St. Clair County

Friends of St. Clair River Name Baby Sturgeon “Pauline” After Fundraising Contest

The Blue Water Area is celebrating Sturgeon, the ancient gentle giants that call the St. Clair River home, with this weekend’s Sturgeon Festival. Part of the buildup to the event was a baby sturgeon naming contest.

The contest was between Port Huron City Mayor Pauline Repp and St. Clair County Commission Chair Jeff Bohm. The two local leaders raised funds for the Friends of the St. Clair River, with the most successful fund raiser winning namesake rights for a baby sturgeon.

The winner is Pauline Repp, who edged out Bohm’s $840 with her $915. The baby sturgeon in an aquarium at the new offices of the Friends of the St. Clair River is now named “Pauline”.

Friends President Sheri Faust said, “All we have accomplished in 15 years as an organization at Friends of the St. Clair River, and all we are poised to accomplish in the next decade, is possible because people are helping build a culture of conservation and stewardship for Michigan’s Thumb Coast.”

 The Blue Water Sturgeon Festival will be held this weekend at the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. Go to WGRT.com for more information.

Sturgeon Festival

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Click-It-Or-Ticket and Commercial Vehicle Checks Underway

Local law enforcement is increasing patrols for both seatbelt use and commercial vehicle enforcement. The Click-it-or-Ticket campaign is underway, as is the Commercial Vehicle Alliance International Roadcheck.

Click-it-or-Ticket is an enhanced effort to catch those who choose to drive without wearing a seatbelt. The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office will have patrols dedicated to seatbelt enforcement from May 16th to June 5th.

Sheriff Mat King said, “We can’t overstate the importance of wearing your seatbelt. It’s the law, but more than that, it is the simplest thing you can do to help save yourself from injury or death in the event of a crash.”

The Michigan State Police have been utilizing weigh stations and rest areas to inspect commercial vehicles, focusing on finding defective equipment and checking driver hours of service. More than 65,000 drivers of big rigs and buses are expected to go through the checkpoints.

Commercial drivers should be prepared to show their operating credentials and hours of service. Officers will be looking for anyone operating under the influence of substances as well.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

St. Clair County Sherriff Awards Wade and Krzywiecki as Employees of the Year

And the Employee of the Year awards go to…Detective Kelsey Wade and Corrections Deputy Keith Krzywiecki.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office presented its inaugural Employee of the Year Awards last week during a ceremony at the Sheriff’s Office.

St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King said, “I am extremely proud to be able to recognize Kelsey and Keith as our first recipients of the Employee of the Year Award. They were both nominated by several of their peers and have exemplified what it means to be an outstanding employee.”

The award recognizes Detective Kelsey Wade and Corrections Deputy Keith Krzywiecki for their daily commitment to quality work, willingness to carry out additional responsibilities beyond regular job assignments, and encouraging attitudes that contribute to positive morale.

Wade has been working at the Sheriff’s Department since 2006 and Krzywiecki has been with the department since 2007.

Both deputies received a certificate and a voucher for a night at a hotel and a gift card for dinner.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

The Thumb Michigan Facebook Group wsg. Todd Carmody & Terri Hoag

 

Join a conversation with Todd Carmody and Terri Hoag about the Thumb (Michigan) Facebook group. Learn why Todd decided to start the group and how Terri celebrates our area as the Blue Water Ambassador.

In this episode, Jessie, Todd, and Terri talk about:

  • Sharing positive news about the community
  • What it takes to administrate the group
  • Using photography to showcase local businesses
  • How The Thumb group connects people to unique aspects of our community

Learn more about the Thumb Michigan Facebook group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/195464297712532

Listen to the WGRT Local NEWS podcast on your favorite podcast app every Friday for in-depth interviews with people from around Michigan’s Thumbcoast!

Find the podcast on Spotify, Apple, or Facebook!

 

The WGRT Local News Podcast is part of the WGRT 102.3 FM Podcast Network. For the latest episodes of all of our featured podcasts, visit our website here:

https://wgrt-1023-fm-podcast-network.captivate.fm

The WGRT Local News Podcast is produced by the following team members:

Executive Producer: Jessie Wiegand

Audio Engineer: George James

Administrator: Jessie Wiegand

Marketing: Jessie Wiegand

Follow WGRT Local News on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/WGRTlocalnews

 

“Empty the Shelters” Event Reduces Adoption Fee to $25 at SCC Animal Control

A national campaign to move animals out of shelters and into loving homes coincides with a local shelter being at capacity. The BISSELL Pet Foundation is sponsoring the “Empty the Shelters” initiative that reduces adoption fees to $25.

St. Clair County Animal Control Director Melissa Miller said, “This event is coming at a great time. St. Clair County Animal Control is at critical capacity for dogs and cats.”

Miller said that adoptable animals can be viewed online at their website, on PetFinder, or on their Facebook page.

The “Empty the Shelters” event goes from now until May 7th and again from May 9th to 13th. St. Clair County Animal Control will be open for reduced-fee adoptions May 5th through 6th from 10:30 to 3:30 p.m., May 7th from noon to 3:30, and May 9th through May 13th from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Animal Control prefers appointments, but they are not required. Appointments can be scheduled at animalcontrol@stcalircounty.org.

https://www.petfinder.com/search/dogs-for-adoption/us/mi/48060/?distance=10

https://stclairmi.animalservices.website/shelterpronet/spn_page_as_main.spn

https://www.facebook.com/adoptsccac

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Schools Kicks Off Strategic Planning with Community Survey

It’s time to have your voice heard by Port Huron Schools. The district has crafted a short four-question survey to help them in moving forward with their strategic planning process.

In a communication with parents and community members, Superintendent Theo A. Kerhoulas invited stakeholders to fill out the survey.

The survey asks four questions: What are you proud of in the Port Huron Area School District? What challenges do you feel the district is facing? What should our schools provide for students? What does success look like for our students in the future?

Kerhoulas reported that the strategic planning process began with a meeting of community stakeholders who came up with several “actionable items and an aggressive timeline”. The survey is the first of the action items.

The survey window is open from now until May 13th, 2022. It is open to staff, students, parents, and community members.

A link to the Port Huron School Community Survey can be found below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/1FAIpQLSdXLJjSBw0-cYJcaza6EHGMTaTmuAubmYYa47eeIiA_as8Afg/viewform?usp=send_form

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland