Local News

Dr. Annette Barnes is the most recent recipient of the Dr. Bassam Nasr Community Service Leader Award. The award is issued by the St. Clair County Medical Society, a community of Blue Water Area physicians.

Dr. Barnes is a Board-Certified Pediatrician who has been practicing in Por Huron since 1997. Her office is located on Electric Avenue in Port Huron.

The Nasr award is named after the late Dr. Bassam Nasr, a local gastroenterologist, philanthropist, and one of the co-founders of Physician Healthcare Network.

According to a press release from the St. Clair County Medical Society, “Dr. Barnes has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to the pediatric population of our  community, both within and beyond the walls of her practice. She has been a mentor to  many area youth and she has provided guidance to several local groups and  organizations.”

Dr. Barnes was also complimented on the way she served her patients during the Covid pandemic by continuing to keep her office open and maintaining a high vaccination rate for her pediatric patients.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

There’s a new plan for trails in the state of Michigan. The Department of Natural Resources has announced the creation of the 2022-2032 Michigan DNR Trails Plan.

The DNR has determined that 79% of Michiganders enjoy some sort of outdoor recreation and that outdoor recreation contributes an estimated $9.5 billion to the state’s economy.

The plan calls for an updated framework implemented over the next decade to manage the state’s 13,400 miles of trails. The trails are used for hiking, horseback riding, biking, snowmobiling, off-roading, and other recreational pursuits year-round.

The motto “explore, connect, sustain” is the foundation of the plan. Key points in the plan include analyzing the connections between existing trails and communities, recognizing funding sources for trails, and creating a strategy for trail use through online resources and other DNR channels.

2022-2032 Michigan DNR Trails Plan

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

The Friends of the St. Clair River are hosting a unique series of Game Nights with a twist. The Wild Green Winter Game Nights will be held at Border Keep Games in Downtown Port Huron and will feature games highlighting nature.

The Friends of the St. Clair River work to be good stewards of the St. Clair River and to provide educational opportunities to the community about the important ecosystem. Staff from Friends of the St. Clair River will be on hand to help with the games.

The tabletop games will simulate hiking, building food webs, and adapting to the ecosystems. Game players will also explore birding and other outdoor pursuits while staying warm and cozy during the coldest time of the year.

The game nights will be held on January 28th, February 25th, and March 25th at 7:00 p.m.  A $5 per person donation to Friends of the St. Clair River is suggested. A donation includes a beverage voucher. Refreshments will be available from Border Keep Games.

Border Keep Games is located at 942 Military Street in Downtown Port Huron.

Registration information can be found at the following link.

https://www.facebook.com/events/901116207262410/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

For those who have a student loan serviced by Navient, there could be a debt cancellation in the future. Navient has been sued and has settled to the tune of $1.85 billion. Michigan is part of a multi-state settlement.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “The predatory practices used by Navient exploited students who wanted nothing more than an education. The company placed borrowers in risky subprime loans, causing them to incur debts they could never repay. This settlement reflects accountability for affected borrowers across the country.” 

Michigan has 1,576 borrowers eligible for a total $38 million debt cancellation. They will be contacted by Navient by July of this year and could receive refunds on any payments made on canceled loans. The loans were mostly sold to students attending for-profit universities.

No action is required on the part of the borrowers, but they should make sure their studentaid.gov account has accurate contact information and that any addresses have been updated.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

The Soo Locks are vital to Great Lakes shipping, allowing freighters to navigate between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. They have been in need of modernizing for a long time and the money has now come through from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to invest in the locks.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced that they are investing $479 million to fully fund the Soo Locks. Previous allocations partially funded the $1.3 billion total cost. The new lock is planned to handle larger vessels and prevent a failure of the existing locks which would be catastrophic to the economy and national security.

Responding to the announcement, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “I applaud the US Army Corps of Engineers for making a $479 million investment in the Soo Locks to finish the project, protecting tens of thousands of jobs and uplifting our economy.” 

Over 7000 ships pass through the Soo Locks every year carrying 86 million tons of cargo. The locks enable smooth passage despite a 21-foot elevation difference between the two lakes.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

William Stefan Wahl, a 27 year old Port Huron man, was arrested and arraigned on Friday, January 21, 2022 on criminal sexual conduct charges related to underage victims. Wahl is a former youth pastor at The River Church, a nondenominational Christian church with two locations in St. Clair County.

The sheriff’s department began investigating the incidents in late 2021, and, according to a press release, the “sheriff’s office detective bureau’s investigation revealed that there were 4 victims involved with sexual  abuse allegations beginning in 2014.”

Wahl stood mute in front of the Honorable Judge Mona Armstrong when he was arraigned on the following charges:

Count 1: Criminal Sexual Conduct – Second Degree (person under thirteen, defendant 17 years of age or older) 

Count 2: Criminal Sexual Conduct -Second Degree (person under thirteen, defendant 17 years of age or older) 

Count 3: Criminal Sexual Conduct – Fourth Degree

Count 4: Criminal Sexual Conduct – Fourth Degree

Count 5: Aggravated Indecent Exposure

Count 6: Children – Distributing Sexually Explicit, Visual or Verbal Matter to a Minor

Count 7: Computers – Using to Commit a Crime  

Wahl’s bond was set at $25,000 (with no 10%), and the Sheriff’s office is asking anyone with additional information or possibly other victims to contact  Detective Wade at (810) 987-1738.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand