Local News

You can likely expect a run on black dresses in town in the next few weeks. The Betty Kearns “Little Black Dress” event has sold out. Tickets went on sale last Monday and were all spoken for by Thursday. The event seats 850 people. 

Event Chairperson and President of the Betty Kearns Cancer Fund, Amy Andrews-Curtis, told us that this is the fastest the tickets have ever sold in the event’s fourteen year history. The fund, named in honor Betty Kearns, a beloved community member who passed away in 2006, takes care of the needs of cancer patients in the area. 

Andrews-Curtis said the fund supports patients of all ages with various needs from utility bills to transportation, and even back taxes. The group was able to put about $35,000 toward helping cancer patients last year alone. 

The Little Black Dress Event is the major fundraiser for the Betty Kearns Cancer Fund and has become popular with attendees in the community. The event will take place March 6 at the Convention Center. 

This year, the Piece to Peace Quilters Cancer Quilt and representatives from the American Cancer Society will be at the ever-growing event.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Michigan’s first indoor dog park will soon open with a place for owners to watch, dine and work at the same time.

The Pack Indoor Dog Park, which will open later this year, is located on the west-side of the mitten state and is claiming to be “the first of its kind” in the state. The facility will feature an open concept, with bars overlooking the dog play area, a restaurant, patio, TVs, boutiques and workspaces with Wi-Fi. 

The mixed-use space is meant for people to have the option to come during the day to get work done or have a cup of coffee with friends while watching their dog play.

The space will charge per use or on an annual basis, and daycare is also an option.

The National Affordable Housing Act requires states and local governments to have a Five-Year Consolidated Plan in effect if they are applying for assistance through the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

The City of Port Huron is asking city residents to complete a survey that will help shape the required plan. The City uses federal grant money for a variety of housing initiatives. The intent of the plan is to develop programs that may benefit low to moderate income households in the next five years. Executing the plan depends on the actual availability of funds to complete them.

The survey needs to be completed by January 24, so there’s not much time to waste if residents want their voices to be heard. Comments related to the Five-Year Plan will also be heard at a Public Hearing on January 27 during the scheduled 7:00 p.m. Port Huron City Council Meeting. Separate surveys were also sent to local organizations who have a stake in housing issues in the area. Katy Posey, the Community Development Program Administrator, said that this is the first year that the survey is online. It can be found at porthuron.org.

Thursday was Law Enforcement Appreciation Day across the nation and many local businesses and individuals took time to recognize local departments and officers. 

Jersey Mike’s Subs in Fort Gratiot, teamed up with the Fort Gratiot Home Depot to bring in lunch for the deputies at the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and the staff from Eastern Michigan Bank Huron stopped by to drop off donuts from Chef Shell’s 

The Port Huron Police Department also sent a special thanks out to everyone who reached out to the department on the appreciation day. 

The national observance started in 2015 by Concerns of Police Survivors to show the over 900,000 law enforcement officers in the United States that citizens recognize the difficult and sometimes impossible career they have chosen, in public service.

CES 2020 is the place to be for the next generation of innovation and tech products, and it’s where a local startup is seeing great success in the international arena. 

You may be familiar with Dan and Ed Cass from their product, Disney Smart Shelf, that launched in St. Clair County just a few years ago. With the help of an investment from the Community Capital Club, an investment arm of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, the startup made small bedside shelves that can hold cups, snacks, a reading light and, most importantly, wirelessly charge a variety of mobile devices at the same time. The product earned them a license with Disney, but this week at CES, the entrepreneurs launched a new product that’s garnered widespread attention. 

According to Ed Cass, Vice President of Intelashelf and D3 Products, the company unveiled Intelashelf at the convention. The new, patented product is a hybrid smart shelf design that consolidates audio, video & electronic charging technologies into a space saving furniture platform. 

Intelashelf earned a “Top 10” recognition in the ShowStoppers Launchit event. Only 48 products qualified for the event and the presentation led to international interest. 

According to Cass, the group’s goals in going to CES: investors, sales/purchase orders and awareness. Cass said they have surpassed the goal of awareness and have had promising encounters with investors that he believes will turn into more sales.