Robert Eick

Retiring Port Huron Fire Chief Robert Eick announced today that he will be running in a primary election on August 7^th against current State Representative Paul Muxlow.  Eick will be retiring in June of this year and says he feels he has a great deal of “local” knowledge that would be beneficial to area residents.  He has worked for the Port Huron Fire Department for the past 33 years, hailing from Harbor Beach originally, Eick has lived in Sanilac County and says he knows the people, the districts, and their needs and values and believes he can do a good job in Lansing.  Robert Eick is married, has one son and lives in Fort Gratiot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpPvRgQbUZ0&list=PL86C082548AD10B33&index=1&feature=plcp   -  to view video:  highlight address; right click; open link

U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) today made the following comments on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of H.R. 4970, reauthorization of the Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA).  Rep. Miller said:  “For several years, I had the great honor to serve on the board of my local domestic violence safe house.  I have seen personally women and children who so desperately needed that safe haven to escape from a cycle of violence.  Throughout my service in Congress, I have consistently fought to make certain that support is there for all such safe houses across my district.  Those women and all victims of domestic violence who far too often suffer in silence need to know that they are not alone.  There are people who care.   “Today this House is doing what we need to do by taking a stand in defense of those who face the danger of domestic violence by passing this reauthorization.  I certainly applaud the author of this bill, Representative Sandy Adams from Florida, who really has kept politics away from crafting this bill and instead focus squarely on protecting the victims of domestic violence.  The bill we are debating here produces funding at the same level as the one passed by the Senate, but allocates that funding in a way that I think better supports the victims of domestic violence.   “This bill doesn’t make special carve outs for any particular victim group, because it protects everyone equally.  It includes outstanding revisions developed by listening to those involved in protecting victims from across the nation; It strengthens penalties for sexual assault and abuse; It improves federal stalking laws; It helps young women in college by working to prevent violence on our campuses through improved education programs; And it dramatically improves emergency and transitional housing services.  As well, the Senate bill mirrors current law which only mandates 40% of the funding in the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to address the backlog of rape testing kits which are required to successfully prosecute rape cases — our bill mandates that 75% of funding be used for that purpose so we can eliminate the backlog that exists and put rapists where they belong – in prison.  I’m proud to have supported this measure for women in need and all victims of violence.”  Background:  Enacted in 1994, VAWA provides federal funding for programs and organizations that help assist women who are victims of domestic abuse, stalking, and sexual assault.  The Act establishes a number of grant programs within the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for state, local, and tribal governments and victim service providers.   The House-passed bill, H.R. 4970, would reauthorize funding for VAWA grant programs for five years, and would provide more than $660 million in funding per year to help prevent domestic violence and protect victims of abuse.  The bill would make several key improvements to current law and S. 1925, including nearly doubling resources for eliminating the backlog of unprocessed rape evidence kits and cracking down on the fraud identified in the immigration program.  H.R. 4970 would reauthorize funding at the same levels as the Senate bill for five years, while consolidating certain grants, streamlining the process, and ensuring that tax dollars are spent more efficiently. 

• Noon Monday, May 28 (Memorial Day) — SC4 Symphonic Band at Port Sanilac Harbor Park.
• 7 p.m. Saturday, June 23 — SC4 Symphonic Band in the SC4 Fine Arts Theatre.
• 7 p.m. Saturday, July 14 — SC4 Symphonic Band in the SC4 Fine Arts Theatre.
• 7 p.m. Friday, July 20 — Big Band & Windorchestra of the Angelaschule from Osnabruck, Germany, at the Port Huron Northern High School Performing Arts Center.
• 7 p.m. Saturday, July 28 — SC4 Symphonic Band in the SC4 Fine Arts Theatre.

The Twilight Concert Series features light and popular music. The SC4 bands are conducted by Carl Gippert. St. Clair County Community College and the college’s Friends of the Arts group sponsor the shows, which are free to the public.  For more information, call (810) 989-5540 or visit www.sc4.edu/band.