Local News

According to the American Journal of Pediatrics, the most dangerous thing that U.S. children do as part of daily life is ride in a car. Reducing that danger can be as simple as proper installation of your child’s car seat. Blue Water Community Action, along with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), the Michigan State Police (MSP), and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office wants to help. The organizations are sponsoring a car seat safety check at the Fort Gratiot Fire Department on Wednesday, November 6th from 2-7 p.m.

The group says that 95 percent of parents use their child’s car seat incorrectly. Certified child passenger safety technicians will be on hand to look at seat selection which will determine if a child has the correct seat. Technicians will also review seat installation and seat use determining if the child is buckled in properly. Finally, next steps will be offered for when a child grows and what can be expected. The event is free and open to the public. Appointments to attend the event should be made in advance by calling 810-966-3542.

Reporting for WGRT, Mike Smith.

Port Huron City Manager James Freed has announced the creation of the City of Port Huron’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. The new office was created to focus on more diversity in hiring, and equitable disbursements of city resources. According to Freed, the move comes after a lot of discussions with community leaders and a review of what other communities and companies were doing to address challenges. NAACP President Kevin Watkins believes that the action that has been brought forth through previous discussions is the key.

According to Freed, the initiative has several goals, one of them being to promote and increase access for minority and disadvantaged populations to city job opportunities while also educating the community on equal opportunity hiring practices. Freed said the office will directly interface with communities, churches, and civic groups to promote the goals and objectives of the office. Funding for this position will come from the city’s Community Development Funds and  support from the Community Foundation of St Clair County.

Reporting for WGRT, I’m Karly Hurley.

After years of anticipation, the St. Clair Inn will finally open its doors for the public to see this weekend. The first event will take place Friday evening with an exclusive charity preview of the renovated space to benefit local veterans and children. Then on Saturday, it’s the general public’s turn as the Inn plans to host public walkthroughs. The St. Clair Inn was closed in 2014 and has undergone a four-year restoration and expansion since the purchase of the property in late 2015. According to developers, “since starting the renovation, $40 million has been invested in the restoration of the Inn ensuring that the historic portion closely reflects the Inn as it appeared at the time of its original opening in 1926.” Anyone interested in touring the Inn this weekend can visit the St. Clair Inn Facebook and sign up for a time to walk-through.

Reporting for WGRT, I’m Karly Hurley.

If you look out onto Lake Huron or the deep blue waters of the St. Clair River this time of year, it may seem strange to think the waters are a superhighway for a sizable amount of the world’s goods and raw materials. With colder weather settling in, though, many ships are making headway before the roadway freezes up. President of the Great Lakes Pilots Dan Gallagher said, “Freighter traffic on the Great Lakes is still going strong this time of year.” Normally the freighter season begins around the third week in March and ends the first week in January. Gallagher, who is also the Vice-President of the American Pilots Association, said his office is busy this time of year with outbound vessels carrying grain harvested around the region. 

According to Captain Gallagher, not as much steel came through the area this year, but there was a rise in the amount of petroleum that was transported. His office is contacted to guide any foreign vessel that plans to make port in a U.S. location in the Great Lakes region. He said it was an unusual season due to the higher than normal number of cruise ships that passed through the area. Looking forward, Gallagher said some of the cruise companies have spoken of plans for expansion in the Great Lakes Region, though he couldn’t relay specifics.

Reporting for WGRT, I’m Karly Hurley.

National Drug Take Back Day is this Saturday, and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office will once again participate in the semi-annual event. Residents that would like to dispose of unused or unwanted medication can stop by the office on Michigan Road from 10 to 2 on Saturday. Unwanted, expired, or unused pills will be accepted. The department is not accepting liquids syringes, patches, inhalers, or creams.  St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon said, “We want to ensure that these pills don’t end up in the wrong hands or in our drinking water.”  

Residents who are unable to make the event on Saturday are welcome to turn in pills during the normal weekday business hours at the Sheriff’s office.The event is sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). When the event ends, law enforcement agencies turn over the pills to the DEA for incineration. This is the 18th year that the event has been held, and 2100 pounds of pills have been collected by the department thus far. Reporting for WGRT, I’m Karly Hurley.

The Blue Water Area will soon be welcoming a new business that wants to help update your kitchen or bathroom. Kitchen Tune Up is a franchise that Cheryl and Terry Wojcickij decided to pursue after retiring. They plan to have a ribbon cutting for their business in December. Cheryl Wojcickij said the new business offers five different services: restoring the wood on cabinetry, redooring cabinets, refacing cabinets, painting cabinets, and full custom kitchen designs. Cheryl also said they appreciate the trust factor that the Kitchen Tune Up name brings as she says trust points are important to the couple.

Although the company is based out of the couple’s home, they are looking to expand next year. They will serve St. Clair County, as well as the north eastern part of Macomb County. Currently, they can be reached through their Facebook page or the Kitchen Tune Up company website. The company was founded in Aberdeen, South Dakota in 1988 by Dave and Cindy Haglund, and has several locations throughout the United States.

Reporting for WGRT, Mike Smith.