local news

Kanchan Wankhede The Under Ground

Kanchan Wankhede to Lead Entrepreneurs at The Underground

Port Huron, MI — The Underground Business Incubator and Service Center is getting a new Director of Entrepreneurial Services, local human resources professional and advocate for minority and women owned businesses, Kanchan Wankhede.

Dan Casey, CEO of the St. Clair County Economic Development Alliance (EDA), said, “We are excited to welcome Kanchan to our EDA team.  She is a great fit for managing the region’s Smartzone Incubator and Business Center.  She has experience working with businesses and organizations that not only have a local or United States footprint, but that spread well into India, Europe and Asia.  As a small business owner herself, she understands the challenges and obstacles entrepreneurs face on a daily basis.  Area entrepreneurs looking to launch or grow their business will benefit from Kanchan’s knowledge, experience and desire to help them be successful.”

Kanchan is the Principal Consultant for her company Great Workplace LLC, and she has also be working with the Community Foundation of St. Clair County for the last year consulting local Minority and Women Owned businesses. She has helped many people motivate, organize, and bring greater success to their businesses.

In a press release, Wankhede said, “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.  So, aim high, believe you can and you are halfway there.  I look forward to assisting facilitate new startups and helping entrepreneurs grow though coaching, connections to potential funding sources and more in my new role at The Underground.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

McLaren Port Huron’s Wound Healing Center Receives Award

Port Huron, MI — Healogics is the nation’s wound healing expert, and they just presented McLaren Port Huron’s Wound Healing Center with the Center of Distinction award for their outstanding clinical outcomes and high patient satisfaction rates.

Wound care centers specialize in treating patients with wounds that are not healing as expected. Patients usually suffer from poor circulation, infections, and other health conditions that prevent them from healing in a normal amount of time and can require months of wound care to resolve their issues.

The McLaren Port Huron Wound Healing Center is part of the Healogics network of over 600 wound care centers that offer specialized wound care including hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is commonly used to treat Diabetic foot wounds, chronic bone infections, and radiation tissue damage.

Patients who received care at McLaren Port Huron’s Wound Healing Center gave the center a satisfaction rate higher than 92% and a minimum wound healing rate of at least 92% within 28 median days to heal.

To learn more visit their website <HERE> .

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

I-69/M-19 Road Work Begins

Orange barrels are out as a big road construction project in St. Clair County gets underway. The Michigan Department of Transportation is putting major investment into fixing the pavement on both I-69 and M-19 near the village of Emmett.  

The pavement on I-69 and M-19 has been deteriorating and in need of repair. The state is putting $38 million into the project, which is expected to last until November of 2022.

The roadwork will stretch from Miller Road to I-69, covering six miles, and will also take care of the slice of M-19 from I-69 to Burt Road.

MDOT says there will be single-lane closures and traffic shifts. The ramp at Riley Center Road will be affected intermittently throughout the project and M-19 traffic will be maintained with a temporary signal.

The work is being done to address the impact on commerce, tourism, and commuter traffic on the heavily traveled roads. I-69 is part of the International Trade Corridor.

The road work is part of the Rebuilding Michigan program which uses bond sales to finance the statewide infrastructure initiative.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Ferrellgas Enters Settlement with Michigan AG

Lansing, MI — The Michigan Department of Attorney General entered into a settlement agreement with Ferrellgas, LP after an informal investigation into the company’s business practices.

Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office and the Better Business Bureau received numerous complaints about the company from customers in Michigan who use them as a supplier of propane gas.

According to a press release from the Attorney General’s office, customers cited difficulty contacting Ferrellgas representatives by phone, protracted delivery periods following the placement of orders, and inability to secure expedited fills to resolve situations where homes were without heat in January and February.

“Being without heat for even a day during a Michigan winter is emotionally devastating and can be dangerous,” Nessel said. “Ferrellgas and other propane providers are now on notice that this office will not tolerate any company that breaks its commitments to consumers and leaves them sitting in the cold.”

Ferrellgas entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance and Discontinuance agreement with the Attorney General’s Office which requires the company to implement a number of reforms, payments, and refunds to the AG’s office and its customers.

Customers can file a complaint against Ferrellgas with the Attorney General’s Office Here:

https://secure.ag.state.mi.us/complaints/consumer.aspx

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Drive-In service for the National Day of Prayer

Port Huron, MI — Operation Transformation celebrates the National Day of Prayer each year with a community prayer service. This year’s service, like last year’s, will be held in the North McMorran Parking lot on Bard Street in Port Huron.

On May 6th from 12:00 – 12:30 PM, the community is invited to join in a safe, drive-in style, prayer service with the theme, Lord Pour out Your Love, Life, and Liberty.”

The prayer service will be led by various local pastors and participants can listen on 90.7 HOPE FM.

The National Day of Prayer was established in 1952, and it is founded on the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

For more information , call Operation Transformation at 810-966-8660.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

DB Delivery Solutions Wins Small Business Award

St. Clair County, MI — DB Delivery Solutions, an East China small business, has been presented an award by the Michigan Economic Corporation as one of the 2021 SmartZone Best Small Businesses.

As part of the Underground’s Incubator Program, DB Delivery Solutions has been supported and counseled by local business leaders, entrepreneurs, and representatives from the St. Clair County Economic Development Alliance (EDA).

DB Delivery Solutions created a secure way for homeowners and businesses to receive packages with their Receptor. The Receptor can be installed in the exterior wall of a garage, home, or business, and includes a weatherproof and secure place for delivery companies to place packages.

Mike Jans, President of DB Delivery Solutions said in a press release, “We don’t just get mail anymore, and our product, the Receptor, is the answer to everyone’s concerns about how to safely and securely get all of their deliveries, which includes packages, groceries, and prepared food. We can install the Receptor in any existing home or business, and we can install the Receptor in any new construction project.”

To learn more visit www.dbdeliverysolutions.com

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand