Local News

Youth have had the opportunity to enjoy 4-H Camp for decades.  It has always been tons of fun with games, water recreation, skits, and lots & lots of other kids to laugh with. It remains an important developmental opportunity for our area youth. Skills such as social, change management, and handling new situations – important skills we use to navigate our way through life, are part of the camp experience, as are new activities and learning surrounding the outdoors; and working on creativity through crafting and drama will all be part of this year’s camp. Campers will have access to older teen counselors and adults who role model leadership skills. Most importantly, the environment is very safe for them to try new things with lots of support.  Thumb Area 4-H Camp will be held Monday, July 1 through Wednesday, July 3, 2019, at Camp Cavell in Lexington located 25 miles north of Port Huron on Lake Huron. Registration applications for youth to attend Thumb Area 4-H Camp are available online at www.msue.stclaircounty.org   Youth MUST be ages 9 to 14 on or before January 1, 2019, in order to attend.  Cost is $135 for 4-H members and $155 for non 4-H youth.  Youth do not need to be 4-H members in order to participate in this awesome event.  Deadline to register for Thumb Area 4-H Camp is Friday, May 31, 2019.  For more information please contact Lori Warchuck, 4-H Program Coordinator at (810) 989-6935  or  lwarchuck@stclaircounty.org

Calling all Music in the Park friends!  Organizers say The Lexington Arts Council is looking for you.  If you would like to help the Lexington Arts Council at any of the Friday night Music in the Park concerts, you are invited to the Volunteer Picnic, Tuesday June 4^th at 6:00 p.m.  Bring a friend to the picnic at the Patrick Tierney Park and enjoy the culinary delights provided by Wimpy. Sign up for one of the many opportunities to contribute to the fun concerts helping at the concession stand, selling 50 / 50 tickets,  set up or tear down.   Anyone interested in helping this summer is invited to the picnic as the Lexington Arts Council kicks off the summer of 2019.

The annual two-week Click it or Ticket campaign is underway  and deputies from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office will be stepping up seat belt enforcement as a way to increase seat belt use, save lives and reduce injuries.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 10,076 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2017 in the United States.  Of males killed in crashes, 51 percent were unrestrained and 39 percent of females were not buckled up.  Young adults 18-34 who were killed in crashes in 2017, more than half were unrestrained, the highest of any age group.  “We will be working with our law enforcement partners to ensure the message gets out about the importance of buckling up,” said St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon.  “It’s the law, but most important is that buckling up is the easiest thing to do to limit injury or to save your life in a crash.”  In Michigan, seat belt use was at 93.4 percent in 2018, which is higher than the national average seat belt use rate of 89.6 percent.  Law enforcement agencies are taking a no excuse approach to seat belt enforcement, writing tickets both day and night.  In Michigan, the penalty for a seat belt violation is $65 plus associated local fees.  The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning is coordinating the effort, which runs through June 2nd.  It is supported by directed federal traffic safety funds.

The St. Clair County Community College Athletic Department will host its annual Golf Classic on Friday, June 14, at the Port Huron Golf Club in Fort Gratiot Township. Participants will enjoy 18 holes of golf with friends to help support athletic scholarships and college athletics projects.  “We are constantly amazed by the many ways this community supports our student-athletes each year,” said SC4 Athletic Director Dale Vos. “This event is a great opportunity for us to come together and have some fun while creating impactful opportunities for these hard-working students.”  The four-person scramble is limited to the first 32 teams to register. The cost to enter is $125 per golfer or $500 per team, with payment due by Friday, May 31. Additional event details, sponsorship opportunities and registration is available online at stclair.nbsstore.net/golf-classic.

Schedule

• 11:30 a.m. – Registration
• 1 p.m. – Shotgun start
• 5:30 p.m. – Hors d’ouvres, awards and prizes

For more information, contact the Athletic Department at 810-989-5671 or dvos@sc4.edu.

Keely Ptach has been named the Employee of the Month for April. Ptach has worked for McLaren Port Huron for 14 years and is currently a nurse in the Miriam F. Acheson Family Birth Place.  Ptach was nominated by her peers because she exemplifies customer service, always taking tremendous pride in providing great care for patients. She always finds ways to ensure patients feel comfortable and cared for, and creates the best patient experience possible. Ptach also chairs the Unit Practice Council. She uses this position to look for ways to deliver the best and safest care possible. She is almost always recognized by patients for her care. Her skills and professionalism are evident. She has a can-do attitude, always assists her peers, and practices the hospital values every day.  This employee recognition is given to individuals who consistently live the values, mission and performance standards of McLaren Port Huron. Honorees are nominated by a co-worker, physician, volunteer, and/or customer.  To learn more about McLaren Port Huron, visit www.mclaren.org/porthuron.

Memorial Day is almost here, unofficially kicking off the boating season in Michigan.  Boaters, this season especially, are being asked to be extremely mindful of the no wake zones on the waterways of St. Clair County.  “The high water levels have the potential to cause a lot of damage to property, if boaters aren’t following the rules,” said St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon. “Our Marine Patrol Deputies will be strictly enforcing the no-wake laws throughout the county.”  According to the U.S. Army Corps of engineers, water levels on Lake Huron are expected to be the highest since 1986 and near record levels. The St. Clair River is currently near flooding levels, especially in southern St. Clair County. Other rivers in St. Clair County are also experiencing much higher than normal levels.  No wake zone maps for both the Port Huron area and southern St. Clair County are attached to this news story.  Anyone who would like a PDF copy of the maps can e-mail Deputy Steve Campau at scampau@stclaircounty.org.