Local News

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

At McLaren Port Huron, hospital visitors might spot a new four-legged officer on duty. KC, a specially trained K-9, has joined the security team alongside Officer Nicholas Jagodzinski. The dog helps keep the hospital safe while offering calm reassurance to patients and staff. KC’s training, care, and new patrol vehicle were all funded through community donations and the annual Festival of Trees. His addition marks the hospital’s continued focus on safety and support for everyone who walks through its doors.

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

A Port Huron father accused of killing one child and badly hurting two others will face trial this summer. Forty‑five‑year‑old Jeffery Smerer appeared in court Monday after months of delay for a psychiatric review. A plea hearing is set for May 26, with trial starting June 2nd. Prosecutors say Smerer shot his three children at their Glenview Court home last September, hours before being sentenced for indecent exposure. He now faces 10 felony charges—including open murder and child abuse—that could send him to prison for life.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet