Local News

The Doubletree Hilton Hotel in Port Huron and its staff will receive an award from Governor Gretchen Whitmer on September 5th at the Detroit Opera House.  The Doubletree was recognized in the Corporate Community Leader category of The 2019 Governor’s Service Awards. The service awards went to 43 businesses, individuals, and nonprofit organizations who have demonstrated a commitment to give back to their communities.   

The Doubletree, formerly the Thomas Edison Inn, was refurbished in 2015 as the Blue Water Convention Center was being constructed and attached at the north side of the hotel.  Gov. Whitmer said, “I’m proud to present the Governor’s Service Awards to this year’s recipients as recognition of their sacrifice and dedication throughout our state.” Other honorees in the corporate category were BASF, DTE, Bosch, Spectrum Health, and Trinseo. 

The St. Clair County Health Department is urging parents to beat the rush and get their children vaccinated before school starts. National Immunization Awareness Month is a national campaign by health care organizations that encourages people to get themselves and their children up to date on their vaccines. Vaccines are proven to protect children, preteens, teens, and adults from 16 serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.

The St. Clair County Health Department has two convenient locations to vaccinate children:

The Main Office, 3415 28^th Street, Port Huron:

• Walk-in hours Monday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Appointments Tuesday through Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Teen Health Center, 2215 Court Street, Port Huron (on the campus of Port Huron High School). By appointment or walk-ins accommodated as schedule allows for ages 10-21 years:

• Monday: 10:00am – 6:00pm
• Tuesday through Friday: 8:00am – 4:00pm

For more information about the St. Clair County Health Department or to schedule an appointment, call (810) 987-5300 or (810) 987-1311. Don’t delay – appointments are filling up fast! To learn more about services visit www.scchealth.co or follow them on social media @scchdmi.

The City of Port Huron is hosting the Michigan Association of Mayors today at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel.  Mayor Pauline Repp is the Vice-President of the association. The two-day conference began yesterday with Port Huron and the region in the spotlight as Mayor Repp, Port Huron City Manager James Freed, City Planning Director David Haynes, and Economic Development Alliance CEO Dan Casey gave speeches outlining the area’s recent success. 

According to the Michigan Association of Mayors, Port Huron has experienced tremendous growth with over $300 million of investment in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, condos, lofts, and industry. Randy Maiers, CEO of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, also spoke about public and private partnerships and how different incentives have benefitted the area.  Mayor Pauline Repp said, “It is a privilege to be the host city for the MAM conference and welcome mayors and village presidents from across Michigan.  It is a great sharing and learning opportunity for everyone.  It was a proud moment to be able to brag about Port Huron successes.” The conference wraps up today with a legislative update.

According to a recent CNN Business article, the US will need to hire 2.3 million new health care workers by 2025 in order to adequately take care of its aging population. It’s a big number, and many healthcare facilities in St. Clair County find the issue pressing. St. Clair County Community College is promptly responding to the need by offering new educational opportunities in the field.

Throughout the fall and early winter, SC4 will hold free information sessions on the main campus for a number of its in-demand health sciences programs. Attending an info session is the first step for anyone interested in earning a health sciences degree from SC4. The college offers degrees in programs such as radiation technology, medical assistant, respiratory therapy, and nursing. The college is also expected to open its new, state-of-the-art health sciences facility later this fall. 

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team Auxiliary is sending a big thank you to the community for their tremendous support during a fundraiser on Tuesday. Several hundred people attended the Ice Cream Saves Lives fundraiser at the Milkhouse Café in Fort Gratiot Township. Over $30,000 was raised through sales of ice cream and other fundraising activities at the event. Dive Team Chief Wayne Brusate said it was the biggest fundraising event the team has ever had.

The church that operates the Milkhouse Café, Christians for A New Tomorrow, hosted the event.  Pastor Walter Caughel Jr. and more than 70 members of the church volunteered to serve ice cream, assist in parking cars, and other tasks throughout the fundraiser. The Dive Team Auxiliary is a 501(c) (3) organization which raises funds to provide financial support for equipment and training for the Sheriff’s Office Dive Team.

Thursday kicked off the first day of a new shopping experience in St. Clair. Shop St. Clair Summer Shopping Stroll started with 9 participating stores in St. Clair. To encourage retail business before the opening of the long-anticipated St. Clair Inn, shoppers can pick up a “passport” at participating locations and get it validated as they stroll around town. When the challenge is complete, the shopper turns in their passport to win a basket full of gifts from each store. Participating locations include Blackbird Home Goods, Boomerangs, Coughlin Jewelers, Hers Women’s Fashions, The St. Clair Art Association, Silk’s Flower Shop, Simply Marcella, The Chocolate Harbor, and the Craft Loft. The group does have a Facebook page for more information, or you can stop into one of the participating locations.