Military Exercise Brings Arctic Strategy to Michigan

Michigan is proving to be the ideal spot for training for military units from the United States and some of its partner forces. “Winter Strike” is a National Guard-sponsored military exercise that will be held from January 21-29 in Grayling and Alpena.

Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center comprise the National All-Domain Warfighting Center. The annual training is intentionally held during the coldest part of the year as part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Arctic strategy.

Major General Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs said, “Michigan has some of the best military training facilities in the country, which makes it the perfect place for visiting units and defense industry partners to work together in a complex, all-domain environment.”

Rogers said that Michigan is receiving national recognition as an innovator because of the military exercise.

Lieutenant Colonel Adam Jenzen, Northern Strike land component exercise director called the Michigan training “one of our nation’s best reserve component exercises”.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Vote for Your Favorite Local Musicians

The Blue Water Music Awards (B.W.M.A.) was founded 10 years ago when friends Tim Hunter and Dave Whitt were discussing the Oscars and decided that they’d be more interested in an awards show that featured their talented friends.

Since that time, Hunter has been organizing the yearly awards show and making sure that local musicians get the recognition they deserve.

After a couple year break, the Blue Water Music Awards has opened up voting and is preparing to host a live event at Lynch’s Irish Tavern on February 23, 2022 at 7 PM.

Voting takes place online, and categories include Rookie of the Year, Best Cover Band, Best Import, and Best Venue along with categories like Best Female, Best Hip Hop, and Best Album. New this year is a category for Best Music Video.

The Blue Water Music Awards also awards a Life Time Achievement Award, a Paul Time Award for the best musician in the area, and the Corey J. Kuhr Award for the best fan.

The Corey J. Kuhr award has gone through several name changes over the years. It started as the Best Roadie and then became Best Fan before being named after Cory Joseph Kuhr.

Hunter is looking forward to giving away this award at the event.  “He was one of my good friends, and it’s an award that means a lot to me personally,” he said.

Nominees include local bands and artists like Dusk til Dawn, Drew Jacobs, Alex Shier, and The Barones and out-of-town acts like Macomb County’s Acoustic Ash and Ontario’s Jacob Barber.

Hunter believes that the Blue Water Music Awards bring musicians together and provide a platform for new artists. He has seen artists start by playing an open mic at a local restaurant and go on to win multiple awards after being supported and encouraged by more experienced musicians.

The Blue Water Music Awards ceremony is free to attend, and you can vote for your favorites from now until February 22nd <HERE>.

Learn more on their Facebook page <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Health Insurers, Federal Government to Provide Free COVID Testing

Insurers are now required by federal law to cover the purchase of eight COVID-19 tests per person, per month.

At-home tests are often hard to find and can cost up to $12 per single test. Consumers who find the tests will need to save the box and the receipt to get reimbursement. The rule went into effect on January 15th.

Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Director Anita Fox said, “Depending on the insurer, consumers may be able to get their covered tests for free at the store or pharmacy, or they may be required to keep receipts for later reimbursement.”

Health insurers must cover the cost of the tests through preferred networks of pharmacies and retailers or through reimbursement. Medicaid and MIChild recipients have coverage as well. Uninsured people can get testing for free at some community health centers.

In addition to the insurance coverage, the federal government is providing one billion free at-home tests that can be ordered beginning January 19th through the website COVIDTests.gov. Tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering. Four tests per address are allowed with the federal program.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Town Hall Making Changes to Future Seasons

Port Huron Town Hall has been bringing guest speakers to the area since 1955 when it was founded by a group of women who wanted to inform and entertain their peers in the Blue Water Area.

The group typically has five presentations throughout the year from October through March, but due to rising costs, the group’s board has decided to condense future seasons.

The 2022 season of Port Huron Town Hall will feature four speakers, and the presentations will occur in September, October, November, and December. The board believes the change will keep the organization financially viable and also prevent their audience from having to navigate winter weather to attend performances.

A letter from the board on their website states, “This decision was not made lightly, and we realize this is a big change. Our costs have risen significantly in the past year prompting us to reevaluate our financial health as an organization to continue for another 60 years.”

The next speaker to present at Port Huron Town Hall is Amy Dickinson, syndicated advice columnist of Ask Amy, Advice for the Real World. She’ll be at McMorran auditorium on February 14, 2022. Tickets are available at the McMorran box office.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Little Black Dress Fundraiser Goes Virtual to Raise Funds for Cancer Patients

The 16th Annual Little Black Dress fundraiser is on the calendar for Friday, March 4th at 6:00 p.m. The event will be virtual again this year, thanks to the spike in Covid cases in the region and the danger of gathering in large groups. Participants can check in on Facebook Live to be part of the annual tradition.

The Little Black Dress event raises funds for the Betty Kearns Cancer Fund to provide support for those in cancer treatment. Last year, 25 families were helped with meeting basic needs while dealing with their cancer diagnoses.

Supporters can get involved by buying raffle tickets. Some of the items on the list this year include a Gift Card Board, Lotto Ticket Board, a Paddle Board & Yeti Cooler, and the popular “Touch a Freighter” experience. There are also trips to Sedona, Arizona and Mackinac Island and catering from Vintage House, among many others.

Sponsorship opportunities for businesses and families are available. Donations of raffle items are being accepted until February 25th.

To buy raffle tickets or to find out more about the cause, go to bluewaterlittleblackdress.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland