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Local News

One Dead, Others Stabbed in Port Huron Twp. Drug Deal Gone Bad

Port Huron Twp., MI — A 19 year old man from Mt. Clemens is dead and two others were injured in what is believed to be a drug deal gone bad in Port Huron Township.

Deputies from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office were called to the area of 25th and Dixon at about 4:15 this morning for a felonious assault complaint, and reports of a victim stabbed several times.  When deputies arrived, they located a 21 year old man from Port Huron Township lying on the ground with several stab wounds.  He was able to give information regarding his assailants before being transported to a local hospital by Tri-Hospital EMS.

A “be on the lookout” (BOL) was broadcast for a red Cadillac containing four or five subjects. Officers from the Port Huron Police Department located and stopped the car at Military Street and Reid Street at about 4:30 this morning. 

Once officers made contact with the people inside the vehicle, it was discovered that one of the passengers, a 19 year old man from Mt. Clemens, was dead from what is believed to be a stab wound. Another passenger, a 21 year old Washington Township man, was transported to a local hospital with lacerations.

Three people, a 19 year old man from Roseville, a 18 year old man from Burtchville Township, and a 18 year old woman from Warren were all transported to the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center for questioning.

Officers from the Marysville Police Department also assisted in the initial investigation, which has been turned over to the Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau.

UPDATE: 6/25/20

An autopsy was performed Wednesday on the victim, 19 year old Jovonte Thurman of Mt. Clemens. The St. Clair County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the death is a homicide and the cause of death is a stab wound.

 

Police Investigating Suspected Homicide in Port Huron

Port Huron, MI — On Tuesday, June 23, 2020, the Port Huron Police Department responded to the Grayfox for a report of a deceased person. The Grayfox is a U.S. Navy Sea Cadet Corps training ship docked in the St. Clair River near the Blue Water River Walk. The investigation is being treated as a homicide.

As of Wednesday morning, police are still attempting to confirm the identity of the deceased victim who appears to be a middle aged white male. They anticipate that the St. Clair County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy some time this week to determine the manner of death.

The Port Huron Police Department’s Road Patrol, Criminal Investigative Division, Major Crimes Unit, Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory, and the St. Clair County Medical Examiner’s Office are actively investigating this incident. 

This is an active investigation and additional information will be released as it becomes available. 

If you have any knowledge of this crime, call the Port Huron Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit at (810) 984-5383. Anonymous tips can be received through the CAPTURE Hotline at (810) 987-6688 or emailed through www.porthuronpolice.org 

MSP Release Use of Force Report, Create Transparency Collaborative

The Michigan State Police voluntarily released a 2019 Use of Force Report as part of the National Use-of-Force Data Collection by the FBI. The report includes data on incidents involving their officers from January to December of 2019. 

The State Police also announced the creation of the Michigan Law Enforcement Transparency Collaborative who will continue to release the data annually. The 2019 report lists three types of events connected to a use of force by law enforcement: fatalities, serious injuries, and discharges of firearms.

According to the State Police, 90% of departments in the state submitted information, with 94% of the departments reporting “Zero Reports”. Reports were made involving 39 subjects and 54 officers. Race and sex information is provided for both the officers and subjects involved in Use of Force incidents.

There were thirteen deaths reported. Of those, two were Black males and eleven were white males. One female was involved in an injury; the rest were males. Neither the department involved nor the extent to which the use of force was deemed lawful are included in the report. The report can be viewed <HERE>. 

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Team of Experts Will Investigate Failure of Dams

Governor Gretchen Whitmer called for an investigation into the failure of the Edenville and Sanford dams in response to catastrophic flooding in Midland last May. A team of 6 experts has been chosen to investigate and report on the failures, and they began meeting last week.

The team is made up of experts in geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, dam safety and design. Several of them participated in the 2017 investigation of the failure of the Oroville Dam in California.

Team members are:

  • John W. France, President, JWF Consulting, who will serve as team leader.
  • Irfan A. Alvi, President and Chief Engineer, Alvi Associates.
  • Henry T. Falvey, President, Henry T. Falvey & Associates.
  • Steve Higinbotham, Hydraulic structures engineer consultant.
  • Arthur C. Miller, Technical Advisor, AECOM.
  • Jennifer Williams, Geotechnical engineer and consultant.

Liesl Clark, Director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), said, “With the knowledge and experience these professionals bring to the independent investigation, I am confident that we will get a clear picture of what went wrong with the two dams and why.”

The investigation is expected to take up to 18 months to complete, and a final report will be submitted to EGLE, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and Boyce Hydro LLC, the owner of the two dams.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Port Huron Schools Using “Thoughtexchange” to Gather Back-to-School Ideas

Port Huron, MI — Port Huron Schools is asking for input from the community to help them make a plan for back to school. Answers and ideas can be submitted through the “Thoughtexchange” platform where users can unanimously leave comments and rate the comments of others. 

The survey was rolled out Monday and asks the question, “What important ideas should Port Huron Schools consider when developing a plan to re-open school buildings and educate our students safely in the fall?” It already had a large response with most of the comments related to safety and protecting students from COVID-19 infection.

The survey ends on June 30th. The results will be shared with the community on the district’s website and will be used by the Return to School Advisory committee. The Advisory committee is made up of Administration, Board of Education, Building Administrators, Teachers, bargaining group presidents,  a health department representative, transportation representative, and parent representatives.

Further state recommendations on getting students back to school are expected to be released from the Governor’s office on June 30th.

You can access Thoughtexchange <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

YMCA and The Athletic Factory get Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Grants

Port Huron, MI — The YMCA of the Blue Water Area and The Athletic Factory each received $20,000 for youth sports programming. The grants are from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation Legacy Fund, managed by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

The YMCA is partnering with the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan to operate Sport Port, where sports equipment can be borrowed to encourage neighborhood play. The Athletic Factory is a program that provides recreational, athletic, and educational opportunities and prepares student athletes. The Athletic Factory operates out of the James R. Leonard Center in Port Huron.

The Ralph C. Wilson Foundation awarded $1.7 million in total to youth sports facilitators throughout southeast Michigan. This year’s grants were intended to support organizations in the Detroit and Buffalo, New York areas that are adapting and adjusting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., who passed away in 2014 at the age of 95, was the owner of the Buffalo Bills NFL team. The sale of the team funded his philanthropic work.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland