Local News

St. Clair County Community College has tapped longtime Skippers alum Dion Cox as the new head coach for women’s basketball. Cox, who spent over 10 years assisting the men’s program and once played for SC4 himself, now takes the reins of a team he knows inside and out. College leaders say Cox’s deep ties to the community and commitment to student success made him the perfect choice. The Port Huron native says he’s excited to shape a winning culture while helping players grow both on and off the court.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Sarnia’s new zoning draft could make supportive housing far harder to build, even as demand keeps rising. The issue is parking rules that may force projects into council hearings, where several housing plans have already been delayed, cut back, or turned down. City data and recent projects show the pattern clearly. A 50-unit George Street supportive housing proposal was scaled down, then rejected, and now heads to the Ontario Land Tribunal in May. More than 900 households needing affordable housing, plus hundreds more facing homelessness.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Hundreds of local students turned the Port Huron Museum into a colorful showcase on April 10th. The museum unveiled “One District, Many Voices,” a collection of 280 artworks by kindergarten through 12th graders from Port Huron schools. From paper mache to portraits, the pieces fill the Carnegie Museum through April 26. Art teacher Courtney Werden helped fund and organize the event with the Port Huron Schools Endowment Fund, calling it a rare K‑12 celebration. A Highlight include a first grader’s hibernating hedgehog.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Two ATV riders from Cass City were hurt Saturday evening in a crash at North Van Dyke and Seeger Roads in Greenleaf Township, just north of Sandusky. Deputies say the pair, ages 63 and 62, tried turning left and failed to yield to a northbound Volkswagen driven by a Wisconsin man. The ATV riders were thrown from their vehicle and taken to Covenant Hospital in Saginaw with non‑life‑threatening injuries. The driver of the car wasn’t hurt. Alcohol may have played a role, and neither ATV rider wore a helmet.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

In Port Huron, a long-overlooked corner of Lakeside Cemetery is finally being recognized. For generations, hundreds of people—many poor and forgotten—rested in unmarked graves there. On May second, the Lakeside Paupers Cemetery Dedication Ceremony will honor them publicly for the first time. The one-hour event runs from ten to eleven a.m., featuring music, prayer and remarks from local leaders. A memorial stone, bench and new signage now mark the site after years of research led by resident Erik Wurmlinger. The ceremony will be livestreamed.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Port Huron’s City Manager James Freed is rolling out a new regional plan to fix the Black River canal’s failed Tainter gate. Freed says a low construction bid came in at 4.7 million dollars—almost a million under estimate. His approach skips tax hikes, placing the cost on boaters through a permit system priced between $100 and $200 a year. Those fees would repay a 30‑year bond, backed by a million dollars in private donations. If approved soon, the canal could fully reopen by April of next year.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet