port huron

Local Contractors Rehabilitate Lincoln Street Home Slated for Demolition

 

Port Huron, MI — A Port Huron house that was slated for a date with a bulldozer due to years of neglect and serious code violations has been rehabbed and turned into a beautiful home waiting for a family to move in. Thanks to the hard work and vision of local residents and business partners, Scott Fleet and Steve Ainsworth, 1214 Lincoln Avenue has been transformed.

The house, not far from St. Clair County Community College, McLaren Hospital, and Downtown Port Huron, had potential that perhaps only Fleet and Ainsworth could see. Even the neighbors wanted it gone. Mr. Fleet and Mr. Ainsworth said they knew it would be expensive, but they had the construction resources to make it happen.

Scott Fleet said, “As we look back on this project we joke with each other that we might have gotten a little carried away, but this house had so much character to offer that we just couldn’t help ourselves.”

Fleet said his vision for the house “is to have the right family that can appreciate the architecture and beauty of this home. We would like to see this renovation help carry the positive momentum through this fantastic city.”

Port Huron City Manager James Freed referred to the renovation as “an absolutely breathtaking rehabilitation of the home”.

Scott Fleet and Steve Ainsworth wish to thank:

Scott’s Dad, their patient wives, Ainsworth Construction, TMA Electric, Spray Foam International, Northeast Plumbing, Ainsworth Door Company, Gates Roofing, Bob Anderson Painting, Luis Rivera Carpentry

 

BEFORE – Lincoln St. Rehab

 

AFTER – Lincoln St. Rehab

 

AFTER – Lincoln St. Rehab

 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Schools Switching to Full-Time In-Person Instruction March 1st

Port Huron, MI — Students in the Port Huron school district will be going back to class full time starting March 1st after having a mix of all-virtual and hybrid learning since last March.

In a message to parents in his weekly newsletter, Superintendent Jamie Cain said that the change in plans is due to a vote by the Port Huron Schools Board of Education last Friday. The February hybrid schedule remains in effect with the full time, five-days-per-week schedule beginning March 1st.

Students whose parents elected the full-time all-virtual learning model will stay enrolled in that program for the rest of the school year. Students whose parents had elected the hybrid model will be going back to school full time. Questions are directed to building principals.

The hybrid plan was implemented to reduce numbers of students in classrooms. In the message, Superintendent Cain stressed the continuation of mask-wearing, social distancing, frequent hand-washing, and facility sanitizing.

School districts have been urged by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to find ways to get back to in-person learning by March 1st. Transmission of COVID-19 at school has not been as big of a concern as was previously thought it could be.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Blue Water Area Transit Get Grant for Wheelchair Securement System

Port Huron, MI — The Blue Water Area Transportation Commission is one of the recipients of a Michigan Department of Transportation Grant to install innovations to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The grant will pay to install an automated wheelchair securement system.

The grant is part of the Federal Transit Administration Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program. The state received $600,000 which is being shared among six public transit agencies. The other winners were in Saginaw, Jackson, Marquette, Western Washtenaw, and Charlevoix County.

Jean Ruestman, MDOT Office of Passenger Transportation administrator, said, “Public transit remains a vital service for many citizens getting to work, school, shopping, or doctor’s appointments. We continue to work with our partner transit agencies to look for grants for innovative solutions to protect passengers and transit workers from the virus.”

The Blue Water Area Transit will get a system developed by Q’straint which allows passengers to self-secure their wheelchairs and eliminate close contact with the bus driver.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Adult Learners Gain Opportunities to Increase Wages

Adults in Michigan can improve their employability status and increase their wages by receiving industry certifications or completing their associate degree. For those 25 and older who want a tuition-free way to achieve that, The Michigan Reconnect program launched by the state last week offers a tuition-free pathway to an associate degree or skills certificate.

Tamara Kenny, Chief Academic Officer of Occupational Studies & Health Sciences at St. Clair County Community College (SC4) , said SC4 is a great place for adult learners to begin growing their resume to excel at their current job or to begin or finish the credentials for a new one.

Kenny said, “Students that receive industry certifications are so much more employable, employers are scooping them up right away. Not only can you achieve your associate degree, which increases your earning potential, but you can receive industry certifications too [in many SC4 programs].”

SC4 offers a broad range of Career and Technical Education programs including Health Sciences, Computer Information Systems, Engineering, and Criminal Justice. They work with organizations like the St. Clair County EDA to assist employers with advancing the skill level of the county’s workforce and helping new employers in the area recruit SC4 graduates.

The college is also helping adult learners take advantage of programs like Futures for Frontliners, which helped frontline workers in 2020 go back to school, and the new Michigan Reconnect program which require participants to seek a degree or certificate from their in-district community college.

More information about Michigan Reconnect and other programs for helping adults with tuition-free options for higher education can be found on the State of Michigan’s, Sixty-by-30 website <HERE> 

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

James C. Harrison II Appointed to Michigan Council on Climate Solutions

A Port Huron resident has been named to the Michigan Council on Climate Solutions. According to a press release from Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office, James C. Harrison, II, of Port Huron, has been appointed to the Council.

Harrison is the director of renewable energy for Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO. He also serves as the Utility Workers Union of America delegate on the BlueGreen Alliance National Steering Committee. His appointment is for a one-year term.

The Council is an advisory board that reports to Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to make a plan to implement the MI Healthy Climate Plan, which is the plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition toward carbon neutrality across all sectors of the economy. 

The automotive industry is a key player in combatting global climate change. Director of EGLE, Liesl Eichler Clark, said, “In Michigan, we know that climate solutions are mobility solutions and mobility solutions are climate solutions. As the state that put the world on wheels, what we do on climate matters.”

Mr. Harrison is one of fourteen appointees to the Michigan Council on Climate Solutions.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Virtual Conference on Early Childhood

St. Clair County RESA is holding a virtual conference to support and educate parents and caregivers of preschoolers. The St. Clair County Early Childhood Conference will be held via Zoom on Saturday, March 6th from 8:30 AM until 12 PM.

The virtual conference is a digital version of “Parent University” and includes educational sessions focused on parents, infants & toddlers, and preschool aged children. Topics range from developing early reading skills to healthy eating and using technology appropriately.

There are a limited number of scholarships available to parents which are given on a first-come-first-served basis, and forms are available on their event website. Registration is $10 per person, and available by visiting St. Clair County RESA’s website and clicking on “Professional Development” <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand