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Local News

Chalk Art Contest Underway at Blue Water Festival

There’s truly something for everyone at the Blue Water Festival in Downtown Port Huron. If chalk art is your passion or just something you’d like to try, the festival has just the thing for you to show off your talent.

The annual Chalk Art Contest is underway on July 14th and 15th in front of A Little Something, a store in Downtown Port Huron.

Artists will need to register and spectators will vote on their favorite chalk art. The art spaces are free to artists and they can be solo pieces or can be the work of up to four artists.

The top prize is $100 for the Best in Show. The People’s Choice Award winner will get a cash prize as well, with the Best Original Piece and the Best 3-D piece each winning $50. The Best Use of Color artwork will get $50 also.

There are prizes of ice cream coupons for the Best Youth Piece for ages 12 to 16 and the Best Child Piece for ages under 12.

Judging is at 5:30 p.m. with the winners announced at 7:00 p.m. in front of A Little Something on Friday, July15th.

For more information, please contact the chalk art coordinator Lucie De Line 810.531.5410.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

City Approves Bid to Armor Black River Canal and Fund New Meal Delivery Vehicle

The Port Huron City Council met Monday, July 11, 2022 and a couple of decisions were made to benefit the community.

The council approved the purchase of a new delivery vehicle for the St. Clair County Council on Aging to deliver hot meals to senior citizens in the city of Port Huron. The vehicle will cost around $65,000, and help the Council on Aging reach city residents more efficiently with their meal service.

The other important decision made was a bid approval for $586,000 for armoring of the Black River Canal. Due to natural factors such as wind and weather, the canal has been filling up with sand and the shoreline has been eroding. This affects nearby structures on private property and access to the canal by the vehicles used to maintain it.

The city has ordered a permit to dredge the canal which will happen as soon as possible, but armoring the canal will be a more long term fix to address the problem.

“It’s probably a once in a life time fix. It’s not something that’s going to have to be repeated, so we are using some of our American Rescue Plan Funds to do that because it wasn’t something that we had planned,” said City of Port Huron Mayor Pauline Repp.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

Mannequins Making a Difference New Location

A Blue Water Fest favorite will be in a new location this year. Mannequins Making a Difference, a live mannequin show, will take place Thursday, July 14th & Friday, July 15th from 6 – 10 PM on the Sperry’s corner at Grand River and Huron Avenue.

Mannequins Making a Difference is an opportunity for festival goers to experience the artistry of local cosmetologists, makeup artists, and creative salon staff as they transform models into works of art. The mannequins each represent a local nonprofit organization, and you can cast your vote for your favorite in the form of a donation.

There will be both mini-mannequins, represented by kids 7-11 years old, and the usual mix of teens and adults. Mini-mannequins will be posed from 7:30 – 8:00 PM each night of the event, and they will get to use the donations they raise to vote for their favorite regular mannequin.

Those who forget to donate during the event or can’t make it out cans still support their favorite mannequin or nonprofit by donating through Venmo at the business account @Mannequins-Making-A-Difference. Just make sure you add the number of the mannequin you’re voting for in the notes section.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

New Law Allows Bar Customers to Serve Themselves at Some Establishments

The Michigan legislature has made a priority of increasing access to alcohol sales for businesses this year. Swim-up bars are now legal. The age of a restaurant or bar server who can sell alcohol has been lowered, and now, bar and restaurant patrons can serve themselves from table-top and wall-mounted taps using pre-paid key cards.

The new law, sponsored by Senator Jim Runestad, a White Lake Republican, amends the Michigan Liquor Control Code to allow for the new technology.

Runestad said, “Michigan has one of the largest craft beer industries in the country and this bill will improve safety for Michigan consumers and our hospitality industry.”

Runestad continued, “Michigan can now join 45 other states that currently allow said self-dispensing technology as an option for busy establishments. The technology adds additional safety measures to limit and track the amount each individual consumes and reduces the touches on each individual glass.

Penalties are in place for serving minors or those visibly intoxicated, as stipulated in the Liquor Control Code.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

No Extra Fee for Veteran-Designated License Plates

There is no longer a service fee for Michigan veterans who seek to get a veteran-designated license plate.

House Bill 5678 was signed into law this week. The bill was introduced by State Representative Bradley Slagh, a Republican lawmaker from Zeeland.

Those honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces, medal awardees, prisoners of war, and spouses, are eligible for the military license plates.

Veterans can choose to note their branch of service or the name of the conflict in which they served. Gold Star families can also get a special license plate.

According to the Senate Fiscal Agency, the bill would decrease restricted revenue for the Department of State by an estimated $75,000 annually. Around 15,000 veteran’s specialty plates were issued in 2020-21. The most popular plate is the Foreign Wars Service Plate, followed by the Disabled Veteran plate and the Vietnam Veteran Plate.

More information can be found at the link below.

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/vehicle/license-plates/military-and-veteran-plate-options

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

County Building Closing Early for Parade

The Rotary International Parade is Wednesday night, and all St. Clair County buildings will be closing early tomorrow so staff can avoid road closures. The St. Clair County Administration Building, St. Clair County Court House, Public Defenders Office, and the Main Branch of the St. Clair County Library System will close at 2:30 PM on Wednesday.

Huron Avenue/Main/Military Street will be closed from Erie Street to Oak Street for the parade which travels south on that route beginning at 6:30 PM.

Thursday marks the beginning of Blue Water Fest which brings other road closures to the area.

Huron Ave./Main Street will be closed from Superior to the Military Street bridge and portions of McMorran Blvd., Grand River Avenue, and Quay Street will also be closed. There are short sections of Superior Street and Michigan that will be closed as well.

Construction is still going on in the Quay Street parking lot near the Zebra Bar, but it is available for parking during the festival. Free parking is also available in the lot between Quay and Grand River, which will only be accessible by entering on Quay. Parking will also be available in the north McMorran Lot and for a donation at St. Clair County Community College.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand