East China Township Wins Grant to Help Fund Riverfront Redevelopment Plan

East China Township is the recipient of a $25,000 grant to help with the costs of preparing a waterfront redevelopment plan for a portion of the community along the St. Clair River. The grant is one of thirteen statewide.

East China Township Manager Cynthia Paparelli said that DTE provided half the grant application development costs and will also provide half of the $25,000 match for the $50,000 planning grant.

She said, “This planning project involves the preparation of a Riverfront Redevelopment Plan along the St. Clair River. The study area includes property presently occupied by the St. Clair Power Plant, which is owned and operated by DTE Energy. This area currently lacks economic diversity, recreational opportunity, and river access. The Township, in collaboration with DTE, is undertaking the study to reactivate the riverfront for public and private use, improve environmental sustainability, and to bring vitality to the natural and built environments.”

According to Paparelli, this grant and the eventual development of the redevelopment plan allows stakeholders to look at the long-range vision for the property on the St. Clair River.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Westbound I-94 Off Ramp and Range Road Intersection Construction Begins

More road construction in the area of Range Road and I-94 is expected to start Monday. The project will be modernizing the traffic signal at the intersection of the westbound I-94 off ramp.

The traffic light will be upgraded to an “Intelligent Transportation System”. The system uses information and communication technology to improve safety, and efficiency and reduce traffic congestion.

The intersection will also now have a box span signal. The box span signal design is a new method for positioning traffic signals in an intersection. Instead of stop lights on a cable in the middle of the intersection, the new ones are placed near each corner of the intersection.

The project is expected to be complete by December 19th at a cost of $170,635. Nearly $1.2 million has been spent this year on the construction of a roundabout for the Range Road, Eastbound I-94 and Dove Road intersection.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

New Outdoor Learning Pavilion Launched at Keewahdin Elementary

Keewahdin Elementary School in Fort Gratiot will be getting a new outdoor learning space. The project is a collaborative effort between the school’s Parent Teacher Association, the Fort Gratiot Lowe’s store, and Park Place Landscaping.

The pavilion will be used as an outdoor classroom for science experiments, plays, readers theater, and to extend learning opportunities for students. The space has been on the minds and in the plans of the PTA parents, and came to fruition this fall.

The Lowe’s Heroes Project supplied labor and a portion of the pavilion, valued at $8400 while the PTA kicked in $7500 to make the 20 x 40 pavilion a reality. The Soule Family, owners of Park Place Landscaping, donated the site preparation services.

Acting Superintendent Theo Kerhoulas said, “Collaboration between parents, local businesses and our district has become a hallmark of Port Huron Schools. This flexible outdoor learning space will benefit students for decades to come.”

Brian Ebert, Store Manager for the Fort Gratiot Lowe’s, said, “At Lowe’s we take great pride in supporting local organizations and communities where we live and work.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

MIOSHA Clarifies Rules for Employers

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) issued emergency rules on Wednesday to clarify workplace safety requirements for employers.

MIOSHA’s Emergency Rules implement workplace safeguards for all Michigan businesses and specific requirements for industries, including manufacturing,  construction, retail, health care, exercise facilities, restaurants and bars.

The rules will be in effect for the next six months for the purpose of helping employers, “control, prevent, and mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among employees”.

According to the ruling, employers must maintain a record of employee training on COVID-19 protocols, the daily screening protocols for each employee or visitor entering the workplace, and a record of required notifications if they provide in-home services. They must also maintain and keep the records for 1 year.

A full document of the ruling is available <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

UPDATED: M-19 in Emmett to Close at Train Tracks for Repairs

*UPDATE: This project has been rescheduled for November 2nd – 13th.

The good news is that the railroad crossing on M-19 in Emmett is getting repaired. The bad news is that the road will be closed at times over the course of about nine days. The route is a busy one for commuters heading to expressways and Metro Detroit, as well as school buses and local travelers.

The village of Emmett in St. Clair County has one main road through town that also happens to be intersected by a busy rail crossing. The Grand Trunk Western line runs many trains down the track, both freight and the Amtrak line, all day, every day. The crossing is bumpy and in need of repair.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is spending $362,889 to improve the ride quality at the crossing.

Getting around the construction is cumbersome in a rural area of one mile grid country roads. The posted detour is Burt Road to Keegan Road to Dunnigan Road.

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland

Lake Huron Medical Center’s October Employee and Volunteer of the Month

Port Huron, MI – Lake Huron Medical Center (LHMC) is pleased to announce its October Employee of the Month, Mike Pilon and Sandy Bonito as the October Volunteer of the Month.  LHMC is honored to have a strong team of staff and volunteers working hard to deliver high quality care to the Blue Water Area. 

Mike is a Registered Nurse in the Physical Rehab department and has been with LHMC since  March 2016. He was nominated by a patient who commented, “Mike started me on my first  Chemo infusion. He made me feel safe while being compassionate and reassuring. His  professionalism made the process as smooth as possible. He went above and beyond to make  sure I was informed and comfortable at all times. I greatly appreciated him.” 

Sandy has been a long-time volunteer and is an invaluable member of the Lake Huron  Foundation Volunteer Organization. She was nominated by an employee who commented,  “Sandy wears many hats within the volunteer organization including but not limited to: spiritual  caregiver, fundraiser, Board member, administrative support specialist and fierce advocate for  our patients and community. Sandy’s can-do attitude is infectious and she’s up for any task no  matter how big or small. Even though our volunteer organization has not been able to be IN  hospital most of the year due to COVID, Sandy has stayed engaged wherever she can.” 

Lake Huron Medical Center is proud of each of its employees and volunteers; and extends a  special thank you and congratulations to all our team members, especially Mike and Sandy, as  we celebrate their accomplishments. 

To learn more about the programs and services offered at Lake Huron Medical Center, visit  www.mylakehuron.com.