As we turn back the clocks on Sunday and temperatures continue to fall, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) wants to remind residents to take steps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.  “As temperatures drop, we start getting increased reports about carbon monoxide poisonings,” said Nick Lyon, MDHHS director. “Now is the time for Michigan residents to make sure their heating sources and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order.”  Each year in Michigan about 29 people die and 145 are hospitalized due to carbon monoxide poisoning. To protect yourself and your family from carbon monoxide, follow these safety tips:

• Make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors. Detectors can be purchased at most hardware stores for $20-50. Daylight Savings Time is a good time each year to replace the batteries and push the “test” button to be sure it’s working properly. Replace detectors every five years or according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Have your furnace or wood-burning stove inspected annually. Hire a professional to make sure it is functionally sound and vents properly outside the home.
• Never run a gasoline or propane heater or a grill (gas or charcoal) inside your home or garage. Any heating system that burns fuel produces carbon monoxide. Use a battery-powered detector where you have fuel burning devices but no electric outlets, such as in tents, cabins and RVs.
• Generators should be run at a safe distance (at least 20 feet) from the home. Never run a generator in the home or garage, or right next to windows or doors.
• Never run a car in an enclosed space. Even with a door or window open, carbon monoxide levels can still build up to an unsafe level.  At high levels, carbon monoxide can cause death within minutes. Symptoms of overexposure to carbon monoxide include headache, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea and confusion. If you think you may be experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, or your detector sounds an alarm, go outside immediately for fresh air and call 911.

Visit Michigan.gov/carbonmonoxide for more information about carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Port Huron Police Department investigated an armed robbery at the Marathon Gas Station at 1301 Military Street, in Port Huron.  On Monday, October 29, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Central Dispatch received a call from a witness who had walked in the store and found the clerk, a 29 year old Port Huron resident, fighting a man with a ski mask covering his face.  The confrontation, according to Port Huron Police Captain, Marcy Kuehn moved from the store into the parking lot.  The clerk was assisted by a good Samaritan who held the suspect, a 22 year old Port Huron resident, to the ground until police arrived to take him into custody.  The clerk was treated at Lake Huron Medical Center for minor injuries.  He  told police the suspect came into the store with a bag and demanded money. The suspect was treated at Port Huron McLaren Hospital for minor injuries and was lodged in the St. Clair County Intervention Center.

The bi-annual National Drug Take Back Day, held Saturday at the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement offices nationwide, was a big success.  Over 240 pounds of pills were collected at the Sheriff’s Office, and turned over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for disposal by incineration.  “We are very pleased to once again partner with our community and the DEA in this event,” said Sheriff Tim Donnellon.  “We know the importance of getting these pills out of medicine cabinets, where they might be stolen and sold on the streets, lead to an accidental overdose of a child or end up in our drinking water.”  This was the 16^th time the Sheriff’s Office has participated in the Take Back Day event.  Over 1900 pounds of pills have been collected from our community and disposed of properly.  Though the nationwide numbers for the latest event are not available; in April of this year nearly 475 tons of pills were collected at nearly 6,000 sites nationwide.  If you missed the event and still have pills that you wish to dispose of, you can bring them to the Sheriff’s Office, located at 1170 Michigan Road in Port Huron Township.  Drop off hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.  Just bring in your pills and drop them into the receptacle located in the main lobby of the Sheriff’s Office.  We are able to take pills only.  Liquids, inhalers, sharps and patches cannot be accepted.  For disposal of sharps, please go to: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/whm-stsw-sharps-collection-list_196524_7.pdf

Fighting human trafficking in our community through awareness and education is the subject that the Kiwanis Club of Port Huron is tackling and presenting at a Human Trafficking Conference on Saturday, November 3rd from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Blue Water Convention Center at 800 Harker Street in Port Huron.  There is no cost to attend this conference, although it is requested that you register online at kiwanisporthuron.org.  Guest speakers for the day will include law enforcement, Homeland Security, the State Prosecutor, a survivor and a psychologist.

Beginning this week, the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners will begin keeping to their fall schedule for meetings.  St. Clair County Administrator Controller, Karry Hepting says, that she can’t believe it is that time already to be announcing the Fall meeting schedule, but, here we are.  Hepting says that in November and December, the normal meeting schedule is altered to accommodate the upcoming holidays.  The first Thursday of the month will continue to be committee meetings, however, their full board meetings will move from the third Thursday to the second Thursday of the month, so the meeting will be back to back Thursdays, allowing for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Election day is Tuesday, November 6 and voters will head to the polls to decide on a number of positions.  Locally, in the city of Port Huron three seats for city council need to be filled and the position of Mayor is up for grabs.  Four candidates are running to hold the title of Mayor; those include current , current city councilman Scott Richard Worden, newcomer, Tray Smith, current Mayor Pauline Repp and Garth Gurnsey who has run for Mayor in the past.  Garth says he is an honest and hard-working person and he has a long history of connect to Port Huron.  He lived in the children’s shelter that was on 10^th Street.  He served 26 years in the Navy and is involved in a number of Maritime activities.  He says he loves the city and he has ideas for the city to partner with others.  Gurnsey believes the city should eliminate the city income tax among other ideas which he feels would create growth within the city.