George James

Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Westphal Commended for Bravery

A St. Clair County Sheriff’s Deputy was recently recognized for extreme bravery and for carrying out a successful apprehension to get a dangerous felon into custody.

Deputy Mike Westphal, a nineteen-year veteran, was presented with a St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office Department Citation last week for his apprehension of an armed suspect who had multiple felony warrants outstanding.

The incident for which Westphal was recognized occurred in December of 2021. Deputy Westphal set up surveillance and ended up pursuing the subject on foot. The subject pulled a gun on Deputy Westphal, at which point, Westphal requested backup and switched from taser to gun. Westphal continued to pursue the subject on foot and eventually from his patrol vehicle. He was able to apprehend the subject and remove the gun, and eventually place the subject under arrest.

St. Clair County Sherriff Mat King said, “I am very proud of Mike and his decision making in an extremely stressful situation. After reviewing the bodycam footage, I found Mike’s actions to be very brave and professional with a suspect who pointed a handgun at him.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Friends of the St. Clair River, Thumb Land Conservancy Win Grants from Bioregion Reparation Fund

The Port Huron-based Bioregion Reparation Fund is funding two projects in St. Clair County. Grants are going to the Thumb Land Conservancy and the Friends of the St Clair River.

The Bioregion Reparation Fund is managed by the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. Founded in 2018, the fund was started by the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix, whose goal is to respond to issues of justice, peace, and integrity of creation.  Port Huron’s Full Circle Eco-House of Prayer is operated by local Sisters Veronica Blake and Conception Gonzalez, who are part of the international congregation.

Sister Veronica Blake said, “We partnered with the Community Foundation of St. Clair County to manage our fund to help continue the legacy of this important work of raising awareness for the beauty of Earth and its present crises.”

One grant will go toward the construction of a kiosk at the Bidwell Sanctuary in Burtchville where the Thumb Land Conservancy is preserving the rare, ancient beach ridge ecosystem. The other grant will be used to support a summer intern with the Friends of the St. Clair River.

More information can be found at WGRT.com.

For more information, call Full Circle at 810-364-3326 or visit www.fullcircleretreat.org.

To learn how to make a donation to Bioregion Reparation Fund, visit www.fullcircleretreat.org/bioregion-reparation-fund.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Softball is Back With the New Port Huron Athletic Association

The Port Huron Athletic Association is a newly established recreational softball league that is set to bring exciting games to both players and spectators.

The Association just started this year and is gearing up for a fresh season with men’s, women’s, and youth leagues.

Softball Coordinator Brian Larsen said that the league was created to bring softball games back to Pine Grove Park, Knox Field, and 16th Street fields in Port Huron. The new Port Huron Athletic Association replaces the Port Huron Competitive Sports Association, which folded during the pandemic.

Larsen said that he hopes to have full leagues in all divisions. There has been a lot of interest so far, and there are enough teams to get leagues started soon.

You don’t have to play to be part of the fun. The public is invited to watch the games. Larsen said, “There used to be packed stands at Pine Grove Park for league Modified games. It would be great to see that again.”

A link to more information can be found at WGRT.com.

https://www.porthuronrec.com/phaasoftball

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Brushing Scams Reported Locally; Beware of Identity Theft

You’re not planning to cater a luncheon, but large quantities of sandwich condiments are showing up at your door. Why? That’s the question our own Jessie Wiegand, News Director at WGRT, asked when she got a mystery shipment of a lifetime supply of mustard.

Jessie’s mystery mustard delivery, and the subsequent mystery delivery of several bottles of mayonnaise, have prompted an investigation into a bizarre scam, commonly called “brushing”.

“Brushing” is a fairly creative scam that uses stolen personal information to mine “verified deliveries” by creating a tracking number. This allows fraudsters to publish a review of whatever product they are trying to sell, which is usually not the product that was actually sent. It is an attempt to manipulate sales on online retail sites like Amazon and Walmart.com.

The Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau both advise those who receive mystery shipments of random goods to be on the lookout. Their identity has probably been compromised in some way. It’s a good idea to change passwords and keep a close eye on all accounts. Victims should report the fraudulent order to the shipper, but they don’t have to return the items. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

$4.8 Billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Invests in Water, Roads, More

The Building Michigan Together Plan is a supplemental budget that addresses Michigan’s infrastructure. The bipartisan plan spends the one-time federal stimulus money on water, roads, parks, high-speed internet, housing, a cleanup of the Unemployment Insurance Agency, and protections for public safety programs.

State Budget Director Christopher Harkins endorsed the $4.8 billion plan, saying, “This supplemental uses one-time resources to make long-term strategic investments in the state’s infrastructure to improve the lives of Michiganders today and well into the future.”

The plan funds $2 billion worth of critical water infrastructure needs with large amounts going to fix the serious water problems in Benton Harbor and to assist communities dealing with PFAS contamination. Repairing dams in Midland and Gladwin counties are part of the plan.

$645 million federal dollars are planned to be invested into road and bridge programs, roadway flood prevention, and many other transportation initiatives.

State Parks will see a $450 million boost, including a new state park in Flint, and greenway projects in Detroit and Grand Rapids.

Governor Whitmer signed the bill into law on Wednesday.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland