Rents Up From Last Year but Cooling

Renters in Port Huron are paying a bit more than last year, but prices are starting to soften. New data from Zumper shows the typical apartment listed for $1,250 in February — that’s up 11% from last year’s $1,129. Still, it’s down 4% from January’s median. One-bedroom apartments dropped to about $1,040 after a sharp jump from last year’s $800. Two-bedrooms averaged $1,082, slightly below January’s $1,100. Overall, Port Huron rents remain about 9% cheaper than Michigan’s median and a full third below the national average.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Funeral Director Admits Stealing

Prosecutors say a longtime Huron County funeral home owner is facing serious prison time after admitting he stole money meant for people’s funerals. Seventy-two-year-old Terry Alvin Kaufman of Bad Axe pled no contest to multiple felony counts after taking more than a million dollars from prepaid funeral and insurance accounts over ten years. Kaufman ran Kaufman & Co. Funeral Home and used the funds for himself instead of holding them in escrow. He’s agreed to repay more than one-point-one million dollars to over two hundred victims.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Nonprofit Launches First Alumni Scholarship

In Port Huron, the local nonprofit A Beautiful Me is rolling out its first-ever Alumni Scholarship for high school seniors who once joined its confidence-building programs. Girls from St. Clair, Macomb, Oakland, and nearby counties can now apply for a $1,000 award honoring leadership and community service. Applicants must submit two reference letters and an essay by April 30th at ABeautifulMe.com. The scholarship marks a big milestone for A Beautiful Me, which has spent years helping local girls grow into confident young women.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Missing Woman Found Safe

Authorities in Lapeer County say a missing persons call early Tuesday morning had a happy ending. Deputies responded around 4 a.m. to Hasler Lake Road after an 84-year-old woman disappeared from her relatives’ home overnight. They feared the worst, with snow showers, strong winds, and freezing temperatures. Search teams, dogs, and drones joined the effort. About two hours later, a neighbor found the woman a quarter mile away—cold, crying, but alive. She was taken to McLaren Lapeer Hospital for evaluation.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Tulip Trot Races

Folks around St. Clair County are lacing up for the first-ever Live Big & Loud Tulip Trot for Parkinson’s Awareness. It’s happening April 11th from 10 to 1 at the Fort Gratiot Trails, featuring a 5K run and 2K walk to benefit local Parkinson’s programs. Every dollar raised stays in St. Clair County, helping fund exercise classes, support groups, and education for families facing Parkinson’s. Organizers say it’s about hope, movement, and community spirit. To sign up, visit runsignup.com and search Live Big & Loud Tulip Trot.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Drug Task Force Raid

A Port Huron woman faces serious charges after a midweek drug bust. The St. Clair County Drug Task Force served a warrant last Wednesday at a home on the 1000 block of Gillett Street. Inside, officers say they found cocaine, fentanyl, and drug analogs. Forty-two-year-old Crystal Murphy was arrested at the scene and later arraigned on four felonies — including drug possession and maintaining a drug house. Her bond was set at twenty-five thousand dollars, cash or surety, with a ten-percent option.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet