Local News

The Animal Control Department front office will be closed for renovations Wednesday July 27th through Friday, July 29 and will be offering limited services during that time.  

Adoption appointments and opportunities to return stray animals to owners will be able to be  accommodated.  

Adoption appointments can be made by emailing animalcontrol@stclaircounty.org or calling  810.984.3155  

Animal Control will be closed to in-person license sales. The following are a list of ways that an  owner can obtain a dog license  

• Mail In: P.O. BOX 611233  

 Port Huron, MI 48061 

• Online: www.stclaircounty.org/animalcontrol  
• In-Person: Cities/Township of Berlin, Casco, Clay, Columbus, Grant, Marysville, Mussey,  Riley, Wales or St. Clair County Treasurer  
• For licensing questions or concerns please email dogtags@stclaircounty.org  

All dogs over 4 months of age must be rabies vaccinated and licensed pursuant to State Law.  Owners must bring a copy of the dog’s current Rabies Certificate from a licensed veterinarian.  No late fees will be assessed for those renewing via P.O. Box or online.  

For additional information on licensing requirements please visit  http://shelter.stclaircounty.org  

Submitted by St. Clair County Animal Control

A new exhibit at the Port Huron Museum’s Carnegie Center is focused on holograms as a fine art medium. The exhibit will feature holographic works from over 18 artists, and it will teach viewers the role Michigan played in the history of holography.

Douglas Tyler, President of Dimensional Imaging Consultants, the company that helped develop the exhibit, said, “Holography offers great hope as a major means of information storage. Today holography is widely used as a means to test various industrial products without damaging those products and it is being used today in automobiles, airplanes and other transportation vehicles to display instrument information.”

Visitors to the museum can still take advantage of free admission until the end of 2022, and the new holography exhibit is included at no extra cost.

There will be a special reception celebrating the opening of the exhibit on August 12th from 5-7 PM. Cost is $5 for museum members and $10 for the general public and includes hors d’oeuvres, refreshments, and the chance to be one of the first to see the exhibit.

Learn more here:

Holography: The Michigan Medium Exhibit opening reception

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Four bills have been signed into law to rename portions of Michigan highways after fallen military and police officers.

A portion of I-75 is now named the Corporal DeAngelo Snow Memorial Highway. Snow died in 2010 in Afghanistan at the young age of 22. He received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his bravery.

Another portion of I-75 will be named after Officer Jessica Nagle-Wilson, who was killed in the line of duty while working for the Hazel Park Police Department in 2002.

A portion of M-85 will be named the Sergeant Craig S. Frank Memorial Highway. Army Specialist Craig S. Frank was killed in Iraq in 2004.

Part of US-131 has been named the Sergeant Ryan J. Proxmire Memorial Highway. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff Sergeant was killed in the line of duty last August during a high-speed chase.  

Roanna Proxmire said, “Ryan always made it a point to look up the names on those signs in our travels. Their lives matter and are remembered, and now his name on this sign will serve as a reminder of his dedication to his job and community, his belief in justice, and his sacrifice will never be forgotten.”  

Reporting for WGRT  – Jennie McClelland

Butterflies, the pretty pollinators, are very busy during this part of the summer. Now is the perfect time to take a good look at the natural works of art and maybe learn something new about beautiful butterflies.

The Friends of the St. Clair River in partnership with the Port Huron Recreation Department are inviting those who want to learn a little more about butterflies to join them at the Blue Water Butterflies event on Friday, August 5 from 3:00-4:30 p.m.. at the Blue Water River Walk.

Butterflies like to hang out in the Vantage Point Gardens, so there should be ample opportunity to find caterpillars and eggs along with the fluttering butterflies.

Participants will learn the differences in food choices over the lifespan of a butterfly and will also take home a potted pollinator plant.

Kids need to have an adult with them. The guided hike starts at the Great Lakes Maritime Center at 51 Court Street in Port Huron.

The cost is $10 per family for residents and $20 per family for non-residents.

Registration information can be found at WGRT.com.

https://www.porthuronrec.com/nature-programs/Blue-Water-Butterflies

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

The Biggest Snack Competition in America is happening right here in the Blue Water Area. The August 1st deadline for registering to compete in the MI New Favorite Snack contest is coming up quickly, and the excitement is building.

The winner will be announced on September 17th at the Vantage Point Farmer’s Market by longtime Detroit area television broadcaster Chuck Gaidica. So far, 26 snack makers have registered. Entrepreneurs must be from Michigan.

Anyone can check out the current registrants by going to the @MINewFavoriteSnack page on Facebook. Some of the contestants tell their stories and introduce their products. There is a wide variety of snack foods already entered into the contest.

Thelma Castillo, CEO and President of the Blue Water Area Chamber, which is one of the hosting organizations for MI New Favorite Snack said, “We wanted to give these small business entrepreneurs some promotional opportunity to tell their unique stories. These individuals all have compelling products that are truly a passion for them. It’s been fun to ‘meet’ them virtually.”

There is $50,000 in prize money for the top snack makers and a distribution agreement with All-Star Services for the winner.

https://www.facebook.com/MINewFavoriteSnack

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

The Thumb Land Conservancy opted out of having their lands sprayed for spongy moths yet they had very few of the invasive species on their property this year. All of the credit seems to go to birds for keeping the spongy moth population under control this year. 

The nature conservation group had concerns about the effects that the natural bacterium BTK, used to kill spongy moth caterpillars, might have on other caterpillars of native moths and butterflies, so they chose not to be part of the county-wide spraying initiative. 

There were very few spongy moth caterpillars at the Thumb Land Conservancy property in Fort Gratiot, presumably because they were all being eaten by birds. 

The newsletter stated that a single pair of Black-capped Chickadees may forage several thousand caterpillars to raise a single brood of young. 

In their most recent newsletter, the Conservancy pointed out that having a healthy native bird population is a very effective way to control spongy moths. 

The Thumb Land Conservancy provides a wealth of information about maintaining healthy habitats in Michigan’s Thumb region. Contact information can be found at WGRT.com. 

Thumbland.org 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland