local news

Port Huron City Council Looking for Candidates to Fill Vacancy

At the Port Huron City Council Meeting Monday, Lisa Beedon’s Letter of Resignation was received and filed, and now the Council is asking for letters of interest from qualified city residents to fill her vacated seat.

Beedon was elected to the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners in the November election, which led to her resign from the council effective December 31, 2020.

None of the candidates who ran for the City Council position in the November election received 25% of the popular vote; therefore, the City Charter states that the Council must take applications from interested persons and appoint someone to fill the vacancy.

Letters of interest and resumes from prospective candidates will be accepted through January 26, 2021. Any qualified and registered Port Huron City elector can apply, and they can submit their letters and resumes to the City Clerk.

On Monday, February 1, 2021, the City Council will hold a meeting to review the candidates and vote to appoint the new City Council member.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Auto Show Cancelled for 2021 – Motor Bella Takes Its Place

The North American Auto Show won’t happen this year, but show officials have replaced the event with a new one in an outdoor setting. Motor Bella is described as a “bridge to the future”, and according to a press release, “the event will bring next-generation mobility and exciting vehicle debuts to media, show-goers, and automotive enthusiasts in a way never before experienced.”

The event is scheduled for September 21-26th at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac. The M1 Concourse is known as a place for people to keep, show, and exercise their vehicles and is described as an 87-acre playground for auto enthusiasts. It houses community garages, a performance track, and hosts a private Motorsports Club.

Motor Bella will take the auto show to a new level by offering vehicle showcases in action. Executive Director Rod Alberts said, “This all-outdoor venue, with adrenaline-pumping track activities and a full complement of OEM and technology exhibits, is going to offer the sights, sounds and even the smell of all that the new world of mobility has to offer.” 

To learn more, visit the event website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

DTF Busts Man With Meth in Port Huron

(Port Huron Township)  A 24 year old Berlin Township man has been arraigned on drug and other charges in St. Clair County District Court.

According to Sheriff Mat King, the St. Clair County Drug Task Force conducted an investigation into the sales of methamphetamine in the Port Huron area.  The investigation culminated on January 7th at approximately 8:00 p.m., when members of the DTF executed a traffic stop in the area of 24th Street and Griswold in Port Huron Township.  They made contact with Dustin Conlee and discovered that he had approximately $1000 worth of crystal methamphetamine in his possession.  Conlee also had an unregistered .38 handgun in his vehicle.

Conlee was arrested without incident and transported to the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center.  He was arraigned in 72nd District Court and charged with delivery/manufacture of methamphetamine, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm.  Bond was set at $20,000 cash/surety.  Conlee is scheduled to be back in court on January 19th at 9:00 a.m. for a probable cause hearing before District Judge John Monaghan.  

Conlee also faces a bond violation hearing for violating conditions of bond on an earlier methamphetamine possession case.

Submitted by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office

McLaren Keeps Seniors Engaged With Virtual Programs

The Savvy Seniors program is an educational series offered by McLaren Port Huron Hospital for senior citizens and their caregivers. The programs are free to the community, and for now, they are completely virtual.

Programs scheduled for the New Year cover healthy physical activity, navigating the health care system, and coping with grief and loss. Participants can register for as many sessions as they’d like.

Registration is available through Health Access by calling 1-800-228-1484, and a link to the virtual presentations will be emailed a week prior to the sessions.

For more details about individual sessions and topics, visit the events page at WGRT.com.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Nursing Home Residents Reminded Stimulus Payments Belong to Them

As stimulus payments begin arriving in check form, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reminding residents and operators of nursing homes and other care facilities that checks belong to the person named on them, not the organization who may be providing care for that person.

After the first round of stimulus payments went out, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported fraudulent activity in other states where nursing home residents were reportedly coerced into signing over their checks to the facility caring for them.

Stimulus payments are intended for the individual named on the check, and Nessel is alerting seniors not to sign them over to anyone under any circumstance.

Although there have not been reports of this fraudulent activity in Michigan, anyone with evidence of a facility demanding a senior resident’s stimulus (EIP) payment is encouraged to report it to the Attorney General’s office:

  • Unlicensed care facilities – Financial Crimes Division at 517-335-7560
  • Licensed care facilities – Heath Care Fraud Division at 800-242-2873

 

Good2Go Campaign Supports Restaurants

Since indoor dining has been restricted, many residents have been looking for ways to support their favorite restaurants. Now, thanks to the City of Port Huron’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and downtown merchants, there is a new incentive to grab some take out.

The Good2Go Takeout Challenge runs until the end of January and participants have a chance to win gift cards from downtown shops every Friday.

Participating is easy; simply order takeout from a downtown restaurant, snap a photo of your takeout, and publicly post it to social media with the #downtownporthuron. The DDA will do a gift card drawings on Friday the 15th, 22nd, and 29th.

Participating restaurants:

Good2Go Participating Restaurants

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand