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Local News

William Stefan Wahl, Former Youth Pastor, Charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct

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

  

   

Learn About the Fish in the St. Clair River

If you’re curious about the fish that inhabit Lake St. Clair, Friends of the St. Clair River (Friends) is offering an opportunity to learn from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station.

“Fish Tales from Lake St. Clair” is a Zoom presentation featuring live presentations by biologists who study local fish populations in Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie.

Lydia Nicholas, Friends Environmental Field Technician said, “We are providing an opportunity to learn about what is going on in our local fish populations, as well as speak to the scientists themselves. It enables us to make the data from this report more accessible and relevant to everyone. We are looking forward to hearing interesting updates about our very own local legends, the Lake Sturgeon and Northern Madtom, as well as Muskellunge, Yellow perch, and spawning reef updates.”

The free presentation is Tuesday, January 25, 2022 from 6:30 – 7:30 PM, and advanced registrations is required at www.scriver.org/events or <HERE> to receive the Zoom link.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

MDOT Prepares for $563 Million in Bridge Repair Investment

The State of Michigan is expected to receive $563.1 million in federal money to build, repair, or replace bridges, as part of a $27.5 billion national infrastructure investment.

Paul Ajegba, Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation said, “The Michigan Department of Transportation welcomes this historic infusion of resources to back our efforts to repair, replace, or rehabilitate Michigan’s bridges.”

MDOT plans to replace 24 bridges and help local road agencies repair 129 local bridges. The federal specifications include reinforcing bridges to accommodate climate change and to make them pedestrian and bicycle friendly, as well as reducing detours due to weight restrictions for heavy vehicles like buses and trucks.

Ajegba said, “We will collaborate with our local partners and stay focused on investing these resources where they are needed most, fixing bridges in critical condition in counties across Michigan.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Sarnia Downtown Waterfront Master Plan Finalized

The Sarnia City Council was presented with a final draft of the much-anticipated Sarnia Downtown Waterfront Master Plan.

The last plan was done in 2005. This new Master Plan is the result of nine months of work with community consultation through the “Speak Up Sarnia” webpage and spurred by a consensus that the waterfront was underutilized.

The Master Plan calls for enhanced connectivity between Downtown and residential neighborhoods and redevelopment of Ferry Dock Hill. The Plan also calls for “destination creation” through cultural and event space investment and programming.

The three primary districts addressed in the plan are the Marina District in the north, the Market district adjacent to Downtown in the center of the waterfront, and the Innovation District in the far south.

Full implementation of the plan could take twenty years and could bring significant economic benefit to Sarnia.

A link to the full Sarnia Downtown Waterfront Master Plan can be found below.

Master Plan

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

National School Choice Week Celebrates Diversity in Education

National School Choice Week is coming up next week, and there are several celebrations planned to celebrate school choice options in Michigan.

This annual awareness campaign is designed to let parents and families know about their educational options and celebrate the many ways you can legally educate your children in your state.

According to SchoolChoiceWeek.com, “Families in Michigan can choose from traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling.”

On Thursday, January 27th, an event is planned at the State Capitol in Lansing where students and educators will be sharing what makes their schools unique. During the event, families can explore displays, hear from speakers and supporters of educational choice, and meet legislators. The event is sponsored by Parent Advocates for Choice in Education.

As alternatives to the traditional public school system, St. Clair County has four charter schools: East Shore Leadership Academy, Landmark Academy, Virtual Learning Academy, St. Clair County Intervention Academy, and Success Virtual Learning Center. It is home to several private schools through religious organizations both denominational and non-denominational. The county also has a homeschooling support group for home educators called Christian Home Educators of the Blue Water Area.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Candice Miller Reports Sharp Decline in Covid-19 Found in Macomb Wastewater Testing

There’s good news out of Macomb County regarding the rate of Covid infections and the news is coming from an unusual, yet telling source: the county’s sewer system.

Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller said, “For the past few months, we’ve all been inundated with troubling and grim news reports involving COVID, particularly the highly-contagious omicron variant. The latest sewage-testing data that we have reviewed offers reason for optimism that infection rates have not only leveled off, but that infections are dropping significantly.”

Sewage in Clinton Township is checked with automated sampling. The levels of COVID-19 found in the wastewater indicated a dramatic spike in late December, but samples pulled on January 4th, 9th, and 11th showed a sharp decline.

The levels in municipal sewage have proven to be precursors of one to two weeks of reported cases, according to the statement from Miller. Miller said, “We report our findings to the Macomb County Health Department and leave it up to the health care professionals to use as another tool in their prediction modeling.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland