Local News

Extreme cold has resulted in school cancellations and many closing throughout Michigan.  Consumers Energy sent a text alert Wednesday night asking their utility customers to lower thermostats to 65 or below through Friday.  Governor Whitmer echoed that request in a special announcement made Wednesday night.  The request came after a fire at the Ray Township Natural Gas Compressor Station in Macomb County Wednesday morning.  The fire was extinguished within a few hours, and the company is working to supply enough gas from reserve storage areas in Wayne and St. Clair counties.  DTE issued a statement requesting customers to help safeguard the reliability of the regional energy by reducing electricity usage during the cold spell adding several energy saving tips including:

• Dial down the thermostat several degrees in your home and wear additional layers of clothing.
• Minimize use of electrical appliances and equipment such as washers, dryers, ovens, dishwashers, and humidifiers.
• Turn off all unnecessary lights.
• Open curtains on south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the home, and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold windows.
• Use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of window frames during the cold winter months. Make sure the plastic is sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration.

Semco says they always encourage customers to conserve energy whenever possible, because it does make a difference to dial back when the demand is high and stress is put on the system, but Semco  is currently managing the load.

The Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their all new “Fan Powered” tour to McMorran Place this Saturday, February 2 at 2 p.m.  According to Harlem Globetrotter Orlando El-Gato Melendez,  at a Globetrotter’s event, you won’t just be watching the action, you could be in the middle of it!  This year, he says the game offers even more opportunities for attendees to interact with the stars of the team.    Melendez, said a Magic Pass to the exclusive pre-show is available.  The Magic Pass gives the spectator an unprecedented access to the players, where you can learn tricks, shoot hoops and take photos on the court.  During the main event, the Globetrotters’ take on the Washington Generals, as they display incredible ball handling, dunking, trick shots and comedy.  His advice to young people who might be interested in becoming a Globe Trotter – “Go to college – make good choices as you get your education – and practice your talent”.  He is excited to be coming to Port Huron he says, but, not so excited about the cold weather.Tickets are available online and at the McMorran Box Office.

The 2019 St. Clair County Community College Career Fair will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 11. The annual event will bring hundreds of students, alumni and community members to the SC4 Fieldhouse in search of career opportunities.  The college is partnering with the Blue Water Chamber, Economic Development Alliance, Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works and the City of Port Huron/McMorran for this year’s event, and is currently seeking employers in search of qualified candidates for their open positions.  “The Career Fair is a great opportunity for employers in our region and across the country to showcase their company, network with other employers and, above all, find the best candidates from our community’s rich talent pool,” said Bonnie DiNardo, director of community education and relations at SC4. Participating employers also have the opportunity to post positions on Career Coach, the college’s online employment system for students and alumni. The Career Fair is expected to fill to capacity once again this year — interested employers are encouraged to register as early as possible and no later than April 1. Employers can find detailed information and convenient online registration at sc4.edu/careerfair.

Cabin Fever  Lost in Space is this Friday, February 1 at Palmer Park, presented by Port Huron Recreation.  There will be space themed activities, so just drop off your kids and their friends for a supervised night full of fun from 6 to 9 p.m. for ages 6 to 12.  The kids will participate in crafts, snack, games, pizza and a movie.  Cost is $8 per child for residents and $15 per child for non-residents. Registration is available at Palmer Park located at 2829 Amour Street in Port Huron, or online at the Parks and Recreation website.  For questions, call 810-984-9760  Remember that Due to the collaboration of participating townships with the City of Port Huron, residents of Burtchville, Clyde, Fort Gratiot & Port Huron Townships, are afforded the City of Port Huron’s resident rate.  Please be prepared to show proof of residency at the time of registration.

Governor declares a State of Emergency for Michigan as the National Weather Service’s Wind Chill Warning effective until 11 a.m. Thursday, calls for temperatures of 35 degrees below zero.  Most schools are closed today and Thursday; see the complete list on the WGRT Cancellations Page.

All taxiways and runways at the St. Clair County International Airport have been cleared. The Airport has now resumed normal operations. No further interruptions are anticipated at this time. Due to the predicted wind chill temperatures, the Smiths Creek Landfill will be limiting hours of operations on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 to 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Recycling services will also be suspended for the entire day. Normal operations are anticipated to resume on Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 7:30 a.m. Future updates will be provided as necessary.

