Donna Lepien has been named the Employee of the Month for October. She has worked at McLaren Port Huron for 4 years as a laundry aide.

Lepien was nominated by her coworkers because she is an outstanding employee. She is a team player who sees how the small things make a big difference. When she sees someone who needs a helping hand, she does not hesitate to help them. Donna has a positive attitude, makes others feel good about themselves, and takes the time to show her appreciation for others. Lepien’s communication and follow-through skills are impeccable, and her heart shows through in everything she does every day.

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.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office received several calls last week regarding a suspicious black BMW vehicle and two suspicious people from that vehicle walking on residents’ property. Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office investigated and made contact with the pair Thursday afternoon in Port Huron Township. What appeared to be suspicious, ended up being miscommunication at DTE.

The people who had contacted DTE about meter readers had contacted the electrical portion of DTE, who told callers they had no meter readers in the area. It turns out that the pair work for the engineering portion of the electric company. 

Contact was made with two separate supervisors in the engineering department of DTE. They confirmed the men are currently working on obtaining serial numbers from the smart meters at homes in the area. That information will be used to determine which electrical grid is feeding the residences. Sheriff Donnellon said, while this instance has been found to simply be some miscommunication on DTE’s part, they appreciate being called. 

The DTE employees have been advised to make sure their credentials are worn on the outside of their clothing, so residents will be readily able to identify them as DTE workers.

The Blue Water Area has a lot for which to be thankful. This year, area churches will be collaborating to hold a Community Thanksgiving Service at the newly renovated St. Clair Inn on Riverside Drive in St. Clair. 

The service is free and the public is welcome. The one-hour long service begins at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 26. The format of the service is worship, reflection, and praise. The community service will include participation from eight area churches 

This service is a product of the work done by Blue Water Area Churches, which is a group of over 50 churches in the area whose purpose, they say, is to “connect, serve, and collaborate in the name of Christ.” If you need more information about the Community Thanksgiving Service, visit optrans.org for more information.

Donovan McDonald, a freshman at Croswell-Lexington High School, has been selected to represent the USA in the United World Games 2020 in Italy, Austria and Germany. At just 14 years old, McDonald will be one of the first in the area to compete at this event. The international sporting competition is set to be held in Austria in June of 2020. 

McDonald, a basketball player, will prepare for the competition by playing Junior Varsity (JV) basketball at Cros-Lex this season. He also plays year-round through different AAU programs. Donovan has aspirations of playing at the college level and is currently listed as the only Michigan player on the roster at this time.  

Student-athletes are chosen for the team based on a combination of their athletic ability as well as their academics, leadership ability, and character. The trip includes not only the international sport competition but also sightseeing and opportunities for personal growth and leadership development through international travel.

As the US ramps up its domestic manufacturing operations, a skilled labor force is in demand. That holds true for an Algonac manufacturer who will soon be holding two job fairs in hopes of filling many open positions. Eckhart is looking for more workers to join their team that manufactures products to assist other manufacturers with their assembly lines and also provides engineering services for a variety of industries,

Eckhart is holding job fairs on December 2nd at the Underground Business Incubator in the lower level of Port Huron’s Sperry’s building as well as December 7th at the Eckhart-Algonac location. Eckhart is looking for fixture builders, CNC machinists and programmers, welders, operators, machinists, and workers for the shipping and receiving department. Eckhart says they are on the cutting edge of manufacturing technology using automation, robotics, 3D printing, and engineering for companies like Stryker Medical, Tesla, John Deere and Boeing. 

The educational requirements range from a high school or associates degree and some vocational training to a four-year degree and technical training, with starting bonuses offered for some positions.

As the holiday season approaches, lives get busier and some daily tasks get pushed to the back burner. More specifically, laundry. We all watch that pile get bigger and lose the time to wash or put them away. Thankfully, lifestyle and motherhood blogger, Jessie Roberts, has the creative solution to solve your untidy laundry this season. 

When going out of town for the holidays or when you simply can’t find the time, all you need is a pile of clothes and a Christmas star. The blogger showcased her solution in a picture on Instagram last year, but it has recently gone viral after she reposted her festive fun. 

The mother of three and her family were heading out for some holiday travels when her husband reminded her of a mountain of laundry that needed to be done. Instead, Roberts molded the pile of clothes into a tree and placed a sparkling red star on top. Impressed with her work, Roberts admitted that she left it up for two weeks. 

So, if you’re worried about not getting your laundry done this Christmas, no worries. We all have to improvise every now and then! 

Adapted from the Today Show’s “See why one Australian mom’s unique Christmas tree went viral” by Terri Peters