St. Clair County

TEC Students win 18 Medals at SkillsUSA

St. Clair TEC students brought home an impressive 18 medals at the state SkillsUSA Leadership Conference held April 8-10 in Grand Rapids. Forty-one TEC students from eight programs competed at the state-level competition. The seven gold medal winners — Jacob McEachin, Emma O’Connell (Model: Skylar Soulliere), Sierra Kelly (Model: Hannah Gombos), William Wideman, and Curtis Dresser — will be advancing to the National SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 20–24. 

SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving more than 310,000 high school and college students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. The SkillsUSA competition is an annual event designed to gauge students’ mastery of various career-oriented skills and showcase the nation’s best career and technical education students. 

Congratulations to our SkillsUSA participants for their hard work during after-school practice sessions with dedicated TEC instructors and paraprofessionals.

AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY 

Instructors: Jason Belfinger and Brian Hunter 

Paraprofessionals: Alex Super and Wayne McClelland 

Automotive Service Technology Overall 

  • Gold: Jacob McEachin, Port Huron Northern High School, Senior 

CONSTRUCTION TRADES 

Instructor: Ken Sygit 

Paraprofessional: Caleb Howell 

Electrical Construction Wiring 

  • Silver: CJ Miller, Virtual Learning Academy, Junior 

COSMETOLOGY 

Instructors: Alecia Klein, Beth Koski, and Sue Colman 

Paraprofessionals: Kara Randall and Tina Ponessa 

Cosmetology Overall 

  • Silver: Courtney Barber, Marysville High School, Senior 
  • Bronze: Brianna Snyder, Port Huron Northern High School, Senior 

Cosmetology Mannequin 

  • Gold: Maggie Tanton, Blue Water Middle College, Junior 
  • Bronze: Rebekah Schmaltz, Marysville High School, Junior 

Esthetics 

  • Gold: Emma O’Connell, Yale High School, Senior (Model: Skylar Soulliere, Port Huron Northern, Senior) 
  • Silver: Sienna Guerrero-Brown, East China Virtual, Senior (Model: Lily Ingles, Marysville, High School, Senior) 

Nail Care 

  • Gold: Sierra Kelly, Marysville High School, Senior (Model: Hannah Gombos, Memphis High School, Senior) 
  • Bronze: Taylor Colston, Port Huron High School, Senior (Model: Peyton Rowley, Capac High School, Senior) 

DIGITAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGY 

Instructor: Chad Kubik 

Paraprofessional: Ann Frederick 

Pin Design 

  • Silver: Danielle Liebetreu, St. Clair High School, Senior

METAL MACHINING TECHNOLOGY 

Instructor: Duane Emig 

Paraprofessional: Marv Koob 

CNC Technician 

  • Gold: William Wideman, Memphis High School, Senior 

CNC Turning 

  • Gold: Curtis Dresser, Port Huron Northern High School, Senior 

WELDING 

Instructor: Becca Robertson 

Paraprofessional: James Lay 

Welding Overall 

  • Bronze: Jason Sanday, Yale High School, Senior 

View photographs from the competitions on TEC’s Facebook page at: 

https://www.facebook.com/StClairTEC 

The St. Clair County Technical Education Center (TEC) is operated by the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency. TEC provides career-oriented programs to high school juniors and seniors. TEC offers programs on- and off-site. Programs provide students the opportunity to earn high school elective and academic credit, college credit, and state certification. 

More information is available on the TEC website at www.sctec.org. 

Submitted by St. Clair TEC

Public Invited to St. Clair County Master Plan Visioning Meetings

St. Clair County is getting started on drafting a new Master Plan, and the public is asked to join in the discussion with visioning meetings.

There are three meetings coming up in which county residents can have their voices heard and let county leaders know what is important to them. The Master Plan is a long-range plan to guide the future growth and development of St. Clair County.

The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 26th at the Fort Gratiot Municipal Center. The second meeting will be held at the Clay Township Hall on Thursday, April 28th, and the third meeting will be held on May 4th at the Goodells County Park Community Center.

All three meetings are held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  It is not necessary to RSVP.

