Local News

A St. Clair native is set to make his debut on Broadway this month! Matt Manuel will join the cast of Broadway’s hit Temptations musical Ain’t Too Proud February 28 in the role of David Ruffin. Manuel previously made his professional acting debut in the national tour of Motown: The Musical.

According to the Broadway Buzz, “Ain’t Too Proud follows The Temptations’ journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one. Through friendship and betrayal amid the civil unrest that tore America apart, their moving and personal story still resonates five decades later.”

The show is running at the Imperial Theatre in New York and has dates scheduled through the end of November.

Don’t panic if you can’t get your Chai Latte’ or Lobster Bisque for a few days next week. The Raven Café in Downtown Port Huron is making some repairs and upgrades to the iconic restaurant and will be closed. The Edgar Allen Poe- inspired restaurant, located at 932 Military Street, is doing some repairs to the flooring and upgrading some aspects of the kitchen.

The restaurant announced on social media that it will be closing temporarily starting on Sunday, February 23, and expects to stay closed for five to seven days. The opening will be conveyed on social media once the work is done. It could be done sooner than expected. In the meantime, the owners, Sadaat and Jody Hossain, have kept with the spirit of cooperation and shared success that makes downtown thrive. They have suggested that you patronize other downtown businesses in the meantime, suggesting Moe’s Corner Deli and the Exquisite Corpse Coffeehouse, both of which are located in the same block of Military Street just south of the Black River. The Raven had a busy weekend with several weddings being held in the restaurant on Valentine’s Day and the popular “Trivia Night” on Sunday night. The restaurant expects to reopen with business as usual after the repairs and upgrades are completed.

Local scouting is going strong despite news of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In a letter to the “Scouting Family” nationwide, the leaders of the national organization confirmed that they did indeed file for bankruptcy as a result of legal action filed against the organization by victims of abuse while involved with Boy Scouts. 

Local councils, however, have not filed for bankruptcy and no disruption to local programs is expected. Local scoutmaster, Tom Ruedisueli, of Boy Scout Troop 168 in Port Huron, said that, as a scoutmaster, the bankruptcy will not affect his troop.

The publicity regarding the filing and reasons for the filing will bring things into focus. Ruedisueli said that his troop, like all troops, follows safety protocol and that the safety of the scouts is always a top priority. Boy Scouts of America has set up a dedicated website, BSArestructuring.org, to post relevant information about the Chapter 11 restructuring.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers got quite the surprise last week when they seized a human brain in international mail at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron last week.

On February 14, CBP officers assigned to the Port Huron Area Port referred a Canadian mail truck that had just crossed the Blue Water Bridge for inspection in Marysville. During the routine mail operation, a shipment manifested as an “Antique Teaching Specimen” was targeted for inspection. Upon opening the shipment, CBP officers found the package to contain a human brain specimen inside of a clear glass mason jar without any paperwork or documentation in support of its lawful entry into the United States.

The shipment originated in Toronto, Canada and was destined for Kenosha, Wisconsin. Area Port Director Michael Fox said, “Individuals looking to import shipments such as this, need to remember that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a strict Import Permit Program that must be adhered to.”

CBP Agriculture Specialists in Port Huron are currently in contact with the CDC regarding the brain specimen.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The James R. Leonard Center, on Goulden Street in Port Huron, has the potential to be bustling with activity once again after an investment from The Community Foundation of St. Clair County. The Athletic Factory, a local organization, received an $18,000 grant to use toward reopening the neighborhood center for youth programs.

The Athletic Factory’s mission is to “create recreational opportunities that support the positive development of St. Clair County and surrounding counties’ youth through athletic participation and competition, educational tutoring, and student-athlete college preparation”. They also strive to develop local athletes to be able to participate in competitive travel leagues.

The grant will assist in making possible a June 2020 programming schedule that includes free open gym for middle and high school kids, a seven-week ACT/SAT prep course, and a gaming area. The Athletic Factory has the organizational objectives of improving law-abiding behavior, improving self-functioning, increasing self-esteem, and improving school attendance, academic performance, and athletic skills.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Dan Damman, the sole candidate running for Circuit Court Judge at this time, launched his campaign yesterday evening.

Born and raised in St. Clair, Damman has strong ties to the area. He graduated from St. Clair High School in 1994 and attended St. Clair County Community College before transferring to Michigan State University. He has his Juris Doctorate (JD) from Wayne State University Law School. Damman was the former Mayor of Marysville from 2013 to 2019 and also served on the city council there from 2011 to 2013. 

He is currently a partner at Winston & Damman, PLLC, and specializes in Criminal Defense, Family Law, and Personal Injury, representing clients in St. Clair, Sanilac, Lapeer and Macomb Counties. Dan also served the County of St. Clair in the Representative Assembly of the State Bar of Michigan.

According to Michigan’s court information, “The circuit court is the trial court with the broadest powers in Michigan. In general, the circuit court handles all civil cases with claims of more than $25,000 and all felony criminal cases.” The vote for the circuit court judge will be on the November ballot. There is still time for individuals to file to run against Damman. 

He has three more campaign events planned around St. Clair County to meet area residents. To learn more about the campaign or upcoming events, visit dandamman.com.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.