Local News

This week, the Port Huron Police Department conducted a compliance check operation focusing on underage sales of alcohol to minors. 

During the operation, police sent underage decoys into 29 Port Huron stores licensed by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission to sell alcohol. Of the 29 businesses that were checked, the majority were found to be in compliance by refusing to sell alcohol to the underage decoys. 

Only two establishments were found not to be in compliance and were cited for selling alcohol to a minor. 

Last year at this time, 33 Port Huron establishments were checked for compliance by the department. The 2018 raid saw six violations. In this year’s check, there were no repeat violations from last year.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Maybe you are finishing up your Christmas shopping, or maybe you haven’t started yet. Either way, state Attorney General, Dana Nessel, has some reminders for residents during the holiday shopping season. Under the Shopping Reform and Modernization Act, retailers are required to clearly display the price of items within the store. 

The intent is to protect consumers by making sure they pay the lowest price for items. If a consumer is charged more than the listed price, they are entitled to a refund if they meet certain criteria. To get a refund, you need to have been overcharged, actually paid for the item, and have a receipt. According to the Attorney General, to receive a refund, a consumer must notify the retailer within 30 days of the transaction. The retailer has two days to refund the consumer for the difference between the listed price and the charged price, plus a “bonus” of 10 times the difference not less than $1 and with a maximum of $5. 

She also said that if a consumer suspects a store’s failure to properly display the price of an item under the Shopping Reform and Modernization Act, they may file a complaint with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at Michigan.gov.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Local Technical Education students completed the first step in their quest toward the National Competition in Kentucky. Saturday was a big day for 130 students who attend the Technical Education Programs at the St. Clair County RESA, as well as the industries that rely on a skilled labor force.

Students from ten programs, from construction to cosmetology, competed in the local Skills USA Program, held at the Marysville campus. Tom Koehler RESA’s TEC program School to Work Coordinator, said that the event puts students, teachers, and the business community together to give kids opportunities to compete for possible scholarships and job opportunities as they advance through the levels. Judges for the event include industry leaders in the represented fields as well as past students who are part of the TEC Advisory Board. Skills USA is a national organization that works to fill the gaps in the workforce for the skilled trades.

According to a report from the Associated General Contractors, with the retiring baby boomers and the lack of skilled trades, there will be a half million jobs to fill in Michigan alone by 2026.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.

The 72nd District Court in St. Clair County will be undergoing some changes. Judge Cynthia Platzer has announced her retirement, effective at the end of this month. Her current term ends December of 2020. Governor Whitmer will be required to appoint a replacement for the remainder of the term. Judge Platzer was elected to the court in 2002, following Judge John Cummings on the bench, and took her oath of office in January of 2003. She was re-elected in 2014 in an unopposed race. 

Judge Platzer graduated from the University of Michigan in 1975 and received her law degree from the Detroit College of Law in 1981. Judge Platzer has presided over many high-profile criminal cases during her tenure. She has been involved in both the St. Clair County Mock Trial Competition and the D.A.R.E. Program, which teaches 5th graders about the dangers of substance abuse. She has also publicly endorsed the work of Operation Transformation in the fight against substance abuse and recidivism. She has been regarded as a no-nonsense judge who gets things done and who tries to expedite justice.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.

There has been quite a bit of recent buzz about Ring security cameras and hackers invading people’s personal privacy. In the recently reported cases, individuals who had Ring cameras installed in bedrooms and living spaces, were shocked to hear unknown individuals spying on unsuspecting family members activities. The incidents have prompted an official statement from the Ring team. While Ring did confirm that the incidents were, in fact, real, the company denies that it was a breach in their system.

In the official statement sent out to customers, Ring said users can rest assured they’ve investigated these incidents and did not find any indication of an unauthorized intrusion or compromise of Ring’s systems or network. The organization said it was rather, “Malicious actors [that] obtained some Ring users’ account credentials (like a username and password) from a separate, external, non-Ring service and reused them to log into some Ring accounts. If you have a Ring camera, the company recommends using two-factor authentication and adding shared users instead of sharing your account information to avoid hacking.

Whether you have a service through Ring or not, it’s an important reminder to use different passwords, update them regularly and keep guard for your information as much as you can.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.

Funds collected from the St. Clair Inn’s celebratory grand opening last month are being donated to local youth. Lelito’s Legacy Foundation Donor Advised Fund will receive and then match a $4,500 grant from the Inn. A total of $9,000 will be used to benefit more than 115 students in 15 local middle and high school athletic programs who cannot afford pay-to-play fees.

Jeff Katofsky, owner of the St. Clair Inn, said the group wanted “to give back to the community that has so greatly supported [them] in the restoration of the Inn and helped to provide the funds for [their] first grant that will have double the impact, thanks to the match from Lelito’s Legacy Foundation Donor Advised Fund.”

Lelito’s Legacy Foundation is a registered non-profit organization that aids student athletes by eliminating financial barriers and creating healthy opportunities for deserving youth. Their programs are open to all student athletes and their grants stay in our Thumbcoast Region.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.