Port Huron City Offices will be closed,  January 30. Non-essential personnel will not report to work.   It will reopen at regular time on Thursday, January 31.

The St. Clair County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management continues to monitor the weather conditions.   Here are the warming centers available for the public:

Kimball Twp Fire Station # 1 – 1970 Allen Rd – Hours of Operation: 8 am until Midnight (all week)

Fort Gratiot Twp Hall – 3720 Keewahdin – Hours of Operation: Tuesday – Thursday 8 am to 9 pm

Marysville Library = 1175 Delaware Ave  – Hours of Operation:  Monday to Thursday 9:00 am to 8 pm – Friday – 9 am to 5 pm

Capac Library  – 111 North Main Hours of Operations: Monday and Thursday noon to 8 pm -Tuesday and Wednesday 9 am to 5 pm

Conrad Community Center – 585 N Main St Capac, – Hours of Operations: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Port Huron Senior Center – 600 Grand River Ave – Hours of Operations:  8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Washington Life Center – 403 N Mary St = Marine City  – Hours of Operations: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Yale Senior Center = 3 First ST = Hours of Operations: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

The Center of Port Huron – 723 Court St.  – Hours of Operations: 9:00 am Wed. to 9:00 am Thursday

Palmer Park – 2829 Armour St – Port Huron Hours of Operations: 24 hours

Gratiot Village Community Center – 1509 Riverview St – Port Huron – Hours of Operations:  24 hours

Huron Village Community Center – 2614 Nern St – Port Huron Hours of Operations:  24 hours

Port Huron Twp – 3800 Lapeer Rd  –  Hours of Operation: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Memphis Fire Department – 35095 Potter St. Memphis Hours of operations – 24 hours Wednesday to Friday, January 30 to February 1

During these times you can go to the Birchwood mall and libraries to stay warm.

The Community Foundation has announced two new endowment funds created by generous donors to support our Complete Your Degree Program and our focus on “college, career and life success.”   This brings the number to five of endowed funds dedicated to student success in college, which has been a focus of the Foundation since late 2017.  Dr. David Mordis created one of the funds in honor of his parents, Robert and Sophie Mordis. “I wanted to honor my parent’s memory and their passion for education,” Dr. Mordis said.   “Thanks to a recommendation from my friend Jim Nyeste, who has the Nyeste-Regling Scholarship Fund, I found the Community Foundation who will be great a steward of my donation.”  The Community Foundation’s Complete Your Degree (CYD) Program is a unique approach to supporting student success and college graduation rates by providing support for a wide range of life needs as well as tuition and books.    “Our CYD program was initially supported by a few very significant endowed funds,” said Phyllis Ledyard, a board member of the Community Foundation.  One of those is the Alexander and Celeste Lamere Fund which supports students from Marine City High School attending St. Clair County Community College.  According to Ledyard, the Lamere Fund has a 100% acceptance rate so far, but it is limited to Marine City High Students.  Ledyard played a prominent role in helping an anonymous donor establish the other newly endowed fund that will support the CYD program.  “This new endowment doesn’t have any geographic restrictions which will allow us to help students from anywhere in the region,” she said.  “As a long-time board member of the Community Foundation I am well aware of the value of unrestricted gifts like these that don’t have strings attached.”   The Community Foundation of St. Clair County has received national attention for its innovative Come Home Program, which pays recent college graduates to move back home to live and work.  However, the Come Home Program is actually the smallest program area comprising the Foundation’s focus on college, career and life support.  The Foundation manages multiple endowed funds for traditional college scholarships and is the largest scholarship provider in the Blue Water Region.  The Community Foundation predicted that its Complete Your Degree Program would top $1 million in total funds awarded within the first three years, and believes it is on track to do so.  Phyllis Ledyard added “If we believe that everyone is entitled to a decent education, it would only make sense to talk with friends and encourage them to support such an effort as the CYD program and life needs.  By having the CYD program in St. Clair County and supporting student life needs, we are helping to build a much better educated community.”