George James

Public officials are releasing details about a tragic incident that took place Tuesday morning at approximately 6:27 a.m. According to the Marysville Department of Public Safety, Marysville Police and Fire units were dispatched to a vehicle that crashed into the St. Clair River at Cuttle and River Roads in Marysville.

A police officer was patrolling the area and arrived within a minute when he observed a dark-colored passenger vehicle submerge below the water as it was drifting in the current. Rescue efforts were attempted by rescue divers from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office but were disrupted by the amount of ice flowing near the shore.

Approximately two hours after the incident occurred, divers were able to locate the vehicle around 9 a.m. A victim was recovered and taken to the St. Clair County Medical Examiner’s Office for identification and notification of the family. The incident remains under investigation.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The Art Van Furniture chain appears to be in financial trouble, but don’t look for stores to be closing any time soon. Crain’s Detroit has reported that the chain could be headed to bankruptcy, but the company has issued a statement assuring that it is business as usual for customers. 

The chain has 200 stores including one in Port Huron Township. The Art Van sign remains in Downtown Port Huron at the old Sears building, but there has not been a downtown store in several years. Art Van was started by Art Van Elslander in 1959 with the first store in East Detroit. It has since grown to be a leading furniture retailer in the Midwest, with headquarters in Warren. It is known for its financing options and clearance centers. It has also made local headlines as recognizing local “heroes” with awards and prizes. 

The company addressed the reports of bankruptcy with the statement saying they are, “actively exploring a variety of options with creditors, investors, and landlords to ensure Art Van can continue serving our guests and our communities. It is premature at this time to comment further as no final decisions have been made. In the meantime, our stores are open, and it is business as usual.” 

Statistics say that children who have the opportunity to sample multiple sports are more likely to keep lifelong healthy habits. This was the inspiration behind an innovative project to increase access to sports equipment in communities, and Port Huron will be one of the first in Michigan to pilot the program.  SportPort is a mobile equipment unit powered by the YMCA of the Blue Water Area and a stationary lending site operated by the city’s Recreation Department. The SportPort program, through the mobile unit and SportPort lending library in McMorran’s Pro shop, will be a year-round program that allows participants to check out sports equipment like checking out a library book. 

Project Play: Southeast Michigan aims to encourage youth to be active with the SportPort equipment sharing program which will provide access to equipment for sports and opportunities to play at no cost. Project Play: Southeast Michigan is funded by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation in partnership with The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and the YMCA. This Saturday, February 22nd, at the St. Clair County Community College (SC4) Fieldhouse, a sample variety of the equipment will be available for the community. From 8:30-10:30 a.m., kids can try out sports including baseball, basketball, and volleyball through stations and games led by Skipper athletes. Attendees will also receive tickets for the Skippers’ afternoon basketball games.

The SportPort Program has regular hours depending on the location. Visit www.bluewaterymca.com/sportport for more details.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Absentee ballots look a little different this year. The envelope from local municipalities is blue and white while the completed outgoing ballot is green and white. The change is intended to streamline processing for the postal service. 

The presidential primary in Michigan is set for March 10 and absentee voters need to get their request for a ballot into the local clerk quickly. Absentee ballots are available to all registered voters in Michigan thanks to Proposal 3 in 2018 which granted “no-reason” absentee voting. The deadline for overseas voters to receive the ballots has already passed, but stateside voters have until March 6 to request a ballot by mail or online and can walk into their city or township clerk’s office to get a ballot by 4:00 p.m. on March 9. Voters need to get their completed ballots into the local clerk’s office by 8:00 p.m. on March 10. According to the St. Clair County Clerk’s website, as of January 20, there were several local millage and bond proposals along with the usual whittling down of presidential candidates, of which there are 19 democratic candidates who filed by the December 19 deadline and four Republican.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The Port Huron Police Department is offering citizens the opportunity to gain hands-on learning about law enforcement in the upcoming Citizens’ Police Academy. Throughout the seven-week course, participants can expect to learn about patrol, criminal law, crash investigations and more to give a perspective of what officers face in their everyday jobs.  

This year, the program will be held at the Elger Harvey Re-investment Center on 24th Street in Port Huron. The Citizens’ Academy will begin April 8 and take place every Wednesday night from 6 to 9 p.m. through May 20. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and all area residents are invited to apply, but the Port Huron Police Department says that preference will be given to residents of the City of Port Huron. Applications are due by March 18 and can be picked up at the Port Huron Police Department in the Port Huron Municipal Office Center or online at porthuronpolice.org.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.