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Local News

Canal Dredging Scheduled for Today

Weather permitting, the City’s Contractor will begin dredging sand from the Black River Canal entrance at Lake Huron today, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. During the dredging operation, the Black River Canal will be closed to recreational watercraft in the area between the Tainter gate and Lake Huron. 

Following completion of the dredging work, sand dredged from Black River Canal will be placed at Lakeside Beach. 

The contractor will be utilizing Gratiot Avenue and Holland Avenue when transporting sand to Lakeside Beach. There will be intermittent slowed, and stop and go traffic in this area. We encourage the public to avoid the south end of Lakeside Park when the contractor is in the process of hauling and placing the sand. 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If there are any further questions regarding this matter, please contact the Department of Public Works 810-984-9730. 

Submitted by the City of Port Huron

Don’t Fall for the Latest Text and Call Scam

There’s another scam to look out for. This time it involves imposters who pretend to be representing banks or utilities. They fraudulently request personal information or payments.

Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Director Anita Fox said, “Even if your phone’s caller ID displays a legitimate business’s name, you should be wary of anyone calling you asking for payment or personal information of any kind. If you think the call might be legitimate, hang up and call the number on your billing statement or other documentation from the company before giving out any information or making a payment.”

A recent version of the scam had criminals saying they work for DTE and contacting victims via text and then with a phone call. The scammers ask customers to make missed payments through a website and use a cash transfer app like Zelle. The real DTE doesn’t contact customers like that.

Don’t give personal account information to anyone who initiates a call, even for “verification purposes”. If the caller says an issue must be resolved immediately, its probably a scam. Never reply to an unsolicited text message.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Giant Wind Turbines Could Be on Their Way to Southern Sanilac County

Fifty wind turbines could be coming to southern Sanilac County, and residents have mixed feelings about the potential drastic change to the landscape.

Riverbend Wind Energy, LLC, also known as Liberty Power and Algonquin Power and Utilities Corporation, of Canada, is in the process of acquiring land for 50 wind turbines in Buel, Elk, Fremont, and Speaker Townships.

Some residents who will be living near the turbines have formed a grassroots effort to impose a moratorium on moving forward with the project. They are considering legal action, citing concerns about conflict of interest with local government zoning boards and about the effect on the quiet, peaceful country landscape in which they live. Turbines could be as high as 700 feet, and are lit up at night.

According to Fremont Township Supervisor Jeff Furness, who owns property where turbines could be placed, the project could have “good economic value to the townships, schools, and county”. Furness said there have been test towers up for the past twelve months, but he did not yet know the results of the study.

Furness said that at this point the project is moving forward.

Furness said that wind zoning has been in place since 2016 when Nexterra, an energy company, was showing interest in the area for wind energy. There are currently power transmission lines owned by ITC that can handle the power generated by the wind turbines, according to Furness.

Residents of Speaker and Fremont Townships have voiced strong concerns about the effects on their property values, along with health and safety concerns for humans, livestock, and wildlife, and the safety of the turbines near their property.

Those opposed to the Riverbend Wind Energy project have also cited concerns regarding conflict of interest among the planning commissions that would permit construction of the supersized windmills. Many of those decision-makers stand to profit from allowing the turbines on their property.

When asked about the potential for conflict of interest, Furness pointed out that due process has been followed all along and it has been proven that there is no conflict of interest. He said that “everything that was supposed to have happened, has happened.”

Furness said that when there is a direct conflict of interest, such as voting on one’s own parcel, that Planning Commission member abstains from the vote. The Planning Commission voting is done on a parcel-by-parcel basis.

Liberty/Algonquin has a target date for starting the construction of the turbines in 2023 and is targeting generating electricity in 2024.

To see the map of the location of the proposed Riverbend Wind Energy project, go to https://riverbendwind.com/?page_id=36.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Detroit Named as One of Time Magazine’s “World’s Greatest Places”

Have you been to Detroit lately? There’s a lot going on and people are noticing. Detroit has been named to Time Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places of 2022. Detroit spent decades on much different lists, often known worldwide as the very definition of urban decay. But times are changing and the world is taking note.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said, “It’s gratifying that TIME has recognized what Detroiters always have known: that Detroit is a great city with an extraordinary history.”

Duggan said, “We still have work to do, but Detroit is in the midst of a real rebirth – one that many had thought was impossible just a few years ago.”

Duggan credited the city residents and employees, as well as the support of the business and philanthropic community, for the reinvestment that began in the downtown core and spread to neighborhoods across the city.

He said, “Opportunity is more abundant and equitable today than at perhaps any time in our city’s history.  All of this adds up to more people seeing Detroit as a great place to live, work, visit and invest in.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Jorja Baldwin District43

District43 Expands Store and Product Lines

District43 is a family-owned shoe store in Downtown Port Huron, and they’ve recently expanded their retail space and the products available for customers.

Owner Jorja Baldwin said she recognized a need to provide items that were sought after by both locals and tourists, and when Ruboo Boutique closed their brick-and-mortar location next door, she saw the perfect opportunity to expand.

Part of the wall separating the two stores was removed, and District43 products now flow over into twice the space.

“We felt like we needed to offer some gifts, and expand on the shoes, but also expand more into clothing as well,” said Baldwin.

District43 has acquired a new line of clothing featuring logos created by Katie Stepp. The Michigan Boat Company line promotes Port Huron and its water community.

“From our partners at Boater City [Marketplace] in New Baltimore and now the Michigan Boat Company, we just feel like we really want to promote our entire area and all the things. Whether you enjoy the water by land or by sea, whether you’re kayaking or you just love to walk and find beach glass, I think we have something for everybody,” said Baldwin.

Along with the new clothing, District43 has an extensive collection of summer Birkenstocks for adults and children, beach bags, travel mugs, and sunglasses. As they continue to expand, Baldwin plans on bringing in more clothing including professional pieces, golf wear, and athletic attire.

The store is still being renovated, but they are open for business now and hope to be fully settled in by fall. Baldwin encourages people to visit and shop the new lines and also to give her feedback about what they’d like to see her add to the shop.

“What’s missing downtown? How can we compliment our entire downtown by carrying something else? We’re really excited to get that feedback from people,” she said.

To learn more, visit District43’s Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/district43ph

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

65th Robinson Tennis Tournament Features Clinics with Pro Murphy Jensen

The summer’s best week of tennis is almost here. The Francis J. Robinson Memorial International Tennis Tournament kicks off on July 31st with special guest Murphy Jensen. Jenson is a former professional tennis player who will run Kick-Off Clinics and an Exhibition Match.

With matches running from August 3rd to 7th, this year’s Robinson is its 65th year of being a hometown tradition that brings players of all ages to the courts for competition, comradery, and fun. The tournament is usually attended by 200 to 400 players, with divisions for ages 10 and under to 60 and over. It is one of the longest-running community tournaments in the nation.

The tournaments are round-robin, with flights made up of players of compatible age and ability. Players at all levels will have the opportunity to play several matches against fellow tennis players with similar skills. Players need to be registered by July 28th.

A link to all the details about the tournament and the special clinics with Murphy Jensen can be found below.

http://www.phtennishouse.com/2022-robinson/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland