Local News

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. 

Early Friday was a harrowing morning on Lake Huron for first responders and a couple of lucky fishermen. 69-year-old Dennis Pluff and 68-year-old David Varian had gone fishing and were heading to a reef 22 miles out into Lake Huron.  The men left the harbor in Port Sanilac at 5:30 a.m. on July 25th in an 18-foot fishing boat. They made it about 6 miles out when the water became too rough and began to fill the boat. The boat overturned at approximately 9:30 in the morning. 

With the boat overturned, both men sat on top of the vessel in their life jackets and waited for help to arrive. After receiving a call from a concerned family member at 11:00 p.m.,  a Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office Deputy located the fishermen’s vehicle and boat trailer at the boat launch.  The Deputy summoned the Coast Guard who searched an area where the fishermen were believed to have traveled. The Coast Guard helicopter crew eventually found the two sitting atop the overturned vessel more than 14 miles from shore at 2:31 a.m. Sheriff Gary Biniecki said, “The joint effort between the Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Coast Guard, Coast Guard Canada, and Sanilac Central Dispatch undoubtedly saved the men from further peril or death.”  

The Cavis Grill at the corner of Quay and Michigan in downtown Port Huron was officially sold on Tuesday, July 23rd.  The new owners plan to keep the longtime diner open for business. One of the new owners, Kyle McCalmon, said, “It all happened really fast.” The deal, “closed on Tuesday and opened the restaurant for business as usual on Wednesday.” 

McCalmon is partners in the business with Chris Smith. Going forward, small changes will be made to the restaurant in phases, and those changes will take some time said McCalmon. They are currently working to obtain a liquor license, and McCalmon said they are exploring the idea of Cavis becoming more of a burger bar in the future. He went on to say he didn’t want to “pigeon hole” it to that exactly because there will be more on the menu than just burgers. McCalmon and Smith have blueprints for the restaurant’s eventual design, and they are excited to enter into this new venture together.