The power of social media knows no bounds, and it’s been proven once again with an amazing story right here in St. Clair County. Three to four years ago, a community member from Marine City was driving on Short Road and noticed some items in a wooden box, including a purple heart with the name “William H. Upton” along with other military ribbons and medals.  

The box remained in the man’s basement until he recently brought it to the St. Clair County Department of Veterans Affairs in hopes the department could reach out further to the community to find the veteran, veteran’s family or next living relative.

According to Nancy Deising, Outreach Coordinator for the Veterans Affairs office, they “decided to use the power of social media to get the word out with what little was had about the veteran other than his name.”  

Within 3-hours, the daughter of the veteran was found.  After talking on Facebook, the precious items are set to be returned to the family this week.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

A local business that provides services to children with autism is expanding into a second location. Autism Systems plans to open a Fort Gratiot location in the next few weeks. 

Autism Systems is a local treatment center that provides Applied Behavior Analysis services to St. Clair County children who are on the autism spectrum. Currently the business operates out of the current  location on Range Road and plans to expand to an office in Fort Gratiot on Keewahdin Road.

According to the Michigan Autism Program, there were over 20,000 public school students in the state who were considered to be on the Autism Spectrum. One in 59 children in the nation falls on the spectrum. Hanna Firchau, of Autism Systems, told us that the idea to have services in St. Clair County came from their Clinical Director, Christina Evanko, who recognized her hometown as needing services. Autism Services works with Community Mental Health and has helped over 40 local families.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The Port Huron Museum is going to be closed to the public for two weeks, but they’re still asking the community to come in…if you’re willing to help! From January 20th to February 7th, staff and volunteers will be working on a complete inventory of the Museum’s Collection, as well as a new digitized catalog system.

According to Andrew Kercher, Manager of Community Engagement for the Port Huron Museum, over the years, they have “collected tens of thousands of items since opening in 1968, and many items collected by the Library were added years before that. As stewards of a shared cultural heritage, it is [the museum’s] responsibility to keep everything in good order.”

During the three weeks, staff hopes to implement a new item tracking system using printable barcodes, that would allow staff and volunteers to pull up any item’s history and location, making building future exhibits much easier, as well as furthering collecting efforts. 

At the same time the artifacts are being processed, a deep clean of the entire facility and display cases, in addition to modernizing and standardizing exhibit labels, will take place. Kercher said this is all being done so the museum can better share the history of the Blue Water Area with residents and visitors alike.

Kercher also says there will be something for anyone who wishes to help for a few hours or all three weeks. Anyone interested can visit the museum website or call 810.982.0891.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

There is a critical shortage of blood donations in Michigan. While this time of year, donations are typically low due to the holidays and flu season, hospitals are feeling the shortage as some have reported having just a day’s worth of blood on hand. The Red Cross and other agencies that supply blood and platelets to the medical community have put out a plea for help, and designated January as Blood Donor Month.

Eligible donors are encouraged to try to make blood donations a habit to help save lives. Currently, O and O+ blood types are in the highest demand, as those types have universal applications. The Red Cross is also offering an added incentive to donors this month. Donors are automatically entered into a drawing for a trip to the Super Bowl in Miami. There are blood drives planned at McLaren Port Huron, the St. Clair County Administration Building, and other locations over the next month. You can make your appointment at redcrossblood.org.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Kristi White has been named the Employee of the Month for December. White has worked at McLaren Port Huron for eight years and is currently a clinical IT analyst.

 White was nominated by her peers because she is a perfect example of an exemplary employee and coworker who should be acknowledged for her outstanding performance, superior dedication and positive attitude. White motivates her coworkers to go above and beyond to meet and exceed customers’ expectations. She is an inspiring person, coming to work with a smile on her face and the persistence and willingness to get the job done every day. Her coworkers say White motivates them to do more and go farther to be an outstanding employee, and they are grateful to have her on their team.

 This employee recognition is given to individuals who consistently live the values, mission and performance standards of McLaren Port Huron. Honorees are nominated by a co-worker, physician, volunteer, and/or customer.

To learn more about McLaren Port Huron, visit www.mclaren.org/porthuron.