Sarnia Offers Smart Card for Transit
Sarnia, Ontario — The City of Sarnia has launched a new system for contactless transactions with Sarnia Transit. The new smart card system allows passengers to purchase reloadable smart cards to pay for transit fares.
Smart Card passes can be mailed directly to passengers if they fill out an online form, and cards can be loaded and reloaded online or in-person at designated point-of-sale locations.
Once a Smart Card pass is registered, it can be protected against loss or theft, set up to auto-renew and auto-reload, and card balances can be checked at any time. Users can also manage multiple cards through a single account and view transaction histories.
To learn more visit:
https://www.sarnia.ca/living-here/getting-around/sarnia-transit/
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
Water Warriors Hit the Lake This Week for Special Olympics
Port Huron, MI — The Water Warriors are gearing up for their 30th annual personal watercraft endurance ride along Michigan’s Thumb Coast to benefit Special Olympics of Michigan.
This year’s ride is scaled down from their usual Port Huron to Mackinaw ride, which is typically a 5-day, 450-mile endurance ride on personal watercraft. They have adapted the ride this year due to challenges presented by the pandemic, and they are taking a 2-day ride from Port Huron to Port Austin and back.
The Water Warriors ride will take place on July 28 – 29th, and 75 people plan to participate with over 30 personal watercraft riders, support boats, and a fleet of land support vehicles.
Donna, a past participant, said, “Riding the waves is a physical challenge, certainly, but nothing in comparison to the every day survival of a Special Olympic athlete. To come into port and see that appreciation for our efforts, to give a ride to an athlete on my machine, and to watch the smiling faces and listening to the cheers of the athletes on the support boats makes every muscle ache I experience, every drop of water that I swallow, and all the time I spend raising funds worth it.”
The 2021 Summer Games for Special Olympics concluded on July 17, 2021, but Special Olympics Michigan provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
GSRP Free Preschool Available for Qualifying 4-year-olds
Even though it’s the middle of summer, it’s time to look ahead to back-to-school time. Free preschool is available to qualifying families in St. Clair County and the time to sign up is now. The Great Start Readiness Program, or GSRP, is a state-funded preschool offered at no cost to families.
GSRP is for four-year-olds and is designed to ensure every child is prepared to thrive when they enter kindergarten. There are locations throughout St. Clair County.
Students must be four years old on or before September 1st of this school year to apply now. Eligibility is based on 2021 income guidelines. A family of four qualifies for GSRP if their yearly income is below $66,250, according to the St. Clair County RESA website.
Families can apply to GSRP by completing an online application. Parents will need to provide proof of age, such as a birth certificate; proof of residency, and proof of income. Prospective GSRP students will need to have a health appraisal with vision and hearing tests, as well as vaccination records.
A link to more information:
http://sccresa.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=496562&pageId=13039156
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
Drug Makers Could Pay $26 Billion in Historic Opioid Lawsuit
The Blue Water area is no stranger to the opioid addiction crisis, but money for help could be coming in soon.
The opioid crisis has its roots in the over-prescription of pain pills and drug companies could soon be made to pay. A historic $26 billion settlement has been proposed by a coalition of states.
A lawsuit was filed against the nation’s three largest pharmaceutical distributors, Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen. Part of the settlement would include industry changes to prevent history from repeating itself.
Michigan could receive nearly $800 million over the life of the settlement. Michigan has already received around $16 million from a previous settlement. Michigan is the first state to sue the drug companies.
The settlement has been agreed upon in principle, but the details are still being hashed out. If the state attorneys general get their way, the drug companies will shell out $26 billion over 18 years to go toward opioid addiction prevention and treatment.
Over 1700 Michigan residents died from opioid overdoses in 2019. Preliminary 2020 data shows no improvement.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
Senior Millage Provided $4.7 Million Worth of Services in 2020
Senior citizens in St. Clair County have a lot of resources for maintaining a high quality of life in their later years, as do their caregivers. Much of that is due to the county’s support of the Senior Citizens Millage.
While not on the ballot this year, the Senior Millage renewal will be on the August primary ballot in 2022. Jennifer Posey, Administrative Services Manager and Senior Citizens Millage Administrator, shared with us all the services that are funded by the Senior Millage.
Posey explained that services are provided for residents aged 60 and over. Over $4.7 million worth of services were provided to county seniors in 2020. Those services cover everything from adult daycare to meals on wheels to foster grandparent programs through the Council on Aging, and partnerships with community agencies like Catholic Charities, Hunter Hospitality House, and Visiting Nurses Association.
Taking care of seniors is a point of pride for the county, as St. Clair County is thought to be the first county in Michigan to authorize a Senior Citizens Millage. Posey said that the community has a long history of caring for and supporting senior residents.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland