Local News

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.

In a letter to school district parents posted to social media on Wednesday by the Marysville Public School Superintendent Shawn Wightman, the Marysville Police Department is investigating an incident in which a student allegedly made a comment concerning shooting up Washington Elementary School.  The comment was allegedly made by a fifth grade student during a choir concert Tuesday night and was brought to building-level administrative staff and the student was removed from school Wednesday by the parents, according to the letter. The student is not to return to school or be in the vicinity of school campuses until further notice.    Wightman stated in the letter  that they are thankful a student stepped up to report in the incident as the student’s safety is something everyone must work together to protect.

WGRT talked with St. Clair County Administrator Controller Karry Hepting this week and she mentioned that the emergency operation center has been partially active in the Emergency Management Office, monitoring the water levels and the flooding.  Hepting says they are  advising residents to start to prepare to protect their property and their areas, and have sandbags available as the water is expected to continue to rise through June and July.  She says water levels could potentially reach our historic highs.  Hepting says Clay and Ira township residents should contact their local unit of governments who should have the sandbags, and she says the best thing residents can do is sign up for the WINS alert, which you can find at the WGRT website, and information can be received through phone calls, texts or emails to keep you up to date on emergency issues in your specific area.

Lake Huron Medical Center was awarded an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group’s Spring 2019 Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes Lake Huron Medical’s efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States.  The Leapfrog Group is a national organization committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.  “This recognition is made possible through a culture of teamwork and a relentless pursuit of excellence in care and outcomes,” said Jay de los Reyes, Chief Executive Officer, Lake Huron Medical Center. “We are particularly pleased with these recent grades, not just for the hospital, but also for patients. It reinforces the strides we are making in patient care.”  “To be recognized nationally as an ‘A’ hospital is an accomplishment the whole community should take pride in,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Hospitals that earn an ‘A’ grade are making it a priority to protect patients from preventable medical harm and error. We congratulate hospital leaders, board members, staff, volunteers and clinicians who work so hard to earn this A.”   Developed under the guidance of a National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.  Lake Huron Medical Center was one of 855 across the United States awarded an A in the Fall 2018 update of grades. To see Lake Huron Medical Center’s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.  For more information on the programs and events at Lake Huron Medical Center, please visit  www.mylakehuron.com.