Local News

The Michigan Legislature created The Library of Michigan to guarantee the people of Michigan and their government one perpetual institution to collect and preserve Michigan publications, conduct reference, and research and support libraries statewide. Through the organization, the St. Clair County Library System will soon receive assistance from the Improving Access to Information grant. The fund supports public and academic library programs designed to increase access by improving literacy. The program also hopes to provide broader access to special or historic collections or improve digital access and inclusion. The St. Clair County Library system will be receiving just over $22,000 which will be used to integrate technology into the countywide services for blind and physically handicapped patrons, allowing real-time descriptions of written and digital text.  

Port Huron schools will have 18 new employees this school year including classroom teachers, social workers, and special education providers to serve across the district in their new roles.   One of the new hires now joining the district is Raynard Caldwell, who will be the Principal at the Literacy Academy at Cleveland. After spending his career, to this point, in Indiana, Mr. Caldwell is returning home to Port Huron. He is a former Port Huron Northern graduate who also attended Fort Gratiot, Thomas Edison, and Garfield schools. His teaching experience includes 11 years as a third-grade teacher in Elkhart, Indiana, as well as brief periods of time teaching first and sixth grade. Administratively, he has worked in an urban high school in South Bend and as an elementary assistant principal in Goshen, Indiana.  Earlier this month, Mr. Caldwell participated in the district’s annual administrator retreat to prepare for the upcoming school year. 

Mosquitoes are still an issue this time of year in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reminding residents to protect themselves. There has been one confirmed case of California encephalitis, and three suspected cases of EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis) on the west side of the state of Michigan in Kalamazoo and Berrien counties. As of August 26th, six cases of Equine Encephalitis have been confirmed in horses in Barry, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph counties. None of the horses were vaccinated, and all animals have died.

There is an Equine Encephalitis vaccine available for horses, but there is not a vaccine for people. Dr. Mary Grace Stobierski of the MDHHS said, “Mosquito-borne diseases can cause long-term health effects in people and even death.” Residents should apply insect repellent that contains DEET, wear long sleeves, and apply insect repellent to clothing when working outdoors. Also, it’s important to empty water from mosquito breeding sites around the home such as buckets, unused kiddie pools, old tires, or similar sites where mosquitoes may lay eggs.

A timely training will be coming to the area soon as Operation Transformation and St. Clair County Community Mental Health welcomes Anthony Jones. Anthony comes to the area offering training to generate healthy and positive conversation around important issues that impact everyone. He will lead a conversation in hopes of creating a comprehensive strategy to move toward unity in addressing ethnic and socioeconomic barriers. Mr. Jones provides knowledge and skill development in intercultural competency to help community leaders make a better real-time impact when attempting to bridge people groups. The program is called “Next Step to Reconciliation”. Anthony will be in the area September 19th through the 21st with events each day.  He will concentrate on youth, community leaders, and the faith community. More information on the training can be found on the Operation Transformation website.

The back to school season ushers in new challenges for college-bound students. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers some advice to parents with college-bound young adults about discussing alcohol use and avoiding underage drinking. Research suggests that teens who talked with their parents about alcohol avoidance strategies before they began their first year of college were more likely to avoid alcohol and limit its use. The negative consequences of alcohol use are in four different areas: academic, health, safety, and legal.  Academically, classes are missed, students fall behind, and lower grades can result. In terms of health, over 1500 students die from alcohol-related injuries each year. 19 percent of college students meet the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence. In the area of safety, almost 700,000 students are assaulted by another student who has been drinking. Legally, some 110,000 students are arrested for an alcohol-related violation.

SAMHSA’s Talk: They Hear You campaign encourages parents to follow five conversation goals when talking to their kids about alcohol use. The campaign flier can be printed and used as a guide for an open conversation about alcohol use, its consequences, and parental expectations about its use. The flier can be accessed by clicking here.

With Labor Day approaching, many people like to take one last trip to mark the unofficial end of summer. According to the Michigan DNR, camping and boating are a couple of the most popular Michigan activities. With camping, there are a few guidelines that will help maximize everyone’s enjoyment. The DNR states that 9 out of 10 wildfires are caused by people. Never leave a fire unattended, avoid windy days, and keep a shovel and a bucket of water nearby. When you leave the campsite, remember what your Mom said and leave it better than you found it.

Michiganders are never far from water, so take precautions if your holiday plans involve boating. Drowning is the cause of death in 76% of all boating-related fatalities. The DNR reminds residents to wear a life jacket, boat sober, and stay alert. Also, with the high water levels, rip currents and other abnormal currents can be magnified. Be sure to never swim alone, and brush up on the beach flag warning system which can be found on the DNR website.