Local News

Painting With a Twist in Fort Gratiot has provided a relaxing place for patrons to unleash their inner artist for the past five years, but the local storefront has announced it will soon be closing.  The venue has been a popular site for fundraisers, birthday parties, wedding showers, and even trivia nights. With the announcement of the closure, the last day of operation will be December 30. The popular business was operating with a month to month lease since summer, and a long term tenant will be taking over the space, according to a Facebook post made last week.

Until the end of the year, it appears business will continue as usual as the location plans  to maintain a schedule of public and private events, honoring all gift certificates through the rest of 2019. In their years of operation, the painting venue provided the paint, materials, and instruction and customers did their best to create their own masterpieces while enjoying a beverage and snack of their choice.

Anyone who wants to catch one last session before the storefront closes is invited to a public fundraiser to benefit Relay for Life. That event is planned for this week, according to their online calendar. For those who are looking to continue the relaxed painting experience after the December 30 closing, the nearest location to Fort Gratiot is on Schoenherr Road in Shelby Township.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley

The Board of Education for Port Huron Schools has announced the sale of the 2019 Refunding Bonds in the amount of $17,460,000. The bonds are being issued for the purpose of advance refunding a portion of the School District’s outstanding 2011 School Building and Site and Refunding Bonds and to pay the costs of issuing the bonds. The 2019 Refunding Bonds reduce the School District’s debt service payments by a total of $2,027,513 over the next 12 years. The School District’s 2019 Refunding Bonds were sold at a true interest rate of 2.43% with a final maturity of 2031 (a repayment term of approximately 12 years).The School District’s financing was conducted, in part, by the Michigan investment banking office of the brokerage firm, Stifel. Brodie Killian, Managing Director with Stifel said, “The Port Huron Area School District’s Bonds were well received by the bond market. Adding that they “were able to take advantage of current low interest rates that met the goals of the District and resulted in a significant savings.” Superintendent of Port Huron Schools Jamie Cain said that the “savings resulting from the refinancing creates opportunities for Port Huron Schools to consider future financing of anticipated facility needs with little or no impact to the taxpayers.”

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley

November means turkey, Thanksgiving, the first snow-fall and, of course, No-Shave November. According to the official website for the notable observance, “No-Shave November is a month-long journey during which participants forgo shaving and grooming in order to evoke conversation and raise cancer awareness.” A few local police departments are joining the cause with their own twists. 

Sanilac County Sheriff Gary Biniecki recently sent out a warning to the public they may see some “unshaven Sheriff’s Office staff during the month of November.”  The Sheriff’s Office is participating in “No-Shave November” for another year as a fun way to raise funds to donate to a local charity, “P-CUPS” to further health awareness. 

The Port Huron Police Department will also be joining in on the cause. According to Chief Joseph Platzer, the department is dedicating the month of November to prostate cancer awareness. To show support for individuals and families battling the disease, every Port Huron Police officer who wishes to participate in the event must donate $75 towards prostate cancer charity. When officers make the donation, they will be allowed to grow a neatly trimmed beard or goatee during the month of November and as an added incentive, until April. Officers are not typically allowed to have facial hair other than a mustache as per department policy. Monies raised will be donated to the American Cancer Society to be used directly for prostate cancer research.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley

On Tuesday this week, some in St. Clair County will be heading to the poles. There are some tips to make sure your voting experience is as pleasant and efficient as possible. Remember to visit the Michigan voter website to view a sample ballot, locate your polling place, or track your absentee ballot. 

Obviously, certain times are better than others to cast a ballot. The peak hours that most people vote are from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and then from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The busiest times in the polling place tend to overlap in the morning and evening rush hours. Voters are less likely to encounter long lines if they are able to visit the polling place between the hours of 9 and 4. No matter when you vote, though, remember that all voters who are standing in line at 8 p.m. when the polls close, are entitled to cast a ballot.

Reporting for WGRT, ebw.tv

St. Clair County Community College (SC4) recently released the winter concert calendar for the upcoming semester. Similar to fall 2019 concerts, all winter 2020 concerts are free admission. The winter concert calendar kicks off Thursday, January 16th with the Stone Sound Collective. The group performs percussion traditions of Africa and India and also incorporates cello and saxophone. April 9th, Detroit’s Queen of the Blues Thornetta Davis will perform.  She is a highly celebrated, award-winning performer who opened for Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson and Etta James just to name a few. The college’s symphonic and jazz bands with also offer shows over the winter months. Coming up this Thursday at the college, the Smokin 45’s Rock and Blues Review will have performances at noon and seven. On the 23rd of November, you can hear the SC4 Choir perform at 7 p.m. The shows are free, but you must call ahead to reserve a seat. Visit sc4.edu for more information.

Reporting for WGRT, ebw.tv

The state of Michigan has announced nearly $1 million in Wildlife Habitat Grants that counties around the state, including St. Clair County, will benefit from. Audubon Great Lakes in St. Clair County was awarded just over $110,000 from that grant. Huron county will also receive some of the grant money through Pheasants Forever. The monies are to be geared toward enhancing large wetland complexes and winter deer complexes, as well as planting food sources for animals and forestry projects. 

The counties in Michigan who received the funding are projects that need to be completed by the last day of September 2021. The Wildlife Habitat Grant Program started in October 2013 and is funded through some of the revenue from hunting and fishing licenses sold each year. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) works with the Wildlife Division and Grants Management Section to administer the program. The program’s main objective is to enhance and improve the quality and quantity of game species habitat in support of the DNR Wildlife Division’s strategic plan.

Reporting for WGRT, ebw.tv