The St. Clair County Metropolitan Planning Commission periodically revises the Master Plan to adjust for changing demographics, economic factors, and public input. St. Clair County is home to about 160,000 people.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

New Theatre District Festival June 3-5 Celebrates Local Theatre

Local theatre is alive and well in Port Huron. To celebrate the love of live shows and the talent that brings the shows to life, Port Huron’s Downtown Development Authority is creating a Theatre District and kicking off the idea with a Theatre District Festival.

The Theatre District Festival will be held June 3rd through 5th in Downtown Port Huron.

The three theaters that are part of the “District” are the Citadel Stage, the home of Enter Stage Right; McMorran Place, the home of Port Huron Civic Theatre; and the St. Clair County Community College Fine Arts Theatre, the home of the SC4 Players.

The Festival will feature art vendors, outdoor entertainment, and of course theatrical performances, along with music and dancing. Vendors will be placed along Bard Street and Superior Street to connect the three theaters.

Artists and vendors are being recruited now. 

For vendor signup go here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrYIgYDzjGIsP-o34yixiA-lNY4T-zPQfn38DJr3aZX1WFFQ/viewform

To learn more about the theatre district visit their website here:

https://www.phtd.org/

LINK Summer Program Links Teen Volunteers with Woodlands Students

The LINK Summer Program is looking for students who have an interest in working in a classroom at Woodlands Developmental Center over the summer. The LINK Program gives interested 7th-12th graders hands-on experience working with students living with developmental disabilities.

The student volunteers will be “Linked” with the Woodlands students to help them learn independence skills and socialization.

After some training sessions, LINK volunteers will work Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays through July and into August. Participants will get a free t-shirt and lanyard.

LINK can build valuable experience and career exploration for those thinking of a career in teaching, social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, or the medical field. Community service hours can be earned through the program.

The application process includes an essay and a letter of recommendation. Applications are due by May 16th.

For more information, call or email Chelsey Hull, School Social Worker, at 810-455-4366 or hull.chelsey@sccresa.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Looking for A Fun Summer Job? St. Clair County Parks Job Fair April 20th

Looking for the perfect summer job in beautiful outdoor settings? St. Clair County Parks and Recreation might have the job for you. The Department is looking to hire workers to assist in seasonal park operations.

The County is hosting a job fair on Wednesday, April 20th from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Goodells County Park. They will be holding onsite interviews to match candidates with available jobs.

The county offers a flexible schedule and a variety of work opportunities. Student applicants must be at least sixteen years old and need to have a valid driver’s license.

Diane Barbour, Director of Human Resources for St. Clair County, said, “The beautiful St Clair County Parks are always changing. With new trails, kayak and canoe launches, and increasing water access, working for St. Clair County Parks is a great opportunity to enjoy the summer.”

County Parks operates Goodells, Columbus, Fort Gratiot, and Woodsong County Parks, Fort Gratiot Light Station, Wetland County Park, the Marine City Dredge Cut, and the Wadhams to Avoca Trail.

For more information, visit the link below.

https://www.stclaircounty.org/offices/parks/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Drug Task Force Conducts Four Raids in Less Than 48 Hours

On April 6th and 7th, the St. Clair County Drug Task Force conducted four drug raids in the city of Port Huron. The raids resulted in several arrests and officers seized weapons, drug packaging materials, and multiple illegal drugs.

The first raid was around 11 AM on April 6th in the 1500 block of Lapeer Road. Officers executed a search warrant and arrested a 33 year old Port Huron man. He faces drug possession and distribution charges along with resisting arrest, maintaining a drug house, and being a habitual offender.

The second raid happened shortly after 8 PM in the 2000 block of Moak Street. A 36 year old Port Huron man was arrested in that raid and faces charges related to the possession of meth, cocaine, and a firearm, along with maintaining a drug house.

The raids on April 7th occurred in the early evening. One was at the 3100 block of Electric Avenue and involved the arrest of a 22 year old man and a 17 year old male, both from Port Huron. The second was in the 1700 block of 11th Street where two residents of Port Huron, a 45 year old woman and a 38 year old man were arrested.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand