port huron

Black River Canal Dredging on Friday

Weather permitting, the City of Port Huron will begin dredging sand from the mouth of the Black River Canal on Friday, August 7th , 2020. During dredging, the Black River Canal will be closed to watercraft from the Tainter gate, located east of Gratiot Avenue, to Lake Huron.

Also weather permitting, sand dredged from Black River Canal will be placed in Lake Huron from Holland Beach to the south on Tuesday, August 11 th and Wednesday August 12 th , 2020. Due to the work, Holland Beach will be closed.

The contractor will be utilizing Gratiot to LaSalle, Conger to Holland to haul sand from the mouth of the Black River Canal to Holland Beach. There will be intermittent slowed, and stop and go traffic in these areas. We encourage the public to not park on these streets during this time frame.

If there are any further questions regarding this matter, please contact the Department of Public Works 810 984-9730.

Hunter Hospitality House Reaching Out to Community

Port Huron, MI — Hunter Hospitality House is reaching out to the community for help with their endowment fund. The fund helps keep their houses up and running, which provides free lodging to medical patients and their loved ones. They have houses near both hospitals in Port Huron.

After being closed for several weeks due to the pandemic, the non-profit was able to open on June 1st and has since served fifteen guests. According to Executive Director Tracy Willard, “Keeping young parents near their hospitalized babies, cancer patients near their treatment centers, surgical patients near the hospital the night before and then their spouses near them while they’re in the hospital, and families near their hospitalized loved ones…it’s nice to be able to help people again! Restricting the homes to one family at a time gives our guests a lot of peace of mind, too, during the pandemic.”

To keep the endowment going, a raffle is being held, with prizes like a $5000 vacation, jewelry, a technology package, a catered dinner, and a weekend getaway. The tickets cost $100 and only 300 will be sold. The winners are to be drawn August 31st.

 Tickets can be purchased at hunterhospitalityhouse.com.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Sewer Separation Work to Partially Close Hancock Street

Port Huron, MI — The south lanes of Hancock Street will be closed from the I-94/Pine Grove Connector to Pine Grove Avenue until late September 2020. Traffic shifts will be in place to maintain two-way traffic on the north side of Hancock Street.

Access to local businesses will be maintained, but the public is encouraged to use alternate routes.

This partial closure of Hancock Street is necessary to facilitate work on the City of Port Huron’s Blue Water Bridge Plaza Sewer Separation project, which includes sewer construction in the areas of Scott Avenue to Hancock Street and Riverside Drive to 12th Avenue.

The project is expected to be completed by December of 2020.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

McLaren Port Huron Awarded for Partnership with Port Huron Schools

Port Huron, MI — McLaren Port Huron Hospital recently received the Ludwig Community Benefits Award from the Michigan Health and Hospital Association (MHA). The award recognizes collaborative programs that improve the health and well-being of area residents.

McLaren Port Huron was recognized for their involvement in the Biomedical Science Partnership with Port Huron Schools. The program was praised for “reinforcing the importance of healthy lifestyles and strengthening the potential for high school students to choose healthcare careers”, according to the MHA. The partnership began in 2018 with 128 students and grew to 240 students last year.

Students volunteered with the hospital, along with taking tours of the St. Clair County Community College Health Sciences Building and listening to presentations from health professionals. The MHA said that “short-term results show nearly 72% of the students plan to pursue healthcare careers and more than 92% report an increased interest in the healthcare profession.”

The $5000 award is given in memory of Patric E. Ludwig, a former MHA president who championed investing in the community’s overall health.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 Job Fair Goes Virtual This Month

Port Huron, MI — St. Clair County Community College has not given up on this year’s job fair. While indoor gatherings have been restricted, a Virtual Job Fair will be held on August 18th and 20th, with another one planned for September 22nd and 24th.

In partnership with the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County, the City of Port Huron, Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works, and the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce, the job fair has the same goal as the “in-person” job fairs: to allow employers to connect with job seekers who are actively seeking work in the area.

This week, employers can enter their company information, contact information, and available job openings through the SC4 Career Coach portal. Next week, job seekers can review the list of job openings and choose a fifteen-minute time slot to meet with employers to find out more about the jobs. Finally, on August 18th and 20th, the employers and potential employees will meet virtually. Job seekers can find more at sc4.edu/virtual-job-fair. Many local companies are in urgent need of new employees, according to SC4. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Lake Huron Medical Center Honors July Employee and Volunteer of the Month

Port Huron, MI – Lake Huron Medical Center (LHMC) is pleased to announce its July 2020 Employee of the Month, Julie Eggert, and its July 2020 Volunteer of the Month, Maureen Blackman. LHMC is honored to have a strong team of staff and volunteers working hard to deliver high-quality care to the Blue Water Area.

Julie is an OR Tech in the Surgery Department and has been with LHMC since 1997. She was nominated by a peer who commented, “Julie is always so helpful with OR case questions or scheduling.  This past weekend she was the greeter at the doctor’s entrance, but on top of that, she helped me with a ton of other things.  She ran errands, got supplies, helped deliver food to the floors, checked the temps in OR, found a leak in the ceiling, all while being so professional.  We greatly appreciate all her hard work!” 

Maureen volunteers as a courier and was nominated by an employee who stated: “Maureen always give generously to LHMC.  Whether she’s busy as a courier at the greeter’s desk, creating and donating incredible gift baskets to donate to the foundation events, or supporting the entire staff with kindness and special gifts, she s a ray of sunshine.  This month she dropped by the adorable face masks that she makes.  She always goes above and beyond.”

Lake Huron Medical Center is proud of each of its employees and volunteers; and extends a special thank you and congratulations to all our team members, especially Julie and Maureen, as we celebrate their accomplishments.

To learn more about the programs and services offered at Lake Huron Medical Center, visit www.mylakehuron.com.