George James

Snow has already started affecting driving here in the Blue Water area with multiple accidents reported around the area Thursday morning, including two young drivers on their way to school and a tragic, fatal accident in Burtchville Township. Local police and first responders were kept busy with reports of black ice on the roads resulting in spinouts and crashes.

As Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared this week Winter Hazards Awareness Week, the start of the winter season is a stark reminder to be prepared and respect the elements.The Michigan State Police and the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division are encouraging Michiganders to make winter emergency preparedness a priority.  Traveling on snowy and icy roads is unavoidable in our beautiful four-season state, but you can be prepared by weatherizing your vehicles in the fall.  

This includes making sure your tires have sufficient tread, filling up your windshield washing fluid, and making sure you have the right amount of antifreeze running through your radiator. Getting your vehicle’s belts, hoses, and battery checked are a good idea also, as no one wants to be stuck with a dead battery on a cold morning. When road conditions are poor, police are busier. Taking the steps to be prepared can take a bit of the load off of our emergency responders. Keeping your gas tank filled is also recommended during the colder months.  Although gasoline isn’t likely to freeze, there are a host of problems that can occur in your vehicle if you let the fuel level get too low. AAA recommends that drivers remember to decrease speed on snowy roads, increase following distances, slow acceleration and deceleration, know how to handle anti-lock brakes, and if possible, stay off the roads in severe weather. Driving in the winter takes a little extra work in the Blue Water Area, but your travels should be smoother if you take some time to be prepared.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

K-9 Heiko and Officer Justin Reeves of the Marysville Police Department were the talk of the town during the month of October as they toured the community raising awareness about a national competition the pair were participating in for a new Chevy Tahoe. Well the results are in…and we have a winner!  

According to the results from Vested Interest in K9s, Reeves and Heiko were the second-place winners, but thanks to an anonymous donation, the pair will still be getting a brand-new ride. The number of votes were totalled at almost 279,000 with 30 contestants competing. Reeves and Heiko received just over 26,000 votes. Michael Kasdorf and K9 Lando of the Hazel Park Police Department, also Michiganders,  were the first place contestants.

Officer Reeves said they “likely won’t have the Tahoe for several months yet considering turn around time after ordering and customization.” He and Heiko found out they were winners when “the President of Vested Interest In K9s personally called [him] after the contest ended. As far as comments to the public, Reeves and Heiko “would simply like to thank and extend [their] gratitude for all of the support and assistance during the month long contest as it’s a victory earned by the entire community. 

Vested Interest in K9s is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests to dogs of law enforcement, and related agencies throughout the United States. In addition to the 3,500 vests they have provided since 2009, they also have helped fund K9 medical insurance premiums, K9 medical first-aid kits, and K9 opioid reversal NARCAN kits.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The future of the United States Coast Guard Cutter, Bramble, is still a question mark after its scheduled auction in Alabama has been postponed. The ship has a colorful history including roles as a museum ship in the Blue Water Area for many years. Many school children and families got to see the living conditions of a real Coast Guard crew when touring the boat. Before that, it was involved in atomic bomb testing and traveling barely charted waters.  The Bramble was one of the first three ships to successfully circumnavigate the North American continent, and is an important part of global maritime history. 

 The Bramble was purchased in 2018 by a private individual who planned to recreate the trip through the Northwest Passage that the Bramble took in 1957. A film crew was documenting the steps to refurbish the Bramble which can be seen on the facebook page “Bramble Reborn”. Costs for the refurbishment added up and bills went unpaid, causing the ship to be seized and held in dockage in Mobile, Alabama earlier this fall.  

According to The Maritime Executive publication, the plaintiff in the federal case, Inchcape Shipping Services, Inc. says they “hope that a passionate person or institution will be able to save her.” The Bramble was scheduled for auction this week, but the auction has been reported to be postponed.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

According to Port Huron City Manager, James Freed, the University of Wisconsin, in conjunction with Ball State University, is conducting a research project designed to identify Midwest communities with the most economically vital downtowns. One metric the research group is using to gauge economic vitality is the number of downtown businesses per capita. 

In the preliminary results, the City of Port Huron was ranked number seven out of 260 small to midsize communities that were sampled. Due to this finding, students and faculty are eager to learn about strategies that have been used to improve downtown vitality. According to Freed, the city will bee will be participating in research interviews. 

City officials were initially unaware that the study was taking place, lending to an impartial assessment. Freed believes this is, “another affirmation that the gains [the city is]  seeing and feeling are tangible and measurable.” He also said this confirms what “other studies have shown-that Port Huron is making measurable gains.”

The city anticipates taking part in phone and on-site research with faculty and students in the coming weeks as the study is finalized. Freed said he believes a preliminary report has been completed, but a final report should be made available to the public in the near future.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Tuesday was voting day for a few local municipalities around St. Clair County and the results are in. Citizens in Marysville were asked to vote on three open city council seats as well as the mayoral position. Four candidates vied for the three open council seats. Incumbents Kathleen Hayman and Paul Wessel secured another term while Shawn Winston won his first term as a councilmember. Mike Deising fell just short in the race and Jean Cramer who withdrew from the race, but was still on the ballot due to a late withdrawal, received 180 votes. The new mayor of Marysville will be Wayne Pyden who ran uncontested. 

In Fort Gratiot, residents approved  the police protection millage proposal and residents in the City of St. Clair also approved the city employee pension renewal proposal.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Students from Port Huron Northern High School attended the Young Women’s Leadership Conference at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield last week. The sold-out event brought together over 350 teachers and students to explore career possibilities and network with leaders in the technology industries with the goal of igniting “the passion and expanding the interest of women and girls for education and careers in business, IT, and STEM fields.”

Port Huron Northern High School teachers Amy Roach and Trina Northrop took the young women to the conference.  The students were selected because of their involvement in National Honor Society or STEAM programs at Northern. Mrs. Northrop conveyed that the conference was a “great opportunity to inspire young women to stand up and be heard in the competitive workforce.”  She said the strongest message that the students took away from the conference was to “know silence is not an option” and that their young voices are worth being heard. 

This year’s keynote speaker was Laura Jones, who is the Global Talent Director for General Motors. There was also a guest panel of notable leaders in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields. These bright young ladies may very well be future leaders in the growing STEM industries right here in the Blue Water Area.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.