Local News

If you’re up for a last-minute road trip, head north for your chance to see the Northern Lights tomorrow night! The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is predicting a night of strong solar activity in the evening hours of March 4th. The rare chance to see the Northern lights towards the upper part of the lower peninsula and further north is due to the prediction that the Kp-index is expected to be higher than 4. 

On a scale of 0 to 9, the Kp-index is a measure of predicted aurora activity. Most nights in great aurora destinations, the Kp-index measures between 1 and 3, so a night of activity that’s higher than 4 is a good chance to try and see the northern lights. If you’re wondering where the closest place for the best chance to see the northern lights in Michigan might be, you will want to head to Headlands International Dark Sky Park. Located at the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, the park was certified in 2011 as the ninth dark sky park in the world. Today it draws crowds year round for astronomy programs and northern lights viewing; the park sits at the border of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron giving the park a great view of the northern horizon and any aurora.

Headlands International Dark Sky Park is a four-hour drive from Port Huron or Detroit.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The St. Clair County 4-H program is set to expand on its robotic presence by hosting a one of a kind off season robotics competition. While 4-H has long had a reputation of being an agricultural organization, its programs extend into areas such as sciences and technology as well, with the St Clair County 4-H  developing a program that has excelled in robotics with teams competing in multiple levels of FIRST Robotics. 

The new event, which has been dubbed, the Robotics Rodeo, will take place on Saturday, July 25, at the St Clair County 4-H and Youth Fair. Dawn Nowicki, robotics leader for 4-H, says that from her experience and conversation with other robotics leaders, this event fills a void in the learning cycle that often happens during the summer and makes it difficult get young people back into robotics during the fall. 

Fair President Rob Usakowski the group is “excited about the Robotics Rodeo.” He acknowledged that with such a large scale event, the fair group “will need to make some changes” to logistically accommodate the new competition, but there are plans in place to do so. 

The competition will be limited to 28 teams. Teams interested in participating should contact Dawn Nowicki or the 4H office.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The St. Clair County Health Department (SCCHD) says it is continuously working on preparedness and response planning for COVID-19 in the event the virus spreads to the area. In a recent press release, the Health Department assures residents that “communication occurs daily with federal, state and local officials and partners. Currently, Michigan, including St. Clair County has no confirmed cases at this time.”

As COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus, cases increase worldwide, including in the United States, it is important to be mindful of preparing for a shift from an epidemic to a pandemic. Taking action early can help protect your health and those you care about.

Health Department officials say measures like getting information from credible sources, practicing good hygiene and staying home when sick will help decrease and slow the spread of infection, and reduce the impact on our community. If you are sick and have any suspicion it could be COVID-19, it is a good precaution to call ahead before going to the doctor or hospital if you are sick. In most cases, COVID-19 infections are not serious, but be watchful of concerning symptoms like shortness of breath and prolonged fever. For the most up to date information on this developing situation, visit cdc.gov.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Seven years ago teacher, Jenn Gildenpfenning, created an activity to help her special needs students. After seeing its positive impact, she transformed the hobby into an official business in 2017 and it has been growing ever since. Now, Simply Silverware is opening a brand new space at the Red Barn in St. Clair.

The business concept is simple – employees assemble plastic silverware sets for events including weddings, showers, graduation parties, and other events. They also recently started putting together party favors for clients who provide the supplies.

As for the inspiration behind the business, Gildenpfenning says she wanted to help adults with special needs learn skills and build confidence so that they can later go out and help the community. She currently has four employees, two who are Autistic and two with Down Syndrome. When asked about her staff, she shares that they bring a lot of enthusiasm to their jobs.

Simply Silverware has moved into the new location at 2062 Fred Moore Highway in the red barn in St. Clair.

The courtroom simulation competition, Mock Trial, recently brought together fourteen high school teams from across the Blue Water Area with Yale High School taking first place. In the weekend competition, the Anchor Bay Green Team brought home second place, and Port Huron High School came in third. 

Mock Trial is sponsored by the St. Clair County Bar Association and funded by an endowment with the Community Foundation. It demands many volunteer hours from local attorneys, judges, and school coaches. Every year, the presented “case” is different and requires many hours of preparation from each team.

This year’s case involved immigration and political asylum. With a combination of debate and acting skills, the students were judged by community members and given a critique of their performances in arguing the case. Cardinal Mooney Senior Ruben Garcia said mock trial has not only developed his skills as a public speaker and as a team member, but has also formed him into a leader. 

Those sentiments ring true for most participants over the 14-year history of the Mock Trial program in the county. Regional competitions for Mock Trial are set for March 7 and state finals will be in Kalamazoo on March 21.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has launched a unique searchable database of municipal ordinances across Michigan that address siting for renewable energy installations like solar and wind. The database was developed in collaboration with the Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan and is the first of its kind in the state and nation.

Over half of Michigan’s more than 1,800 municipalities have considered renewable energy in their zoning ordinances. The database acts as an in-depth resource guide for municipalities developing ordinances or for developers looking to site wind, solar, or other alternative energy projects. For example, some townships in St. Clair County are zoned for both solar and wind energy, while some are not. Greenwood Township is listed as having “Projects Sites in Jurisdiction” for “Utility Scale Solar Project.” Marion and Minden Townships in Sanilac County are listed as having Utility Scale Wind Projects sited in their jurisdiction.

The renewable energy zoning database can be found at Michigan.gov/Energy.