Local News

There has been speculation about what would move into the former Toys “R” Us building in Fort Gratiot Township since the former business closed. The wait is over as the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County has confirmed that Godwin’s Furniture has acquired the building. 

The Michigan-based business was founded in 1948 when two brothers left the coal fields of Wales to pursue a better life in the United States. They first purchased a modest grocery store in Saginaw, Michigan and over the years, the family watched the township grow out and around the store. 

Godwin’s has grown to 10 stores in mid-Michigan including locations in Lapeer, Midland and Flint. The Fort Gratiot Township location will be store number 11. Fort Gratiot Township Community Development Director Sharon Wilton said the company contacted the township about six weeks ago. At this time, there is no official move-in date. The property is located at 4235 24th Avenue across from Birchwood Mall.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

A local pair of bakers will soon be featured on Netflix’s hit show, Sugar Rush. Jim Ford was originally contacted in October 2018 by Sugar Rush casting after they saw his Facebook page, Jimmy’s Sweets, LLC. When he found out it was a team competition, he called Katlin Pfropper to ask her to be his partner.

Katlin, a St. Clair High School graduate, decided to join Jim, who’s originally from Flint, in submitting a long application to the show. The process also required photos of their work, a couple of phone interviews, and some Skype sessions before they were selected. The two recorded in Hollywood back in February, and now it’s almost ready for showtime. 

According to Pfropper, when people watch the show, they can expect a very fast-paced, Christmas themed competition with a lot of fun, sugary creations. Jim and Katlin are frantically running about, racing against the clock to complete their tasks, so it should be pretty fun to watch. The show consists of three rounds and four teams. After each round is completed, a team gets eliminated. The final winner of the show will take home $10,000. 

Because of the kickoff with the show and past experience, Katlin recently started a business called “Pfrosted” that combines her cake and ice carving skills. You can catch Katlin and Jim on Sugar Rush when it airs on Netflix November 29th. You can see the trailer for the show on YouTube <HERE>!

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Hunter Hospitality House recently received a grant that will help it care for the most vulnerable of its clients. The Port Huron Rotary Club recently awarded a $1,000 grant to the local facility to keep their vehicle up and running. 

Hunter Hospitality Houses are located as close as they can be to both McLaren Port Huron and Lake Huron Medical Center and provide free lodging to those getting treatment at the hospitals and their loved ones. The people who use the house may still need a ride to the hospitals. According to Co-Founder and Executive Director, Tracy Willard, even though the houses are close, the clients are often elderly, new mothers who just had a C-section, or people who are otherwise physically unable to make the walk over to the hospital. Sometimes the weather is just too bad for a safe walk for people who are experiencing a health crisis. 

Hunter Hospitality bought a vehicle in January of this year and has used it extensively for transporting guests and carrying out the business of running the houses. The cost of the vehicle is around $4000 per year. The Port Huron Rotary Club has been assisting local non-profits in the area since 1920.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Redistricting was a hot topic at this time last year, when Michigan voters took to the polls to amend the constitution to empower an independent commission to redraw the state Senate, House, and U.S. Congressional districts in time for the 2022 election. 

That commission is in the early stages of formation and interested citizens can apply online or by paper application from now until June. The entire commission will consist of 13 voters, four of whom identify as Republican, four as Democrats, and five as independent voters, with no party affiliation. Members can not be directly tied to the parties as lobbyists, candidates, or politicians. 

There will be a series of random drawings to choose the members. Information from the 2020 Federal Census will be used in the redistricting effort, and there will be efforts made to have fair demographic representation. The attempt to reduce gerrymandering, or the practice of drawing boundaries for political gains, is hoped to be complete by November of 2021. 

The process will be overseen by a third-party accounting firm, the Rehmann Group. To ensure that Michiganders are aware of the opportunity to be a part of the redistricting commission, 250,000 randomly chosen registered voters will be getting a mailing with the application instructions, so check your mail to see if you are part of this group. More information is on the Secretary of State website.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The Office for Victims of Crime, the federal agency that administers the Crime Victims Fund, has received multiple reports that its name is being used as part of an imposter scam targeting individuals throughout the country. These scammers are calling from local numbers and may suggest your social security number has been compromised and even provide a “case number,” but be warned, it is a fraud. Do not give them any of your personal information — and do not send any money.

Contact from someone claiming to be the government gets your attention, but don’t be fooled. Criminals use legitimate government references and the threat of government action to trick individuals into taking action that facilitates theft. The initial communication could come in any form—letter, phone call, email, or text message. No matter the form, the goal is the same: to get personal or business information and steal money. If you receive a text or email from any source claiming to come from a government agency or employee with an attachment or link asking you to open it or click on it, do not do it until you verify it is authentic.

With this scam in particular, be alert for calls from anyone representing themselves as an OVC employee or being from the “OVC Fraud Prevention Unit.” The OVC has no such unit. If you receive one of these calls, report it to the OVC Resource Center at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service at 800-851-3420. You may also file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team at the contact information below or with the Federal Trade Commission online or by calling 877-382-4357.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

If you can’t get your favorite craft cocktail at your local bar or restaurant, don’t blame the owner. There is a statewide breakdown in the distribution of liquor. With holiday celebrating right around the corner, the last thing local bar and restaurant owners need is to have their orders delayed. But, that is exactly what is happening with one of Michigan’s three liquor distributors being unable to deliver on its orders. 

The State of Michigan ultimately controls the sale of hard liquor through the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, but the the privatized warehousing and distribution system is where the current problem lies. 

Carrie and Casey Harris, owners of Casey’s in Port Huron, told us that with the popularity of craft cocktails, specific products are needed to complete the recipe. That means it’s harder to make substitutions for unavailable ingredients. Bar and restaurant owners like the Harrises want to make their customers happy and give them what they want, but this distribution problem is making that harder. 

Owners are generally hesitant to stock up on liquor because of the expense and space issues with having that type of inventory, but they haven’t had much choice this year. The Harrises told us that it has been a real headache for them and all other bars and restaurants, starting with Boat Week over the summer, and there is no end in sight until maybe early 2020. Businesses have been forced to adapt and are hoping that their customers understand the reason for the problem.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.