic. 

The Office is asking for donations of N-95 masks, which are the most effective at keeping pathogens out of airways. They are also accepting donations of handmade facemasks. A pattern for the masks is available on the Be Ready St. Clair County Facebook page. Hand sanitizer and cleaning and disinfecting wipes are also appreciated, as the virus can live on surfaces for a long period of time. The drop off points are Marysville High School, Port Huron High School, and Port Huron Northern High School. Items can be dropped off in the front lobbies of the schools.

The recent shutdowns across the state and nation have altered the routines of many across the Blue Water Area. While this may provide a little extra free time for people, Patrick Patterson, Center Manager at Blue Water Outreach & Recovery Center (BWROC), emphasizes that this free time can also be very precarious for those in recovery from addiction.

He says under normal circumstances, AA and NA meetings fill up, twice a day, and now they are empty, which can negatively impact recovery.

Patterson says, “For those early in recovery, even an hour alone can be a dangerous time and lead to unhealthy decisions. The social connection is critical. Manufacturing and food service have been heavily impacted lately, as when uncertainty in employment surfaces, it adds even more challenges.”

Patterson suggests a few activities to stay occupied at home including daily meditation, making a gratitude list, and working on a new budget.

Due to the closures, those looking for meetings are encouraged to join BWROC’s support groups have transitioned online and can be accessed at their website BWROC.org. Those in need of information or assistance can also call 888-68-BWROC to speak directly with the organization.

Port Huron city residents can put off paying their city income taxes until July 31. The Port Huron City Council voted to extend the deadline in response to the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. No penalties or interest will be levied. 

Monday’s City Council meeting was a short one, as members and staff maintained social distancing while having a required public meeting. No residents were in attendance. 

In addition to voting to extend the deadline for tax payment, the council voted to pay for supplies to keep the water and sewer plant running properly. Mayor Pauline Repp explained that water service has been restored to 150 residences and shutoffs have been halted until further notice, but residents are encouraged to keep paying their water bills. 

The Council also voted to accept a bid from Raymond Excavating for the combined sewer separation project near the Blue Water Bridge, in the amount of nearly $2 million. 

In other city news, residents can look forward to having their curbside yard waste picked up in containers or compost bags beginning the week of April 6.

The Port Huron Police Department has been re-accredited by CALEA for the ninth time. CALEA is a nationally based organization that ensures compliance to a broad set of established professional standards with a voluntary accreditation process. CALEA accreditation is considered an elite status among law enforcement agencies with only 11 agencies in the State of Michigan currently accredited. 

When the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) recently formed a State of Michigan accreditation program of their own, the Port Huron Police Department entered that process as well and achieved state accreditation status in 2018. The Port Huron Police Department is one out of only three agencies to be dually accredited by CALEA and MACP. 

The goal of CALEA is to strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities, formalize essential management procedures, and increase community and staff confidence in their agency, among other goals.

The Port Huron Police Department’s 9th on-site assessment was conducted in November 2019. The assessment process occurs every four (4) years and entails detailed scrutiny of police policies and procedures by highly trained assessors.