George James

Men’s Basketball Splits Weekend at Home

The St. Clair County Community College men’s basketball team split a weekend at home, edging Lakeland Community College 78-77 on Friday before dropping a 74-60 decision to Cuyahoga Community College on Saturday. SC4 built a big halftime lead Friday but had to hold off a furious second-half comeback. On Saturday, the Skippers stayed close early but fell behind in the second half. SC4 is now 5-5 and returns home December 17th to face Edison State at 4 p.m.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Watkins Signs with University of Kentucky

Port Huron Northern High School is celebrating another NCAA Division I commitment. On Friday, senior tight end Lincoln Watkins officially signed with the University of Kentucky during a ceremony at Northern High. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound standout caught 45 passes for 713 yards and five touchdowns this season, while also rushing for 134 yards and eight touchdowns. Defensively, he added 45 tackles, two interceptions, and a blocked punt. He says he’s ready for the next challenge in college football.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Santa Visits Museum

Over the weekend, the Port Huron Township Heritage Museum welcomed Santa Claus for a free, two-day community visit, drawing over 100 children from across St. Clair County and beyond. Families enjoyed photos with Santa and explored the museum’s exhibits, with many kids asking, “Where is your sleigh?” Museum volunteers also offered a special holiday program helping children send letters to the North Pole. Letters can be dropped off at the township office on Lapeer Road through this Saturday, with a reply sent to those who include a return address.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Teacher’s Death Civil Trial Set

A civil trial date is now set in the death of former Port Huron Northern teacher Ashley Nisbett. Her estate is suing Justin Simon, the man already convicted in criminal court. A judge, not a jury, will rule when the case begins March 3rd, with a final settlement deadline in February. Nisbett died in ’23 after Simon’s drunk-driving crash on Lakeshore Road in Fort Gratiot. Simon is serving up to five years in prison. The lawsuit seeks accountability beyond the criminal verdict.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Care Homes Struggle to Meet Standards

New internal government data shows more than half of Sarnia-Lambton’s long-term care homes fell short of the provincial standard for hands-on resident care in ’23 & 24. Six out of ten local facilities did not meet the target of 3 hours and 42 minutes of daily direct care per resident. Non-profit and municipal homes generally outperformed for-profit operators, with Sumac Lodge providing the lowest average at just under three hours per resident. The province plans to raise care standards to four hours per day.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Funeral Home Director Faces Court

Huron County funeral home director Terry Alvin Kaufman appeared in court last Thursday as proceedings focused on exchanging evidence, not new details of the alleged embezzlement. Kaufman’s attorney requested discovery materials be sent on a flash drive instead of by email to handle more than 4,000 pages efficiently. The state was also allowed to share tax records with both sides. Kaufman faces multiple felony charges including embezzling nearly $193,000 from 55 victims over the past decade. He is scheduled for a preliminary exam on January 9th.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet