port huron

Bruce Seymore EDA St. Clair County MEDA Award

Bruce Seymore of EDA of St. Clair County Receives MEDA Award

Bruce Seymore II, Director of Business and Community Services at the Economic Development Alliance (EDA) of St. Clair County was awarded the Robert Sieghart Award for Enthusiasm for the Economic Development Profession from the Michigan Economic Development Agency (MEDA) at their annual meeting.

The Sieghart award goes to a person who enjoys economic development and understands the importance of the profession to all communities. They are especially interested in bringing more professionals into the fold with their passion and dedication, and they know more jobs and investment in a community will benefit the entire state.

Bruce Seymore St. clair County EDA MEDA Award Winner
Bruce Seymore, EDA St. Clair County, Receives Robert Sieghart Award for Enthusiasm from MEDA at Their Virtual Meeting in October 2020

Carolyn Bennett, Economic Development Manager at DTE Energy, who nominated Bruce, said, “Bruce has done an outstanding job with communicating the recent incentive programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have helped assist 100’s of businesses with the CARES Act information being shared through DTE Energy. Bruce is always willing to assist businesses in St. Clair Country and helps promote economic development throughout the state of Michigan.”

Bruce has been on the team at the EDA of St. Clair County for 11 years. Dan Casey, CEO of the EDA St. Clair County, said,  “In a crisis, communication is key.  EDA was committed to providing the most relevant information to area businesses so they could make the adjustments to their operations, to keep their doors open and solve problems.  Bruce’s effort was critical to this process because of the relationships and trust that companies have in his knowledge and abilities.  I’m very excited for him for winning this award and appreciative of the great team we have at EDA that shares his commitment.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

PH Country Style Marketplace Owners Celebrate Demo Day

Steve Fernandez and Michelle Jones have been working for years to bring a grocery store to Downtown Port Huron, and part of their wait is finally over. The couple welcomed the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce and its members to 310 Huron Avenue yesterday for a Demolition Day ceremony.

After encouraging messages from Blue Water Chamber President Thelma Castillo, Mayor Pauline Repp, and St. Clair County Commissioner Jeff Bohm, Steve Fernandez shared with guests how many people have supported them along their journey.

“Everybody said this project was much needed in this community. It’s that kind of real support…this just wouldn’t happen without people taking action and doing things. We could talk all day, but at the end of the day, if you don’t have your community supporting you, this kind of project never gets finished. It never gets off the drawing board.” said Fernandez

Jones and Fernandez thanked officials in the city and county government for taking an active role in making sure the project was well-explained to investors from outside the community. Many local businesses and organizations played a key role in getting Jones and Fernandez to this point, and they are excited to bring this store to the downtown community.

“Lofts are being built, new businesses are coming in. This is an attractive place to live and raise a family, and we’re just proud to be a small part of that.” said Fernandez.

The next steps involve renovating the main floor of the building and the grand staircase that will lead to the basement. Once the grocery store renovations are complete, the couple will focus on the second story which will contain executive offices and their personal living space.

When asked what she is looking forward to, Michelle Jones said getting the store done is her priority. The inside will look very similar to their other property, Country Style Marketplace in Ft. Gratiot, with the addition of a prepared foods section where people can grab fast, ready-to-eat meals. There will also be seating along the windows facing Huron Avenue where people can sit and eat.

With a big smile, Michelle Jones said, “Don’t go down to Hall Road, you’ve got PH Country Style Market coming soon and Country Style Market in Ft. Gratiot that you can go to!”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

City Council Members Could Decide Who Takes Seat

Port Huron, MI — At Monday night’s Port Huron City Council meeting, the second and final reading was given to two ordinances related to buildings on 7th Street. That means that rezoning is final, and the new owners of the Smith Family Funeral Home and the First Congregational Church can move forward with their plans to redevelop those properties.

Plans for the Smith Family Funeral home involve a multi-unit housing development, and the First Congregational Church will be transformed into a state-of-the-art medical facility.

There was a presentation for Council Members Worden and Harris to thank them for their time on City Council. Monday’s meeting was the last for both of them as they are not seeking re-election.

There has been some confusion about candidates running for Port Huron City Council who have verbally withdrawn from the race but are still  listed on the ballot, and the situation that would arise if Lisa Beedon wins her race for St. Clair County Board of Commissioners and resigns from the council. This situation assumes four open seats and four remaining candidates, therefore everyone left on the ballot would get a council seat.

This is untrue however, and Mayor Pauline Repp clarified, “The fourth person is not an automatic. By charter, they have to have received at least 25% of the total votes cast at the election. If they did not, then it is opened up to process applications from the community.” If that happens, the City Council will decide who takes the open seat.

“Only three people will be seated at the next Council meeting because Lisa does not have to resign until after that,” said Mayor Repp.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand.

 

“Five Days of Action” at YMCA to Protect Children

Port Huron, MI — The YMCA of the Blue Water Area is participating in Five Days of Action, which is a weeklong campaign designed to raise awareness and protect children from sexual abuse. The YMCA is offering tips, tools, activities, and resources that are geared toward the current climate of dealing with the pandemic.

The theme of the campaign is “One Day at a Time”. Parents are encouraged to have a conversation with their kids by playing the “What If?” game to see how they would respond to situations and teach them how to get out of bad situations. 

The campaign addresses online safety, keeping kids safe and busy during social distancing, and creating a family code of conduct.Adults are also given tips on responding to abuse and knowing where to go for help.

Last year, 428 YMCAs participated in the week-long campaign. With things being quite a bit different this year and isolation being the norm, the program is adapting with an online format at fivedaysofaction.org. Anyone can access the website to learn the valuable information about protecting our children.

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland

Man With Airsoft Gun Scares Couple in Port Huron

Port Huron, MI — The Port Huron Police Department is seeking charges against a man walking with an airsoft gun in the area of Riverside Drive and Garfield Street on October 24, 2020 around 7:30 PM.

An 18 year-old woman and a 17 year-old male were driving in the area when a man with a black handgun in his waistband appeared in the roadway. The couple sped off and contacted police.

Residents from the area said a similar incident happened in July 2020, and someone provided video footage that led police to the suspect’s house. The suspect is a 33 year-old Port Huron resident. He stated that he was carrying the airsoft gun in an attempt to slow down people who driving too fast through the area.

The airsoft gun was confiscated, and a request to charge the suspect with Disorderly Conduct was forwarded to the St. Clair County Prosecutors Office for review.

Port Huron School District Adjusts Instructional Schedule

Port Huron, MI — In a letter to parents, Port Huron School District announced some changes to the instructional schedule. Currently, students are receiving instruction either completely virtually or with a hybrid schedule with some in-person days and some virtual days.

The new schedule was approved by the Board of Education at a meeting on October 23rd. The new schedule has Tuesday, November 3rd as a Remote Learning Day for all students with Learning Labs open. Wednesday, November 25th is a Remote Learning Day with buildings closed. Friday, December 11th is a Remote Learning Day with Buildings and Learning Labs open, and both Friday, February 12th and Monday, February 15th are Remote Learning Days with buildings closed. Parents who may have scheduled a mid-winter break vacation during February are reassured that the instruction is “any place, any pace”, so they can still take their trips.

Learning Labs will be available by appointment at Crull Elementary, Holland Woods Middle School and Port Huron High School. More information will be sent to families.

The updated schedule allows for school to end on June 11th, 2021, and meets the requirement to offer 180 instructional days.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland