port huron

Celebrate Edison’s Birthday with Flashlight Tour

Thomas Edison’s 174th Birthday is coming up, and the Port Huron Museums are providing a unique way to celebrate. The Thomas Edison Depot Museum is offering a guided flashlight tour of the museum led by Depot Dave.

Guests can register for a time slot on February 11th to participate in the tour. Tours will be limited to 10 people and the cost is $10 per person or $8 per member. The interactive tour will feature quirky Edison facts and guest can learn even more about the areas that interest them by shining their flashlight on them during the tour.

Andrew Kercher, Manager of Community Engagement at the Port Huron Museums, said, “This is a new, fun event that has been structured to keep people safe and give them something fun to do. It’s a new way to engage with our history!”

Tickets are available on EventBrite <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

See You In Court: Port Huron Rejects MIOSHA Citations and Fine

Port Huron, MI — A local legal drama is brewing as the City of Port Huron is taking on the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) regarding a $6,300 fine issued after receiving several citations for not following COVID-19 prevention protocol.

The citation was issued after a complaint was filed. MIOSHA accused the City of “violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including failure to require face coverings, not conducting daily entry self-screening protocols for employees, not training employees on COVID-19, and failing to maintain records of the daily entry self-screening protocols.”, according to MIOSHA records.

MIOSHA dismissed one of the charges, but is not backing down on a portion of the penalty. The City has asked for a court date to hash it out in front of an independent administrative law judge.

The City denies all charges and points out that there have been no workplace COVID-19 outbreaks. They also dismissed the legitimacy of MIOSHA to levy fines after the Governor’s Executive Orders were ruled unconstitutional by the Michigan Supreme Court.

City Manager James Freed called the citations “baseless and not with legal merit”.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

McLaren Festival Of Trees Money To Go Toward Lung Cancer Equipment

Port Huron, MI — McLaren Port Huron’s Festival of Trees  2020 was a totally different event from the three-day event of years past, but the scaled-back adaptation was still a success. 

The 2020 version had seventeen trees displayed at the windows of the hospital that the community could enjoy safely from outside. Donors still came through with sponsorships and raffle ticket purchases, netting $65,000 for the hospital’s Foundation. 

The proceeds from the Festival of Trees are going toward the purchase of equipment to diagnose and treat lung cancer – an endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy device. The device should be ready for use this summer.

Dr. Vasken Artinian, a pulmonary critical care specialist, said that this tool will improve patient care and outcomes and using it is the procedure of choice. He said, “It really complements our full-service cancer program at McLaren Port Huron and is an opportunity to ensure patients can remain in the community for diagnosis and treatment.”

Both Dr. Artinian and Sara Tait, Director of the McLaren Port Huron Foundation, expressed gratitude to the community for their generosity and support.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Local March for Life Drew a Crowd on Sunday

Port Huron, MI — The local March for Life was held this past Sunday, with 125 pro-life activists carrying signs and marching along Pine Grove Avenue in Port Huron.

The activists hoped to make their viewpoints known to passers-by and to draw attention to the pro-life cause on the weekend of the 48th anniversary of the passing of Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States. The March was organized by the St. Clair County Right to Life, which is an affiliate of Right to Life of Michigan.

After the March down Pine Grove, the local pro-lifers held a community prayer service at St. Mary Catholic Church in Port Huron, led by Deacon John Fitzmaurice and Reverend Tom Seppo.

Members of the St. Clair County Right to Life group, along with pro-life youth from the region, have a tradition of attending the national March for Life in Washington, D.C., but like most other large gatherings, this year’s National March has been drastically scaled back due to COVID-19 fears. The usual buses full of hundreds of thousands of Marchers from all over the country will sit idle this year, as the March will be held virtually on Friday, January 29th.

A Michigan March for Life is scheduled to be held in Lansing on Wednesday, January 27th.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Nine St. Clair County Companies Awarded Go Pro Grants

The Going PRO Talent Fund was established to improve the skill level of Michigan’s workforce and help employers train their employees. Nine St. Clair county companies applied for the grant, and a total of $243, 900 was awarded to them by the state.

Dan Casey, CEO of the EDA of St. Clair County, said, “The EDA and our workforce development partners worked together to market the program and encourage companies to apply for Going PRO Talent Fund grant funding. The funds awarded will provide industry-recognized training for St. Clair County residents and help companies reduce talent skill gaps.”

Two Port Huron companies received the Going PRO grant, PJ Wallbank Springs and Dunn Paper. The funds will be used for customized training that leads to a credential or skill that is transferrable and recognized by the industry. The investment in training ensures that Michigan’s employers have the talent they need to compete and grow.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Drug Task Force Releases 2020 Incident Map

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office has released the Drug Task Force incident map. The interactive map shows DTF cases countywide, with the ability to zoom in to street level and see details of the activity.

2020 was a busy year for the Drug Task Force. They took 2,606 grams of crystal meth, 180 grams of cocaine, and 121 grams of heroin off the streets. The DTF also executed 34 search warrants and 183 drug related traffic stops. In all, 218 people were arrested, with 262 felonies and 145 misdemeanors charged.

Sheriff Mat King said, “The St. Clair County Drug Task Force faced new challenges in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the members of the DTF continued to fight to get drugs and weapons off the streets and bring criminals to justice.” King said he was proud of the work done by members of the Drug Task Force for the community.

The Drug Task Force relies on tips from community members. Tips can be left anonymously at (800) 243-DRUG. 

A link to the map:

https://scc-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=3a00cf874b944e8c87052eaa1dd78ca3&extent=-82.4664,42.9569,-82.4209,42.9861

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland