Local News

Port Huron firefighters at Station 4 are temporarily packing their gear and relocating to Station 1 starting this Monday, while their 24th Street facility receives a major overhaul. A $350,000 dollar renovation running through mid-September will fix damaged driveway concrete and seal bay floors with protective epoxy. Crews will also replace the roof and gutters, repair masonry mortar, fix sidewalks, and install new underground storm water drainage to keep the station functional.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Tragedy struck Lake St. Clair last weekend when 23-year-old James Kramer of Northville drowned during the annual Raft-Off event. Witnesses reported seeing Kramer enter the water 2 to 3 miles south of the South Channel on Saturday before vanishing beneath the surface. Emergency crews, including the Macomb County Dive Team and the US Coast Guard, launched an extensive 2-day search across the area. Divers recovered his body on Monday morning. Authorities do not suspect foul play and have offered their heartfelt condolences to his loved ones.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Parents in St. Clair County can protect their young children from hidden learning barriers by booking free health screenings at the health department on Fort Street in Port Huron. Staff will conduct vision and hearing checks from August 25th through September 10th, while the Smiles on Wheels program provides free oral care on select dates between August 27th and September 3rd. Families entering preschool or kindergarten in the Fall can reserve their spot online or call extension 1474 to help their kids start the school year ready to succeed.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Officials from both the US and Canada are warning people to avoid this Sunday’s unsanctioned Port Huron Float Down along the swift St. Clair River, citing severe safety hazards ranging from hypothermia in sixty-degree waters to accidental drownings. Emergency responders caution that fast-moving currents, heavy alcohol consumption, and a widespread lack of life jackets create dangerous rescue conditions. To prevent catastrophic accidents and vessel collisions, authorities are shutting down all commercial boat traffic along the river from noon until 6 p.m.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

A thirty-one-year-old father faces eleven criminal counts, including involuntary manslaughter, after a devastating drunk-driving crash killed his five-year-old daughter. Prosecutors say Austin Thorpe was driving southbound on Highway M-53 in Bruce Township last Thanksgiving when he crossed the center lane and smashed head-on into an oncoming vehicle. Authorities report his two young children were not properly secured inside the car, leaving his toddler injured and his daughter fatally wounded. Thorpe will be formally arraigned in Macomb County Circuit Court on August twenty-fourth.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Port Huron drivers need to plan for major summer traffic delays and stay alert as critical infrastructure work closes a key local route. Starting today, August 13th, crews will shut down the intersection of 10th Street and Lapeer Avenue for road reconstruction and utility upgrades. Nearby 10th Street between Lapeer and Water Street also closes through Ssturday for paving. Signed detours will redirect traffic, business access will stay open, and work should finish by September.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet