local news

Port Huron Schools Updates Quarantine Rules

Port Huron School Superintendent Theo Kerhoulas sent a letter to district families and staff explaining the quarantining requirements for those who have contracted COVID-19 and those who have possibly been exposed. Kerhoulas made it clear that the district’s goal is to keep kids in school in person while following all health mandates.

All students and staff are encouraged to wear masks, whether vaccinated or not, but it is not required, except for on buses.

Superintendent Kerhoulas sent a graph that lays out the various scenarios based on level of exposure and vaccination status. The vaccine is not currently available to kids under age 12.

Close contact exposure is going to require frequent testing and mask wearing. Students and staff showing any symptoms of infection will need to stay home and call the doctor.

Kerhoulas said, “Our teachers are ready to support your child while they are unable to attend classes due to illness or quarantine. Our goal is to keep students in school and these orders give us many more options that were not available last year.”

A link to the full plan can be found below.

Letter to Families 9.15.21 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Will Bendik Disc Golf Course Opens With Tournament September 25th

Disc Golfing is hot right now with lots of interest in the outdoor sport. St. Clair County is now the place to be for disc golfing with the new Will Bendik Memorial Disc Golf Course at Columbus County Park.

The Grand opening will be on September 25th at 1:00 p.m. at the park, located at 1670 Bauman Road in Columbus Township. A tournament will be held on opening day with both men’s and women’s divisions. The registration deadline for the tournament is September 23rd.  There are cash prizes to the winners.

The course has been a labor of love for many months as the state-of-the-art course has been constructed in the beautiful Columbus County Park setting. The course was professionally designed by Jeff Bauman with “Gold Level” tees as well as fun tees for beginners.

Funding for the course was provided by the family of Will Bendik, in his memory. Cooperation with St. Clair County Parks and year-round hard work from disc golf enthusiasts have made the disc golf course a destination.

Links to more information and tournament signup:

https://www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/Will_Bendik_Memorial_2021

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2783535091863861/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Help Feed the World on September 25th

The Blue Water Feed the World Project is having its annual food packing event on Saturday, September 25th from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Landmark Academy. Many volunteers are needed to make this endeavor a success.

The Project is really a huge production line that prepares and packages 150,000 meals to be used both locally and worldwide. The cost of each meal is 35 cents and each package contains six adult meals. The Blue Water Feed the World Project has a goal of raising $52,000. They were at about $33,000 earlier this week.

Volunteers are needed to help with the packing. Shifts are from 8-10:30 and 10-12:30 on Saturday, September 25th. Sponsors are also needed to help fund the project.

The Blue Water Feed the World Project is part of the Kids Coalition Against Hunger. Once the food, a mixture of easily digestible protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins, is packaged, it is sent to local food pantries as well as international aid groups.

https://www.kidscoalitionagainsthunger.org/

Sign up to help

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Lexington Bach Festival Returns this Weekend

Everybody needs a little Johan Sebastian Bach every now and then. The Lexington Bach Festival is bringing three days of world-class classical music to the Blue Water Area.

The festival opens this year with free performances at noon and 7 p.m. today at the Fine Arts Building at St. Clair County Community College.

Today’s concert features the Lexington Bach Festival String Quartet playing J.S. Bach, Prokofiev, and Haydn. If you miss the Thursday concert, there are three more days of classical music.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday’s shows will be held at St. Denis Catholic Church in Lexington. The shows will feature a pre-concert talk with Music Director John Thomas Dodson 45 minutes before the performance time.

Friday’s show is at 7 p.m. showcases the talents of pianist Mark Markham. Saturday’s show is at 7 p.m. also and will be hosting Chicago’s renowned brass quintet, Axiom Brass.

Sunday’s show is at 4 p.m. and brings pianist Mark Markham back joined by acclaimed soprano Leah Crocetto.

Further information and tickets are available at Weekends in Port Huron and Lexington, or on

www.lexington-arts.org or www.lexingtonbachfestival.org or by phone 810-689-4250.

 Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Blue Water League of the Blind Hosting 5K to Fund Braille Machine

The Blue Water League of the Blind is raising funds to purchase a new Braille embosser to be used at the St. Clair County Library System for the benefit of the community. The League is hosting a 5K Fun Run on Saturday, September 18th at 10:00 a.m. at the Fort Gratiot Pond Park.

The machine that the League of the Blind wants to purchase is a HumanWare 120 Juliet Braille embosser. It will be used for the Library Assistive Media and Talking Books service at the St. Clair County Library System.

The machine has a lot of practical uses for the visually impaired community’s everyday lives. It can be used to print text in braille for hospitals, schools, places of worship, businesses, and non-profits. Various institutions and businesses need to provide braille material for clients, students, and visitors, and this machine makes it possible.

The Fun Run will help raise money for the valuable machine. The entry fee for Saturday’s 5K is only $10 and all ages and abilities are welcome.

To register or volunteer for this event, please contact Bob Furtado, VP of Blue Water League of the Blind at bobthebrailler@yahoo.com or (810) 334-0512

bwlblind.org

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Many Jobs Available at Two Job Fairs

Jobs are plentiful in the Blue Water Area right now. Many local businesses have positions to fill. The Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County and Macomb-St. Clair Michigan Works! are hosting two “mini” job fairs featuring companies that have immediate needs.

The first mini job fair will be held Wednesday, September 15th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Harvey Reinvestment Center, located at 3013 24th Street in Port Huron.

Tomorrow’s job fair features Aludyne, Lake Huron Medical Center, Marwood Nursing and Rehab, Martina’s Grill, P.J. Wallbank Springs, Port Huron Area School District, Port Huron Country Style Marketplace, and US Farathane.

The second mini job fair is scheduled for Wednesday, September 29th from 11:00 a.mm to 2:00 p.m. at the Marysville Community Center, located at 867 East Huron Boulevard.

The Marysville job fair features Campbell & Shaw Steel, St. Clair County Community Mental Health, SMR Automotive Systems USA, Super 8 Motel, and ZF Axel Drives Marysville.

Those attending should bring their resumes and be ready for an onsite interview. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland