Mary Ann Koch has been named the Employee of the Month for November. Koch has worked at McLaren Port Huron for 17 years and currently works as a laundry aide.    Koch was nominated by her peers because She genuinely cares about her coworkers and our patients. She is always willing to do anything for anyone, including picking up shifts so that our patients are taken care of. She is a selfless person, never missing work and helping anyone whenever she can. Mary Ann is a team player, always getting the job done. Her coworkers can’t say enough about how helpful and valuable Mary Ann is to her department and the hospital.  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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron seized more than 80 pounds of marijuana during commercial vehicle inspections over the weekend.  The seizures began on December 6th, when Officers referred bulk mail shipments labeled as books for secondary inspection as part of our border security posture. The vehicles were escorted to the Centralized Examination Station where a CBP canine alerted to the presence of narcotics.  Multiple searches led CBP officers to the discovery of over 80 pounds of marijuana throughout the weekend.  “CBP Officers in Port Huron continue to enforce all facets of our border security mission on a daily basis to ensure the safety of our citizens” said Port Director Michael Fox.  The marijuana seized by CBP will be destroyed at a later date. The drivers, who were all
Canadian citizens, were released along with their vehicles.

The St. Clair River Classic offshore races will return to the City of St. Clair for its 25th year and Blue Water Offshore Racing Association’s President Steve Brunner said: “We are excited to be part of a new offshore racing series that includes international teams; will bring more boats to St. Clair and we will continue to welcome teams and fans who have made our race site so popular”.  Following the joint announcement at the end of October by Powerboat P1 and OPA Racing that they were to partner to create the American Power Boat Association Offshore Championship in 2019, the two promoters have released details of four of the race sites in the six-venue series; that includes St. Clair.  OPA Racing has been the primary sanctioning body for the St. Clair River Classic in partnership with Blue Water Offshore Racing Association since 2004.  OPA and Powerboat P1, have been involved in offshore racing since 2003, run under the APBA and a key aim of the new partnership is to strengthen the future of racing in the United States by delivering an expanded, cohesive, world-class race series split equally between northern and southern states. The four race venues announced today see the 2019 championship feature major, high-profile events in Florida, Missouri and Michigan:
• Cocoa Beach: 17-19 May – ‘Thunder on Cocoa Beach’
• Lake of the Ozarks: 31 May -2 June – The Lake Race
• Sarasota: 5-7 July – Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival
• St. Clair River Classic: 26-28 July – St. Clair River Classic
Speaking from its headquarters in New Jersey, Ed “Smitty” Smith, President of the Offshore Powerboat Association, said: “Our principal goal is quite simply to further develop the sport of Offshore and, working with Powerboat P1, we now have the opportunity to unite the race teams in a way that has been missing for a long time. We plan to announce the remaining two race venues later this month and then everyone can look forward to a new and exciting sixrace championship in 2019.”  Azam Rangoonwala, chief executive of Powerboat P1 which has its United States office in Orlando, added: “We have identified several important areas where we believe the partnership will deliver significant results commercially and in terms of the sport’s organization and profile.  Our aim is always to stage events that excite and entertain, ensuring enjoyment for spectators and TV audiences with sponsor value and a real economic impact for the host venues.”  Brunner states “combining this new offshore racing partnership with Blue Water Offshore Racing Association’s experience in race production in St. Clair; and, the entertainment and vendors managed by Funfest Productions, will absolutely enhance St. Clair’s event so our event will continue to be a fan favorite”.

Dollar General’s newest store at 3599 Military St. in Port Huron is now open!  In its new location, Dollar General will offer area residents a convenient new place to shop for everyday essentials at low prices.  Dollar General will celebrate the store’s official grand opening on Saturday, December 15 at 8 a.m. with free prizes and special deals.  Additionally, the first 50 adult shoppers at the store will receive a $10 Dollar General gift card and the first 200 shoppers will receive a Dollar General tote bag with complimentary product samples, among other giveaways.  “Dollar General is committed to delivering a pleasant shopping experience that includes a convenient location, a wide assortment of merchandise and great prices on quality products,” said Dan Nieser, Dollar General’s senior vice president of real estate and store development.  “We hope our area customers will enjoy shopping at Dollar General’s new location.”  Dollar General stores offer convenience and value to customers by providing a focused selection of national name brands and private brands of food, housewares, seasonal items, cleaning supplies, basic apparel and health/beauty products. The store’s fresh layout is designed to make shopping simple for customers.  Seasonal products are displayed in the center of the store, departments are easily recognizable with visible signage and coolers are conveniently located at the front of the store.  Traditional Dollar General stores employ approximately six to 10 people, depending on the need.  Anyone interested in joining the Dollar General team may visit the Career section atwww.dollargeneral.com.

The Michigan House passed on Wednesday a comprehensive modernization of the state’s animal industry regulations, led by state Rep. Dan Lauwers.  “This extensive cooperative effort among industry leaders, MDARD and the Legislature resulted in a streamlined and efficient set of reforms that meet today’s animal agriculture standards,” Lauwers said. “This means Michigan’s farmers will finally have an easy-to-follow set of laws that adapt to today’s technology and keep the highest food safety standards.”  The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) began working with the Legislature in 2015 to update Michigan’s Animal Industry Act, while Lauwers was chair. Since its enactment in 1988, Michigan’s animal industry law has been amended sporadically many times, which resulted in a hard-to-follow mishmash of regulations. Updates were needed to reorganize and streamline the law, making it easier for Michigan’s farmers to follow. These laws will also be easier to adapt to advancements in agricultural technology.  The House passed the plan with overwhelming support and will move to the Senate for consideration. The plan is led by HB 6205.

The Port Huron Civic Theatre is presenting the age old classic “Annie” – at McMorran Theatre Friday, December 14 through Sunday, December 17.  Performances are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with 2:00 matinees on Saturday and Sunday.  Cost is $12 for kids and seniors and $15 for adults.  Tom Dennis plays policeman Lt. Ward and President Roosevelt and Joe Helton plays the part of Drake the Butler.  The two stopped in at WGRT to talk about the show.  Tom says Civic Theatre presents an opportunity for people to explore their theatric abilities and they become like family.  Joe, has in the past worked behind the scenes but, says his daughter encouraged him to try out for this part.  Annie is based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray.  Authorities say Annie has become a worldwide phenomenon and was the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.  The beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin, features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written, including, “Tomorrow”.  Annie is the perfect family-friendly musical and an ideal show for a largely female cast.  Tickets may be purchase at ticket master or call the McMorran Box Office at 810-985-6166.