Marine City Police responded to a call from the 1300 block of South Water Street at about 9:30 a.m.  Monday, March 4.  Police say the waterfront property located on the Belle River is commonly known as Catholic Point.  Officials were called to the scene as a neighbor noticed tire tracks leading down to the river, along with a three to four foot snow pile that was significantly lower that the surrounding area.  Divers with the St. Clair County Dive Team first located and recovered the body of a 58-year-old Hazel Park man in the water nearby and he was declared deceased at the scene.  A sports utility vehicle was pulled from the water and towed out of the waterway.  The Marine City Fire Department and  St. Clair County Sheriff Dive Team assisted at the scene.  The deceased’s name is being withheld until all family members have been notified.

United Way of St. Clair County (UWSCC) will host their annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast on Friday, March 15th from 6:00am until 10:00am at Freighters restaurant, 800 Harker St, in Port Huron.  Kick off your St. Patrick’s Day weekend with a delicious all-you-can-eat buffet-style breakfast, for $12.95, and fun Celtic music and atmosphere.   Learn more about the programs UWSCC funds by joining in on the merriments or tuning in for live interviews with UWSCC’s Affiliated Organizations.  Musical guests include Celtic Cross, Keltara, and Brian Leslie with his bagpipes.  Festive swag will be available for sale to help you get decked out for the holiday weekend.   Is the Luck of the Irish with you?  Two free breakfasts will be given to one lucky person through a Facebook contest starting at midnight on March 6th and ending at 11:59pm on March 10th.  Visit UWSCC’s Facebook page for details on how to enter.  UWSCC’s St. Patrick’s Day Raffle drawing will take place at 9:30am during the breakfast.  There are just under two weeks left to stock up on your chances to win one of four fantastic prizes!  Tickets may also be purchased at the breakfast between 6:00am and 9:30am.  Finally, at the end of the event, UWSCC will have a door prize drawing.  The prize will be a Freighter Trip Raffle Ticket.  So many chances to win.  All while enhancing the lives of our neighbors.  Full event details may be viewed on www.uwstclair.org/eventsraffles or www.facebook.com/events.  All proceeds to benefit United Way of St. Clair County.

MDOT previously announced a currency parity policy effective April 1, 2016, for the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, which stated, the Canadian rate for eastbound traffic will be reviewed and adjusted April 1 and Oct. 1 of each year.  According to authorities, the rate adjustments are rounded to the nearest $0.25 and calculated based on the prior six-month average daily exchange rates between U.S. and Canadian currencies.  As of March 4, 2019. toll rates paid in Canadian currency (CAD) will remain the same in accordance with the Blue Water Bridge parity rate adjustment policy.   Based on the current average daily exchange rate, the following toll rates will remain in effect through Sept. 30, 2019:

• Passenger vehicle tolls will remain $4 (CAD) per trip.
• Extra axles will remain $4 (CAD) per trip.
• Trucks and buses per axle will remain $4.25 (CAD) per trip.

Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month (ADAM) takes place in March and to mark the annual event, the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc. (AARDA) is encouraging national and local media attention through various activities.  For the month of March, AARDA will distribute various messages, graphics, and stories highlighting facts, stats, information and people who are living with various autoimmune diseases.    AARDA is also encouraging users to post a graphic with a gradient color scheme that helps raise curiosity and awareness for autoimmune disease. There is also a component of this campaign where users will paint their nails or hands to represent their identity with autoimmune disease, whether personally or representing a loved one.  AARDA is the nation’s only non-profit organization dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity as a category of disease and promoting a collaborative research effort in order to find better treatments and a cure for all autoimmune diseases.  For more resources, personal stories,[KS1] [KS2] and to make a donation, please visit www.ADAMmonth.com.

Marwood Nursing & Rehab is sponsoring its Annual Essay Contest for the elementary school children of St. Clair County.  This is held in conjunction with Older American’s Month and National Nursing Home Week.  They are asking students to write about a senior (65 or older) in their life and how this person has made an impact on them (e.g. – what they have learned, how that person has enriched their life).  There are no limitations to how much they write or type as long as it is legible.  Pictures are optional.   There may be 5 winners, one from each grade, 1-5.  A $20.00 cash prize will be awarded for the best essay from each grade. The essays will be judged by the residents of Marwood Nursing & Rehab.

Deadline for entries is April 12, 2019.  Please drop off or mail them to:

                          Activity Director

                          Marwood Nursing & Rehab

                          1300 Beard Street

                          Port Huron, Michigan 48060

Or email to sjackson@marwoodmanor.org

Please Note:  Winners will be notified by May 9th. The award presentation ceremony will be hosted by the Resident Council at Marwood Nursing & Rehab on May 16th at 7 p.m.  Winners will read their essays at the ceremony.  The family, teachers, and “Best Older Friend” of each winner will also be invited to attend the ceremony May 16^th.

Each entry should include:

          Name of student

          Grade

          Home or school phone number

          School and Teacher’s name (if applicable)

Essays will become the property of Marwood Nursing & Rehab.  Only the winning essays will be returned.  If you have any questions, please call Activities Department at 810-966-5452.

March is National Nutrition Month and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program are joining with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to remind Michiganders about the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.  Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases and improve your overall health.  Unhealthy eating habits have contributed to the obesity epidemic in the United States with about one-third of U.S. adults and approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 – 19 years being considered obese.  Even for people at a healthy weight, a poor diet is associated with major health risks that can cause illness and even death. These include heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer. By making smart food choices, you can help protect yourself from these health problems.  Michigan residents are urged to follow these healthy eating tips throughout National Nutrition Month and the rest of the year:

• Get into a wellness state of mind. Balance your diet with food from all food groups. Get active every day with enjoyable movement.
• Eat right with MyPlate. Make small changes to make healthier choices you can enjoy.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. They add color, flavor and texture plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Focus on whole fruits. Vary your veggies.
• Make half your grains, whole grains. Vary your protein routine, include seafood, beans and peas, unsalted nuts and seeds, soy products, eggs and lean meats and poultry.
• Become a smart shopper by reading food labels to find out more about the foods you eat.
• Reduce food waste by transforming leftovers into meals, using the foods already on hand, and practicing good food safety.
• Change to low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt to cut back on saturated fat.
• Drink and eat less sodium, saturated fat and added sugars. Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

For more information about healthy eating and lifestyle, visit Eatright.org.  WIC is a federally-funded program that serves low income women, infants and children up to age 5, by providing nutritious food, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support and referrals to health and other services. WIC foods are selected to meet nutrient needs such as calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamins A & C.   To learn more about WIC or find an agency near you, call 211 or visit Michigan.gov/WIC.