Local News

In her campaign for the Governor’s office in Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer frequently referred to the poor condition of Michigan’s roads. It has been estimated by many that it will take an additional $2.5 billion annually in revenue to fix the state’s roads and infrastructure. In a joint statement with Senator Mike Shirkey and Representative Lee Chatfield on Monday, Governor Whiter said they agreed to continue conversations about road funding in a meaningful way and have tabled all associated issues for the time being. They said the number one priority is getting a budget passed. Whitmer indicated previously that there would be no budget deal until the road funding was settled. It is still unclear if Whitmer’s 45 cents a gallon tax will be an option going forward. The lawmakers agreed that the best course of action is to immediately begin target-setting with legislative and executive leadership to get a budget passed by October 1st.

Fort Gratiot Township has a new Community Development Director. Sharon Wilton joined the staff at Fort Gratiot Township last week filling the position vacated by Christi Jones who joined the EDA of St. Clair County recently as the Director of Business and Community Development. Fort Gratiot Clerk Robert Buechler said Sharon has a ton of experience with community relations. He went on to say her networking and contacts will be helpful to the township. Sharon said she is thrilled to be in her new position.  She feels the township is an amazing place to work, and she is glad to be making a difference in her local community. Her first task is the planning of Scarecrow Saturday coming up on September 28th. Beyond that Wilton said she will be trained in other areas of township work, and she looks forward to working alongside her peers in Zoning and Ordinance.

With the approach of September 11th, Americans are reminded of security, especially when it comes to air travel. The Transportation Security Administration just wrapped up their busiest summer ever. The agency screened more than 250 million travelers. TSA marks the summer travel season as the Wednesday before Memorial Day all the way to the Tuesday after Labor Day. The screenings were a 3.4% increase over last year during the same time period. In addition to passenger screenings, 162 million pieces of checked baggage were screened as well. The TSA says that they experienced nine of the top 10 busiest weeks in its history. The agency notes that even with the surge of travelers this season, 99.7% of passengers waited less than 30 minutes in standard lanes, and 98.9% of TSA PreCheck lane passengers waited less than 10 minutes. Acting Deputy Administrator for the TSA Patricia Cogswell said that the anniversary of the September 11th attacks is a regular reminder of the importance of the TSA’s mission to protect the traveling public.

Guns have been a topic of discussion for many years now, and recently some businesses are taking steps to keep them off their property. The Kroger Company has many stores in southeast Michigan and several in St. Clair County. When asked about carrying guns into Kroger stores, a spokesperson for Kroger said the grocery chain recognizes the growing chorus of Americans who are no longer comfortable with the status quo and are advocating for concrete and common-sense gun reforms. The Kroger spokesperson said they are respectfully asking customers to no longer openly carry firearms into Kroger stores unless they are authorized law enforcement officers. Kroger is encouraging elected leaders to pass laws that will strengthen background checks and restrict the sale of guns to people who pose a risk for violence. The spokesperson went on to say that Kroger’s purpose is to provide associates and customers with a safe place to work and shop.

Soccer has been growing in popularity over the past several years nationally and regionally. St. Clair County Community College will be adding women’s soccer to their athletic offerings. They become the sixth community college in Michigan to offer the sport. With the addition of soccer, there are now 13 collegiate sports teams at SC4 including cross country, basketball, bowling, baseball, softball, volleyball, golf, and wrestling. SC4 plans to recruit players over the next year so they can begin competing in the 2020-2021 season. SC4 athletic Director Dale Vos said that women’s soccer is a huge sport in the region and across the world. Vos believes that adding soccer to the offerings at SC4 will help increase opportunities for women athletes and add to the overall collegiate experience at the college. He added that the Skippers Athletics program continues to grow and flourish.

Lake Huron Medical Center is offering a 3-part program series, “Until There’s a Cure, There’s Care,” based on Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care (PAC) beginning Wednesday, Oct 2, 2019. Teepa Snow is a nationally recognized dementia educator who has helped thousands of people by sharing her dementia care philosophy and caregiving techniques.

Lake Huron Medical Center’s Senior Services Coordinator, Rosemary Hunger, a Positive Approach to Care (PAC) Certified Trainer will provide caregivers with Dementia Awareness, knowledge and skills to better understand how it feels to be living with dementia and related changes. 

The “Until There’s a Cure, There’s Care” programs will be held in the first-floor conference room at Lake Huron Medical Center, 2601 Electric Avenue, in Port Huron. The program times are 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.  Program dates and topics are listed below:

Thursday, October 2, 2019 – Dementia Awareness – the Changing Brain 

Thursday, October 9, 2019 – Building Positive Skills

Thursday, October 16, 2019 – Teepa’s Gems: The Stages of Dementia

While attending all three seminars is not a requirement, it is encouraged because the topics build on each other. To register for the “Until There’s a Cure, There’s Care” program, please contact Rosemary Hunger at (810) 216-1035.