Local News

United Way of St. Clair County (UWSCC) Executive Director, Douglas A. Dolph, has announced his retirement with current Campaign Director Brent Gillette set to fill the position.   Dolph has been with UWSCC for seven years, serving as Executive Director since 2014. Gillette has been with UWSCC since 2016. He brings over 20 years of local United Way involvement and over 28 years of strong fundraising, management, and public relations experience.  

Mr. Dolph’s retirement from the position is set for Apirl 30. According to the local United Way, he is known throughout the non-profit and business world for his assessing and negotiator skills, building bridges between people and organizations, and being well-connected in the community.  

 The United Way of St. Clair County reports that Gillette and Dolph have been working closely together to ensure a seamless transition. Mr. Dolph’s retirement gathering will be immediately following the UWSCC Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 30, 2020 at the Port Huron Elks Lodge.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The City of Croswell has a cat problem and is now partnering with the Sanilac County Humane Society to solve it in a humane way. Croswell City Administrator Sam Moore said that they have seen an increase in the feral cat population in the city over the last two years. 

Kind-hearted residents who feed and care for the animals have become overwhelmed by the numbers. In response to the problem, the City has teamed up with the Sanilac Humane Society to get the cats healthy and rehomed. Moore said that there has been interest from local dairy farmers who are looking for a barn cat or two. Organizers of the project are asking Croswell residents to keep their house pets inside from February 19-22 and to refrain from feeding stray cats during that time period as well. Volunteers will be rounding up the strays during that time. The cats will then be sterilized, given vaccinations, and checked out for health concerns. The cats will be either rehomed by their new “adoptive” owners or returned to where they were found. The effort needs supplies and volunteers. Contact the Sanilac County Humane Society for more information.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

One way to shake the winter blues is to bundle up with a few hundred of your friends to celebrate Casey’s 14 years of business with the 8th Annual Carhartt Party this Saturday. The restaurant, located at 628 Huron Avenue in downtown Port Huron, has made the celebration a don’t-miss event over the years.

Owner Carrie Harris told us that she and her husband, Casey, started the party as a way to thank their customers and celebrate the anniversary of their opening of the restaurant. What started as a small pizza and sub shop has expanded into a full-service bar and restaurant with outdoor seating in the warmer months. Eight years ago, family and friends came in from out of town to celebrate with them and it snowballed into the mega-party that it is today.  

To accommodate the large crowd, the glass garage doors that surround the restaurant are opened in the middle of winter and patrons are encouraged to don their Carhartts or other winter gear and embrace the winter season. This year’s party is from noon to 6 p.m. and Carrie said that the event will continue as long as there are no problems. With that many people celebrating, safety is the top priority for the Harrises. They employ security and will be checking IDs of everyone who attends. She said they “never imagined our cure for the mid-winter blues would be so popular.” But it seems to be a case of “if you build it, they will come” and the crowds keep on coming to this annual party.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Public officials are releasing details about a tragic incident that took place Tuesday morning at approximately 6:27 a.m. According to the Marysville Department of Public Safety, Marysville Police and Fire units were dispatched to a vehicle that crashed into the St. Clair River at Cuttle and River Roads in Marysville.

A police officer was patrolling the area and arrived within a minute when he observed a dark-colored passenger vehicle submerge below the water as it was drifting in the current. Rescue efforts were attempted by rescue divers from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office but were disrupted by the amount of ice flowing near the shore.

Approximately two hours after the incident occurred, divers were able to locate the vehicle around 9 a.m. A victim was recovered and taken to the St. Clair County Medical Examiner’s Office for identification and notification of the family. The incident remains under investigation.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Due to the weather, the following schools and businesses have made changes to their regularly scheduled activities:

Canceled:

• Brown City School District
• Carsonville-Port Sanilac Schools
• Cros-Lex School District
• Peck Community Schools
• Marlette School District
• Sandusky School District
• Sanilac Career Center
• Sanilac Special Ed
• SC4  Cros-Lex Campus

This list will be updated as we receive more information.

The Art Van Furniture chain appears to be in financial trouble, but don’t look for stores to be closing any time soon. Crain’s Detroit has reported that the chain could be headed to bankruptcy, but the company has issued a statement assuring that it is business as usual for customers. 

The chain has 200 stores including one in Port Huron Township. The Art Van sign remains in Downtown Port Huron at the old Sears building, but there has not been a downtown store in several years. Art Van was started by Art Van Elslander in 1959 with the first store in East Detroit. It has since grown to be a leading furniture retailer in the Midwest, with headquarters in Warren. It is known for its financing options and clearance centers. It has also made local headlines as recognizing local “heroes” with awards and prizes. 

The company addressed the reports of bankruptcy with the statement saying they are, “actively exploring a variety of options with creditors, investors, and landlords to ensure Art Van can continue serving our guests and our communities. It is premature at this time to comment further as no final decisions have been made. In the meantime, our stores are open, and it is business as usual.”