St. Clair County

PHASD Auctioning Off Items from Lakeport Elementary

If you were one of the elementary students who attended Lakeport Elementary, the school’s closing likely caused some emotion. Memories of Principal Brian Winters, climbing the rope in gym class, and passing notes to your friends may have come to mind in an instant.

The school was closed after the 2012-13 school year because of declining enrollment in the district. The property was listed for sale in 2018, and the sale of the building is currently pending.

As the district prepares to vacate the school for its new owners, they opened an auction to sell the surplus items that are stored there. The auction includes electronics, furniture, HVAC materials, and storage items, and is open until January 21st at 1 PM.

Visit the auction site <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Blue Water Hospice Home Patients Getting New Rooms

The VNA & Blue Water Hospice is set to begin a Room Renovation Project at the Blue Water Hospice Home. Work begins this week on the project and it is expected to take 1-2 months to complete.

The project includes new flooring, paint, beds, tvs, restrooms, and electrical in each patient room. Work will be done on one to two rooms at a time so the Hospice Home can remain open during renovations. Staff will keep patients in rooms as far away as possible from the rooms being renovated.

Many local partners helped fund and contribute to the renovation including the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, and the VNA and Blue water Hospice plans to use local resources such as RESA and Watson Brothers among others to complete the work.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

State Rep. Andrew Beeler Starts Term

State Representative Andrew Beeler was sworn into the Michigan House on Wednesday to represent the 83rd District. Although national politics has focused largely on activity at the Capitol over the last week, Beeler says his main focus is on his district and the people he represents.

After the swearing in ceremony, the 101st Michigan Legislature had its first session, and House Speaker Jason Wentworth spoke and set the tone for future sessions. According to Beeler, Wentworth encouraged the Legislature to help improve the transparency and accountability of government, and inspired the group to shore up the people’s faith in [government] institutions.

When asked what it was like to be in his first session representing the 83rd District, Beeler said, “It was a really humbling moment. What really hit home for me was that I am here on behalf of my community.”

Beeler went on to say, “I think that after all the campaigning and all the door knocking and going through the issues back and forth, in that moment there was a calm. [There was] humility understanding what an honor it is not only to be in that chamber but also to represent the 90,ooo people who live in the 83rd District, my home and my neighbors.”

Beeler is still working out the details on how his constituents can best communicate with him. For now, he will keep people informed through his social media and through local news sources, and he is available by email at andrewbeeler@house.mi.gov and by phone at 517-373-0835.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

SC4 Scholarships Available for 2021-22 

Port Huron, MI — St. Clair County Community College has opened up the application period for a multitude of scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year. The links to the scholarships can all be found in one place on the college’s website.

Scholarship eligibility varies, but there are scholarships specifically for first year students or second year students, those in the nursing program, those in engineering, criminal justice and many others. Some require proof of financial hardship; others do not. Some are targeted toward graduates of specific high schools, including Blue Water Middle College. There is even a scholarship offered by the Port Huron Garden Club for students intending to major in horticulture or a similar field.

The cost per credit hour at SC4, including the technology fee, is around $168 for residents of the “college district”, which includes school districts completely within the county, and $289 for those outside of the district, plus additional fees that vary by course, according to the latest data on the college’s website.

A link to the SC4 scholarship page: https://sc4.edu/scholarships-available-for-sc4-students/.

The deadline for application is March 14th, 2021.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Blue Water YMCA Helps RESET for 2021

If you’re ready to actively put 2020 behind you, the Blue Water YMCA wants to help you RESET for 2021. Their RESET Challenge is designed to help transform the spirit, mind, and body beginning on February 1st.

The Y’s Healthy Living Sr. Program Director, Jenny McElwain, said, “Everyone’s ready for a new focus, a reset, after 2020. We want the RESET Challenge to engage the entire community in moving and feeling better.”

The challenge includes 150 minutes of physical activity a week for 6 weeks and comes along with three encouraging texts each week filled with motivation, challenges, and workouts. RESET Challenge participants can also enjoys some free classes to further inspire them in their fitness goals.

The Blue Water YMCA’s new Executive Director, Josh Chapman, begins his position this week, and he’s encouraging the community to participate. “It’s the perfect time to take back our lives, reenergize, achieve goals, feel better and stronger,” said Chapman.

You can learn more about the RESET Challenge at www.bluewaterymca.com

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

No Vaccine Appointments Available at St. Clair County Health Department

The St. Clair County Health Departments is experiencing a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines, and there are no appointments available at this time. Vaccine supplies are allocated by the state on a week by week basis, so they recommend connecting with their social media pages and checking their website for updates on availability.

There is no waiting list, and they are asking residents to refrain from calling or showing up at the Health Department unexpectedly to ask about vaccines.

Dr. Annette Mercatante, Medical Health Officer, stated “We are using vaccine allocation as fast as we can. Please be patient as we work to ensure equitable distribution of these scarce resources. As vaccine supply increases, most initial distributions will take place at central locations to vaccinate many people quickly. We will expand as we can.”

The online vaccine scheduler is available <HERE> and will be updated as soon as new appointments are available.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand