Local News

The City of Port Huron announced last week that crews are working to clear the sand from the entrance to the canal connecting Lake Huron with the Black River.  The sand will be placed at Holland Beach and to the south along the Lake today, July 31st, and on Thursday, August 1st.

Holland Beach will be closed Wednesday and Thursday this week during the project.  The contractor will use Gratiot to LaSalle and Conger to Holland to transport the sand. Traffic in these areas will be slowed, and it may be stopped at times. Residents are encouraged to refrain from parking on those streets on Wednesday and Thursday.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office is advising local residents that a new scam is being attempted in our area. Residents and businesses are receiving calls from individuals claiming to be from DTE customer service collecting payments, but police are saying it’s a scam. The Sheriff’s Office reported that last weekend a Port Huron Township business was contacted by phone. The owner of the business was told she was behind on payments, and if she didn’t pay up, the power would be shut off. She was given an 833 phone number to verify the information. She told deputies that when she called the number, it sounded very similar to the message she received when she called an actual DTE customer service number. Fortunately, she did not give the caller any credit card information. In light of this event, a spokesperson for DTE Energy’s Corporate Security is reminding people that DTE never collects payments by contacting the customer over the phone or in person. 

Since January 1st, the U.S. Coast Guard reports that there have been 64 drownings on the Great Lakes. This is a tragic statistic that has affected many communities across the state, including St. Clair County. The Coast Guard is using this as an opportunity to bring awareness to the potential dangers of the lakes. According to the organization’s reports, cold water, rip currents, boating under the influence, boating without a lifejacket, not filing a float plan with someone on shore, and not having proper communication devices such as a working radio were contributing factors in these deaths.

Last Monday morning, the Coast Guard says, a 57-year-old woman was rescued after spending more than 14 hours in the water after falling off her jet ski the night before. She likely survived because she was wearing a lifejacket. Friday morning, two men were rescued from their capsized boat after being stranded for nearly 16 hours. Luckily, they were both wearing lifejackets and had a flashlight to signal the helicopter crew.

Unfortunately, not all rescue situations have turned out favorably. It’s a reminder that we need to be aware of the danger and know what we can do to prevent or lessen it. The Coast Guard is advising individuals to know the conditions of the lake. People need to be aware of the water temperature, what the wind is like, how high water levels are, and what kind of weather is in the forecast. They also suggest sharing what you learn with others. The Coast Guard reminds Michigan residents that we can all contribute to saving lives by spreading information about water conditions and strongly encouraging others to practice water safety. This information is critical even for those who are familiar with the Great Lakes. 

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office is hosting an event tonight at the Milkhouse Cafe on Keewhadin Road from 3 to 10:00 p.m. to benefit the Dive Team Auxiliary.  All of the sales and tips from the evening will be donated to the volunteer-based team whose mission is educating, responding, and recovering for St. Clair County.  On the event’s Facebook page, the Auxiliary says it’s raising funds for keeping dive equipment it top working order. There is a small budget for the dive team through the Sheriff’s Office, but it only covers fuel and salaries when there is a rescue/recovery.  The dive team was recently involved in the search, rescue, and recovery of a drowning victim in St. Clair.

The Milkhouse event will feature some vessels and vehicles used in search and rescue, and divers will be on-hand to give first-hand accounts of what it is like to dive into the waters of the St. Clair River.  There will also be a raffle for a stand-up paddleboard, a safety package, a Weber charcoal grill, and other items. Visit our events page for more information on the event and location.  

The north entrance of Birchwood Mall will be closed and residents will see large tents in the parking lot this week for a non-traditional circus that’s coming to town.   Cirque Italia is a traveling water circus that uses a high-tech water curtain as the backdrop for stunning performances. The show features performers from all over the world that are touring most of the summer around the midwest. The group has dubbed itself an “Aquatic Spectacular”, and its traveling custom-designed water stage holds 35,000 gallons of water.  There are several shows over a 4-day period with the first scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. See our events page for more information. 

More roadwork and continued closures are on the horizon throughout the week. One of the major closures residents will want to be aware of in St. Clair and China Townships will be the closure at Wadhams and Fred Moore Highway. That intersection is going to be closed for approximately 25 days beginning tomorrow, July 31 as road crews work on a new roundabout.

Meanwhile, in Casco Township, there will be intermittent lane closures for crack-filling on County Line Road between Puttygut and Springborn throughout the week.  In Kimball Township, Main Street between Smiths Creek Road and Burns will be closed for approximately 28 days for replacement of the structure over Smiths Creek that started on July 9, and in Wales Township, Green Road between Cove and Wales Center will be closed until July 30 for bridge repair over the Green Drain.