Local News

As we continue to examine the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis, the media has also experienced its share of troubles. As businesses close and cut back, advertising revenue has also declined. The decline in advertising has hit every media sector including  print, TV, digital, radio, and outdoor advertising.

As advertisers slash budgets, they are often canceling or reducing ad campaigns. Some of the reasons are obvious. Planes are not flying. Hotels are empty. Movie theaters are shuttered. Casinos are closed. Also, many small and medium-size businesses are closed or struggling to stay solvent.

On the other hand, consumption of media has dramatically increased as people stay home and spend a considerable amount of time watching TV, listening to the radio, and using social media platforms like Facebook. The newspaper industry which has been especially hard hit over the past few years, faces the most serious crisis.  

The Wall Street Journal recently reported  that 80% of newspapers in circulation are disqualified from government aid because of the way their companies are structured, and it may negatively affect their ability to survive the decline in advertising.

Local media companies are continuing to do what they’ve always done in times like these: support their customers, provide meaningful content for their audiences, and look for innovative ways to stay in business.

Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn

The Annual Michigan Charter School Day usually brings hundreds of charter school supporters and participants to Lansing in May. Supporters rally together to celebrate the diversity, innovation, passion and success that Michigan’s charter schools offer students across the state. Also, during the event, informational meetings are held with various legislators and officials.

This year, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is going 100% virtual. The event will be held on May 13th and will begin with a live Facebook broadcast hosted by the Michigan Association of Public School Academies. The association president, Dan Quisenberry, will kick off  the event with comments intended to celebrate the charter school movement.

The Michigan State Legislature approved Michigan’s charter school law in 1993. Charter schools are free, independently-operated public schools. Currently there are 300 charter schools in Michigan serving over 150,000 students. St. Clair County has three charter schools: East Shore Leadership Academy, Landmark Academy, and the St Clair County Intervention Academy which are all in the greater Port Huron Area.

Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn

If you’re wondering how the coronavirus crisis is impacting the economy, one view is to examine what products consumers are purchasing and which ones are in decline. A recent study of consumer online purchasing habits provided an interesting perspective.

There are some obvious winners; for example, rubber glove sales are up 670%.  Other products selling well are soups, packaged food, fruit cups, and milk. However, some consumer products are not faring as well. Sales of luggage is down 77%, while bridal clothing is down 63%. Swimwear and camera sales have dropped 60% and 64% respectively. Auto dealers experienced their worst sales records for decades last month, with Toyota reporting a 54% drop in April.

There have been a few surprises in all of this. Home bread machines have experienced a resurgence in popularity with their sales increasing 652%. Consequently, baker’s yeast has been one of the most sought after commodities at supermarkets. Sales of chest freezers have soared with many retailers selling out and placing items on back order. Walmart even reports an increase in the sales of tops (not bottoms) as an increase in virtual meetings has people improving only half their wardrobe.

Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn

City Manager James Freed sent a letter to Port Huron’s Mayor and City Council on May 1st describing the effect lost revenue from local income tax, State Revenue Sharing, Act 51 revenues (funded by gas taxes), and revenue from utility payments collected by the city will have on the City’s budget. In response to the anticipated shortfalls, his goal is to reduce staffing in the city by 15% through voluntary furloughs of city employees.

The Stay at Home order has forced every business in our community to change the way it functions. Closure of buildings, decreased sales, and employees working from home have dramatically changed the way individuals and businesses spend money and use resources. The consequences have sent a ripple effect into our economy that no one quite knows how to predict, and many leaders are struggling to manage.

The City of Port Huron is anticipating significant loss of revenue and responding by beginning the process of reducing its work force, including employees in the Police and Fire Departments. Freed also talked about reductions to the Streets budget and dramatically scaling back recreation programs. According to Freed’s letter, “City pools and McMorran will not open this summer and possibly fall due to social distancing orders.” On the bright side, he noted that the City had a very strong budget year up through February.

These challenges are not unique to Port Huron. They will be felt in every community around the world as business and government leaders try to anticipate and respond proactively to the domino effect of economic changes in this new reality.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

On April 3 rd 2020, the Government of Ontario instituted a fire ban that effectively prohibited all outdoor fires within Ontario’s fire region during the COVID-19 emergency to protect first responders. On the same day, on the recommendation of the Sarnia Primary Control Group (SPCG), in consultation with the Sarnia Fire Chief and the Sarnia Chief of Police, Mayor Mike Bradley issued a complementary fire ban through Emergency Order No 1 relative to the “prohibition on outdoor fires within the City of Sarnia to protect the safety of first responders and enforce physical distancing measures in place to stop the spread of the COVID-19 disease” which is set to expire on May 3 rd 2020.

The Premier of Ontario and Lambton’s Medical Officer of Health are both encouraging that our communities stay the course until there is a sustained 2 to 4 week decrease in new COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations. With over 180 confirmed cases of COVID-19 that led to 14 deaths and 3
institutional outbreaks to date, Sarnia is one of the communities within the province of Ontario that has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the declaration of a State of Emergency by both the Government of Ontario and the City of Sarnia in early March, SPCG has met daily to deliberate on best approaches to combat the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak and protect the community.

Taking into consideration the local agricultural needs of the community and, on the recommendation of the Sarnia Fire Chief, the SPCG has recommended that the City of Sarnia issue Emergency Order No 2 to allow for the issuance of rural burn permits to support farming operations within our community who have a need to clear brush to prepare farming fields, while maintaining the current restrictions on recreational open fires until May 31st 2020, pending the implementation of Phase 1 of the Government of Ontario’s plan to re-open the economy.

“We understand the desire to sit outside and relax around a fire with members of your home and the frustration felt by some” said Sarnia Fire Chief Brian Arnold. “We appreciate your continued patience and thank everyone who is sacrificing for us all. Please stay the course a little longer as we look for indicators from the Province and Medical Officer of Health to ease restrictions.”