Local News

The St. Clair County Drug Task Force had a busy day Wednesday, July 24th in Fort Gratiot when they conducted a traffic stop in the area of Gratiot and MacDonald after an ongoing narcotics investigation.  After the stop, the task force executed a search warrant in the 4000 block of Lakeshore Road. There, they seized $50,000 worth of cocaine along with other drugs, an AR-15 rifle, a handgun, a large amount of US currency, and drug paraphernalia.  Two people were arrested, a 28-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman, both from Fort Gratiot. They are lodged in the St. Clair County Jail on charges including possession with intent to deliver cocaine over 450 grams, maintaining a drug house, and possession charges relating to firearms, methamphetamines, and analogue pills.

Blue Water Area Transit’s bike share partnership with Zagster is coming to an end.   The “micro-mobility” company will no longer have bikes available in Port Huron. They had four different stations located in the city of Port Huron where customers could ride share bikes around the area.  On their website, Zagster says that it has 10+ years of experience in the micro-mobility space, operating 250 programs in 35 states promises to ease commutes.

The Assistant General Manager and Director of Finance for Blue Water Area Transit, David McElroy,  said, “Zagster was a good partner, but economically it didn’t work out for either party.”  He went on to say, “There just wasn’t enough rides to support a community of our size.” According to Zagster’s website, the primary aim of the program is to reduce traffic and make transit connections easier. They also say the program avoids costly road upgrades to accommodate an increase in traffic while decreasing investments in pricey public transportation options.

Lake Huron Medical Center (LHMC) is pleased to announce its July 2019 Employee of the Month, Alice Morrison, and its July 2019 Volunteer of the Month, Bernadette “Bunny” Anderson. LHMC is honored to have a strong team of staff and volunteers working hard to deliver high-quality care to the Blue Water Area.

Alice is a Nursing Assistant in the Physical Rehabilitation Department and has been with LHMC since 2013. She was nominated by a patient who commented, “Alice made me feel very comfortable. She took her time to explain in detail what was happening to me because of my stroke. She showed me ways to help me develop myself, push me to do things on my own and praised me when I did things well.”

Bunny volunteers at the People’s Clinic for Better Health and has been volunteering at LHMC since 1991. She was nominated by employee who wrote, “Bunny brings her smile, energy and expertise every time she volunteers at the clinic. We all joke we want to be like the Energizer Bunny when we grow up. She is an important member of our team and our patients appreciate her enthusiasm.”

Lake Huron Medical Center is proud of each of its employees and volunteers and extends a special thank you and congratulations to all our team members, especially Alice and Bunny as we celebrate their accomplishments.

To learn more about the programs and services offered at Lake Huron Medical Center, visit www.mylakehuron.com.

McLaren Port Huron and its health care partners announced $29,000 in scholarships to 16 students pursuing degrees in professions represented in the hospital and the community. Scholarships are funded by the McLaren Port Huron Auxiliary, McLaren Port Huron Employees That Care Club, McLaren Port Huron Foundation, and McLaren Port Huron employees. Since 1988, 478 recipients have received $559,750 through the scholarship program.

The 2019 scholarship recipients are:

McLaren Port Huron Auxiliary Scholarship:  Megan Orlando of Capac, and Nicole Young of Port Huron.

McLaren Port Huron Auxiliary Seminar/Conference Scholarship:  Nancy Trombley-Henry of Marysville, and Kim Older of Port Huron.

McLaren Port Huron Employees That Care Scholarships:  Debra Cutcher of Port Huron, and Jennifer Guertin of Port Huron.

 McLaren Port Huron Employee Scholarships:  Molly Aguinaga of Kimball, Cassandra Markel-Demianenko of St. Clair, and Monica Zuk of Marysville.

McLaren Port Huron Foundation Nursing Scholarship:  Donovan Barnes of Port Huron, Iliana Guerrero of North Branch, Tristane Rademacher of Port Huron, Jennifer VanTiem of Cottrellville, and Lindsay West of Burtchville.

Shirley Jardine Carter Memorial Scholarship for Physical Therapy:  Ryan Davis of Carsonville, and Courtney Ingles of St. Clair.

 To learn more about scholarship opportunities at McLaren Port Huron, visit www.mclaren.org/phscholarship.

If you enjoyed viewing footage from the Port Huron webcam, BoatNerd is happy to announce that it’s back! The original camera that streamed 24/7 from the top of the city’s municipal building went offline last winter when it failed due to age, but with help from city government, BoatNerd was able to replace the camera and give it an upgrade. The new camera will stream high definition footage for boat enthusiasts and those curious about the weather and water conditions.

According to BoatNerd, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting boat watching on The Great Lakes, the original camera went online in 2001 and was the most popular link on the BoatNerd.com links page with almost 750,000 clicks. When the camera failed, they were inundated with emails asking when it would return. Neil Schultheiss, a volunteer for BoatNerd who headed up the efforts to obtain a new camera, said, “The new camera was paid for from BoatNerd’s operating budget, with some of the money generated by a successful donation drive last fall. Part of those funds went to buy the new camera, installation costs, and recurring data charges.”

The new camera is now streaming 24/7 on YouTube at youtube.com/BoatNerd from atop the city’s municipal building complete with audio and a high definition picture. Schultheiss said he hopes this is the first of many such cameras. “We have two Detroit locations in the works and just have to overcome the technical details of providing enough bandwidth for the HD image. Any locations with a scenic BoatNerd-type view should contact us, we’d love to help get more cameras online.

Some people still like surprises, especially when it comes to having flowers delivered.  Ullenbruch’s Flowers and Gifts along with Michigan Teleflora has been surprising some people this week with bouquets and happiness.  This is their “Make Someone Smile Week”, and it wraps up on Saturday. During the week, florists make arrangements and deliver them to veterans, hospital patients, seniors at nursing homes, and recipients of Meals-on-Wheels programs.  Ullenbruch’s Flowers and Gifts delivered floral arrangements to Blue Water Hospice Home, Sanborn Memorial Home, and Lakeshore Woods.  Last year, the program spanned more than 350 facilities throughout the United States and Canada led by florists who donated their time to deliver more than 30,000 bouquets.