Due to ongoing and predicted water level increases in the Great Lakes basin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has authorized an accelerated approval program for installation of seawalls or other regulated flood control measures. According to Port Huron City Manager, James Freed, interested City of Port Huron residents should contact Don Reinke at (313) 226-6812 or donald.t.reinke@usace.army.mil.  Additionally, City residents suffering property damage related to rising water levels  should notify the St. Clair County Homeland Security and Emergency Management via email at damage@stclaircounty.org. SCCEM  will dispatch a damage assessment team for documentation purposes.  Boaters are strongly encouraged to reduce wakes as much as possible to prevent property damage. No wake zone maps can be downloaded at:
http://www.bluewaysofstclair.org/nowakezone.asp.  City of Port Huron residents in areas likely to be affected should take action now. This includes maintenance, installation, and/or upgrades of sump pump systems, protection of HVAC units and appliances in below grade spaces, and removal of items in flood prone or wave washed areas. While predicted water level rises on the Black River do not appear to impact inhabited dwellings at this time, a precipitation event may cause flooding issues in combination with increased base levels. Residents in low lying areas adjacent to the Black River should consider the possibility of flooding and plan accordingly.

The following locations are providing sandbags to their residents:
–  Clay Township Water Department on Muskrat Run between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
–  Ira Township Office 7085 Meldrum Rd. Monday through Thursday 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
–  Algonac DPW by calling (810) 794-9361
–  East China Township located west of the waste water treatment plant at 1244 Recor Road

Hearing and vision screenings are a requirement for children newly enrolled in school and those entering kindergarten. St. Clair County Health Department offers free hearing and vision screenings to county residents.   Hearing loss can have an effect on a child’s development, including; vocabulary, speech, sentence structure and social functioning. If hearing loss is identified early, family-centered interventions are promoted to improve language and cognitive development.  Early detection of hearing loss or vision problems can have a positive impact on a child’s learning experience. Make sure your child has a vision and hearing screen on record before they start school.

Why should you get your child screened?

• All children must have a hearing and vision screen before entering kindergarten.
• More than one million children in Michigan will need eye care by the time they reach high school graduation age.
• Approximately 10,000 Michigan children begin each school year without adequate vision.
• Screening can help your child succeed in school. An undiagnosed hearing and vision problem can interfere with your child’s development.
• 5 percent of children screened for hearing are referred to a specialist. 10 percent of children screened for vision are referred to a specialist. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent temporary difficulties from becoming permanent problems.

(Source for statistics: National Institutes of Health, 2017)

To schedule an appointment call (810) 987-5300. For more information on the Hearing and Vision program visit www.scchealth.co (under Programs and Services tab). Follow us on social media @scchdmi.

Detectives from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office are asking for the public’s help in locating a vehicle believed to be involved in a pair of incidents in Brockway Township.  The suspect vehicle is believed to be an early 2000’s model white Pontiac Grand Am four door, which appears to be in good condition.  The vehicle was being driven by suspects in the attempted break-in of an ATM machine at the Tri-County Bank in Brockway Township and the attempted break-in of the Countryside Market located at M-136 and M-19 in Brockway Township.  The suspects damaged the ATM machine at the bank, but were unable to access the safe.  At the store, the suspects smashed the front window, but it appears they did not take anything.  Both incidents occurred in the early morning hours of May 18^th.  If anyone has information regarding the vehicle in the pictures, please contact Detective Steve Rickert at (810)-987-1731.

Veteran Gerald “Jerry” Winn, 95, of Port Huron, took on a special mission on April 20, 2019, flying aboard the legendary Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.  The Honor Flight Network takes World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, or any terminally ill veteran to Washington, D.C. to visit military and national memorials. Jerry’s son, Larry, completed an application through Talon’s Out, the Michigan division of the national network. There is a wait list, however, special attention is given to WWII vets, due to age.  Each veteran is assigned a guardian, to serve as a “buddy” through the whirlwind day of events. Larry was Jerry’s guardian. Together, they saw the changing of the guard, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Pentagon Memorial, and many more. “It was an unreal, unbelievable day. From the police and fireman lined up, saluting the plane as we left the terminal, to the incredible memorials, and the more than 2,000 people who greeted us upon our return to Michigan. It was a day I’ll never forget, and it’s because of my dad. When we got back, they took us to the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, where an enormous amount of people waited, they shook my dad’s hand, saluted him, and thanked him for his service. It was amazing,” says Larry.  Jerry, at the age of 18, enlisted in the Navy. He served on the USS Apollo in Guam and Japan, later he was stationed in Washington, D.C. where he was military police.  Larry is happy his dad was able to participate in the Honor Flight while he is still in good health. Several months ago, Jerry was diagnosed with early dementia and participates in the Adult Day Program at Visiting Nurse Association in Port Huron. The Adult Day Program provides care to individuals with dementia/Alzheimer’s and memory impairments.  To learn more about the Adult Day Program at Visiting Nurse Association, visit vnabwh.com. For more information on the Talon’s Out Honor Flight, visit talonsouthonorflight.org.

The St. Clair County Health Department’s (SCCHD) water quality beach monitoring program kicks-off May 24, 2019 just in time for Memorial Day weekend. The SCCHD tests for E. coli bacteria weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day at eight public beaches along Lake Huron and the St. Clair River.  colibacteria, found in the digestive systems of warm blooded animals, including humans, can indicate the presence of viruses and pathogens that can make us sick. Water naturally contains microorganisms regardless of how clean or clear the water look. Beaches may close after a heavy rainfall or strong wind storm because bacteria are washed into waterways or stirred up from waves. A beach is closed wheneverE. coliwater quality standards are exceeded.  Beach monitoring results are posted on our 24-hour Water Quality Hotline at 877-504-SWIM, “St. Clair County Beaches” Facebook page, the BeachGuard website at www.deq.state.mi.us/beach, and the “MyBeachCast” smartphone app. For more information, visithttp://www.stclaircounty.org/Offices/health/bathing.aspx