Local News

St. Clair County Community College will be opening a new state-of-the-art health science building on September 27 after a $9.8 million Capital Outlay project. The building will be fully equipped with many new technologies including a fully autonomous commercial robotic floor scrubber. The device’s name is Neo and has quite the story. Neo was built by Pablo Molina and Faizan Sheikh who met while attending college at the University of Waterloo. In 2014, the pair started the company now call Avidbots in Kitchener, Ontario where they created a fully autonomous commercial robotic floor scrubber. After various trials and errors, the two created a prototype named Scrubby. Through 8 different designs, a bot was finally created that worked to the needed specifications. That’s where the new robotic scrubber, Neo, began. Now, SC4 in Port Huron will become the first demonstration site for the robot in the state of Michigan. Avidbots now employs over 140 people and has the autonomous robotic floor scrubber working within several companies around the world. To see Neo and the new health sciences building, the community is invited to SC4 Health Sciences’ open house on September 27th.

The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island will be changing hands for the first time in many years. The Musser family who owns the iconic hotel has been involved with the hotel for over 85 years. According to a press release from the hotel, the deal is expected to close in the next 30 days, and Dan Musser III will remain as Chairman providing leadership and guidance to the team. The 397 room hotel and its world-record winning longest porch (660 feet long) are on the list of National Historic Landmarks. The new owner, KSL Capital Partners, LLC is, according to Musser, a seasoned investor in travel and leisure businesses with a depth of resources and capabilities to provide exceptional service. KSL Principal Michael Mohapp said KSL understands the importance of the Grand Hotel to Mackinac Island, the State of Michigan, and beyond as well as its history, charm, and traditions. He went on to say that it is both a privilege and a great responsibility to take over ownership. The hotel is currently in its 133rd season.

A ribbon-cutting was held recently at the St. Clair County International Airport after a major renovation was completed on the main runway. The re-opening of the airport runway will result in economic benefits across the area. Airport Director Kathy Reaume said that on a daily basis you will see many different groups and organizations use the airport. St. Clair County Administrator Karry Hepting said it has been estimated by Michigan Department of Transportation officials that the airport has a $60 million dollar impact on the local economy and supports over 600 jobs. The cost of improvements at the airport was $4.2 million dollars. Of that, Hepting said $212,000 was the county’s share, and the rest of the funds were federal and state grants. She went on to say that with the upgrades the airport is in much better condition, and it will continue to support our local economy.

The United Way of St. Clair County held their campaign kick-off at the Blue Water Convention Center this week. Over 45 volunteers gathered along with members of the community to celebrate the 95th United Way campaign in the Blue Water Area. Michelle Shepley, 2019 Campaign Chair, was emotional at times as she unveiled this year’s theme, “Give a Little Bit, Make a Big Change”, and shared the effect United Way has had in her life and the lives of others in the community. She also enthusiastically announced the campaign goal for this year which is $1,208,000. Special guest Debbie Post encouraged guests with the announcement of a $25,000 matching grant from the Stebbins Family Fund dubbed the Leadership Challenge Grant. This 100% matching grant will apply to new contributions raised by November 15^th that put contributors at the leadership level of $500 or above. The grant challenges and inspires new givers with the incentive of turning their $500 gift into a $1,000 gift. For more information about the United Way of St. Clair County and this year’s campaign and giving options, visit  www.uwstclair.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

The YMCA of the Blue Water Area is helping kids start the school year off with a program called Back to School, Back to You. Executive Director of the YMCA of the Blue Water Area Denise Brooks said donors can bring in new or gently used school clothing for a child or teen to the YMCA between now and September 30th.  Donors are also welcome to “pay the day” and join the Y for that month. For instance, if you donate clothing on September 13th, you pay $13 to join. Brooks said they end up with a lot of clothing donations that are then taken to Kids in Distress Services, Inc. KIDS has a referral system with local health and human service organizations and provides a week’s worth of clothing, toiletries, and school supplies to the most fragile at-risk population. Denise also said the YMCA enjoys doing the program, and it helps to make kids feel respected and valued.

In addition to the opening of runway 4/22 at the St. Clair County International Airport on Wednesday, there was a presentation by state officials to a few individuals from around the region. The Michigan Aeronautics Commission presented their Award of Excellence to the Women in Aviation Great Lakes Chapter. Helen Hagg, Mary Poirer, and Pam Tobin were recognized for their contributions to aviation education through their leadership with  Women in Aviation Great Lakes. The mission of the group is to inspire women to explore the field of aviation. Specifically, the Michigan Aeronautics Commission pointed to a women’s aviation career symposium that the three women set up and promoted throughout Michigan. John Mayfield, Manager of the Detroit District Office for the FAA, was also at St. Clair County’s International Airport on Wednesday and was presented an award from the group. Mayfield was recognized for his leadership while ensuring the safety, strength, and stability of Michigan’s airport system.