Local News

An essay-writing workshop sponsored by St. Clair County RESA’s Blue Water College Access Network drew dozens of local high school students to the RESA Conference Center and Administration Building last week. Instructors from RESA and several county schools offered ideas on what college admission offices are looking for in student essays. They also critiqued student work and encouraged students on ways to put their best foot forward.

According to St. Clair County RESA, the Blue Water Middle College Access Network is committed to helping students and their families prepare for college or other opportunities after high school. Established in 2008 as KnowHow2GO, the BWCAN is St. Clair County’s Local College Access Network. Comprised of community leaders, the group is committed to building a college-going culture and to increase college readiness, participation, and completion rates within the Blue Water Area. Collectively, BWCAN has helped over 30,000 local students find their path to post-secondary education and increased the number of students attending college after high school.

Michigan has the most registered boaters of any state in the U.S., and that should come as no surprise given the amount of water that surrounds the state.  That same water is also fun to experience in a smaller boat, which often is not required to be registered. Kayaks, blow-up floats, inner-tubes, and other such watercraft often carry no registration which, the Coast Guard is saying can sometimes cause problems if an unattended vessel is found. 

A representative from the U.S. Coast Guard station in Port Huron reports that “unoccupied watercraft are a common occurrence.” He went on to say, “When one of these small vessels are reported or found by the Coast Guard, the agency has to run search patterns to look for someone who may be in trouble.”  If no one is found, the Coast Guard attempts to locate the vessel’s owner. In many cases, these situations require many agencies, typically spending many hours to clear these types of calls. In turn, this places a strain on valuable resources that may be needed elsewhere. When the Coast Guard reunites a lost vessel with its owner, property stickers are given to the owner to put on the vessel.  To avoid this problem, the Coast Guard is asking residents to write a name and phone number on personal watercraft like kayaks, canoes, tubes, or whatever floats residents around our waterways.

Michigan residents and out-of-state visitors looking for an off-road adventure can explore the state’s 3,700 miles of off-road trails and five scramble areas during Free ORV weekend coming up this Saturday, August 17 & 18. Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, said,  “This is the perfect opportunity to see and experience Michigan’s off-road trails.” Ron also wants to remind anyone that takes advantage of this opportunity that all ORV rules and laws still apply. The exception, of course, is that riders on designated routes and trails do not need an ORV license or trail permit during these two days. Riders will also have access to the state’s five scramble areas including St. Helen’s Motorsport Area, Black Lake Scramble Area, Silver Lake State Park and more. A Recreation Passport is still required where applicable, such as the scramble areas. Throughout the rest of the year, the DNR says that license purchases help the organization maintain and improve the ORV system.

Many in the Blue Water Area are mourning the loss of Dr. Wilmont R. Kreis, a local orthopedic surgeon who died on Sunday at his home after a short illness.  Dr. Kreis, originally from St. Clair Shores, joined Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron in 1976 and retired in 2013. He received his Bachelor of Science degree and medical degree from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.  Dr. Kreis enjoyed working with local charities that enabled physically challenged children from Haiti to undergo orthopedic reconstruction surgery in the United States.

Many people may not know that Dr. Kreis also authored several books. He grew up on a piece of property in the Detroit River Region that belonged to his family for over 200 years.  Many of his stories are historical fiction and are set in and around the Detroit Metropolitan area. He is survived by his wife, Susan, and two adult children, Jennifer and Jeremy. Service arrangements are incomplete.

Summer is closing in on its final weeks, but road construction is still in full swing. Here’s your road report for the week of August 12, 2019. In Burtchville Township, State Road between Myron and Burtch will be closed for bridge replacement beginning August 14 until further notice. Down in Cottrellville Township, Roberts Road between Marsh and M-29 is closed for a bridge maintenance project that is expected to wrap up next week. In Fort Gratiot Township, Keewahdin Road between State and Campbell will be closed for three days this week due to a crossroad culvert replacement.

Over in Port Huron Township, the right lane of westbound I-69 between 28th and 24th Street will be closed for concrete patching this week, and 32nd Street between Howard and Lapeer will be closed for a railroad reconstruction project through Friday this week for a Lake State Railway project. A reminder that in  St. Clair and China Townships, Wadhams Road at Fred Moore Highway intersection will be closed for approximately one more week. As always, the St. Clair County Road Commission reminds residents that all work and dates are weather permitting. 

The St. Clair County Health Department wants residents to be mindful when disposing of medications.  On their, “Be Ready St. Clair County” Facebook page, the health department reminds citizens to please refrain from disposing of any medication in the garbage or down the sewer system.  Most communities in our area have safe disposal sites. Port Huron Police, Clay Twp. Police, Marysville Fire, Wadhams and Sheldon Pharmacies, and many more are equipped for medication disposal.  The Marine City Police Department has partnered with the Rite-Aid Foundation and KidsCents to offer a medication disposal bin at the police department. They do note that the disposal bin cannot accept syringes or sharps of any kind. If you have liquids or syringes call the location near you to learn what and if those items are accepted. If a law enforcement agency does not have a disposal unit, they can apply for one through the Rite-Aid Foundation, though the department must be within 20 miles of a Rite-Aid store.