Local News

Michigan now has the strongest protections in the United States when it comes to lead in drinking water. Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced a public awareness campaign surrounding new water sampling rules for lead under the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will work to implement new water sampling rules for lead while increasing communication to Michigan residents about how and why these testing changes are occurring to their drinking water. The testing changes now require that lead samples must be taken from both the first- and fifth-liter water draw. By testing that fifth liter of water, it shows lead results that might be farther upstream in the water supply that is coming into homes. In an effort to increase transparency and communication, EGLE and MDHHS have launched a new website, which provides up-to-date information on how Michiganders can protect themselves from lead. 

Traffic can certainly be a headache any time of the year. One sort of pleasant traffic backup you should expect this weekend is from BlueWater Cruise Weekend which runs through Sunday. If cars aren’t your thing, and your heading into the thumb to relax, you may want to avoid the area. Cruise night is on Friday, June 28th from 6-10 PM and WGRT will be bringing you a live broadcast during the event. You can catch Cruise Night Oldies but Goodies on 102.3 with D.J. Corey Moretz from Ultimate Sounds. On Saturday, the Keith Peterson Memorial Car Show will be held at Birchwood Mall from 10 am to 3 pm. They are offering goody bags and dash plaques to the first 200 entrants. There will be trophies, raffles, and music. Car registration begins at 8:30 am on Saturday. Later that night, be sure to enjoy the fireworks show, and check out the carnival which is now located at the mall. 

The City of Port Huron has been working with contractors on some projects that are complete or close to completion and ahead of schedule. E. Quay street should have sidewalks by the first week of July with paving of the Quay street roadway expected sometime next week. City Manager James Freed said, “ Crews will work through the weekend to have the sidewalks completed, still ahead of schedule.” Freed also said that work would begin on Michigan after Bluewater Fest is complete. Finally, good news for those who play tennis at the Sanborn tennis courts, the resurfacing projects at the Sanborn Tennis Courts are completed. The aging surface had been in decline, Freed said, “They look fantastic and are all set for the Robison Tournament”. Mayor Repp will hold a ribbon cutting for them on July 11th.

Port Huron is a major boarding crossing and Customs and Border Patrol agents often run into unusual situations, but imagine their surprise when they seized ancient Egyptian mummy linens during enforcement operations at the Blue Water Bridge. Officers identified a shipment on a Canadian mail truck that was selected for an enforcement examination at the Examination Station in Marysville. An inspection of a selected package revealed five jars of ancient Egyptian mummy linens. CBP began to coordinate with a Washington, DC based archeological organization in determining the admissibility of the presumed antiquities. The seized artifacts are believed to be from 305-30 BC and the importer was unable to prove that the artifacts were removed from Egypt prior to April 2016, which is in violation of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act. Federal agencies to include the Department of State will be focusing on repatriation of these artifacts in the near future.

From dogs to cats and even 17 birds, there has been overcrowding at the St. Clair County Animal Control. In the past 7 business days, St. Clair County animal control is reporting that they have taken in and been able to help more than 160 animals thanks to several partnering rescue organizations. Because of the influx, animal control is saying those organizations are also in dire need of donations to care for these animals as none will be available for adoption for any time soon. They are asking that residents who may want to give to the cause drop donations off at the shelter on Griswold Road in Port Huron during business hours, or drop them off directly to the partnering shelters. A full list and details can be found on St. Clair County Animal Control’s Facebook page. 

Frank Bunyan was just 17 when his patriotic duty called him to join the Navy during WWII. As a resident at Blue Water Hospice Home, he was nominated for the Quilt of Valor by the Director of Hospice Home Jessica Martin, RN, BSN. who said she “nominated Frank for the Quilt of Valor because we are where we are today,” thanks to “brave individuals, like him, and their sacrifice to keep our freedoms”. The program began in 2003 by a mom whose son was deployed in Iraq. She wanted him to have something to remind him of home. The Quilt of Valor Foundation honors veterans of all wars, specifically WWII, due to their age, and the quilts are handmade by volunteers around the country. To-date, the Foundation has presented more than 220,000 quilts to veterans around the United States. If you know of a veteran that you think should be honored with a Quilt of Valor, visit qovf.org.