Local News

Are you wondering why meetings seem to stagnate time and time again? Looking for strategies to better engage your audience(s) during meetings? Want to know why and how to engage stakeholders regarding a contentious issue? Engaging stakeholders and having meaningful discussions when there is disagreement on any issue requires careful thought and preparation.  Join Michigan State University Extension’s Government and Community Vitality Educators for a two-hour workshop designed to provide a series of strategies on how to better engage your audience and ensure ideas are captured using a variety of community engagement tools. Using fiscal sustainability examples for the evening’s context, Educators for this evening workshop will explore the12 steps to effective decision making, the “groan zone” model, and allow for participants to apply material learned using a potential contentious issue like the annual budget process as context.  Consider your attendance at this educational program where we will provide specific good meeting techniques and strategies moving towards good decision making as a matter of public policy.  The last day to register is June 4th, 2019. Participants should register for the program here – https://events.anr.msu.edu/TipsforLEMGG .  Event is on Thursday, June 6, 2019, from 6-8 pm in the Don Dodge Auditorium in the St. Clair County Administration Building at 200 Grand River Avenue, Port Huron.  Space is limited and registration is required for this free event.

The City of Port Huron has announced Phase 1 of the Michigan/Quay Street reconstruction project was substantially completed (yesterday) Monday May 20^th. Therefore, Quay from Fort to Merchant will be open to traffic, as well as Fort and Merchant from Grand River to Quay, with intermittent lane closure to accomplish the remaining work.  The Department of Public Works will be closing the intersection at Quay and Michigan for Phase 2 of the reconstruction project. The closure for this intersection began yesterday and will last approximately 3 weeks. As a result, Quay Street from Huron to Michigan, Michigan from Grand River to Quay, and Quay from Michigan to Fort will be closed to thru traffic.  Motorists are advised to follow the posted detour. The East Quay Parking Lot can be accessed from either Michigan or Fort Street. Access to all businesses will be maintained.

Law enforcement responded to a call at approximately 11:40 p.m. Friday on I-69.  Reports say a 33-year-old Lapeer County woman had pulled her Chrysler minivan over on eastbound I-69 near Eagling Road in Riley Township because she had run out of gas.  A man driving a GMC Yukon pulley behind her to assist.  While he was filling her vehicle with gas, a Jeep Compass swiped the two vehicles, killing  37-year-old Jeffrey Alan Green of Riley Township.  The woman avoided injury by jumping into her open-door vehicle after Green had yelled a warning to her about the oncoming can.  Reports say that both the driver’s side doors were open and the Yukon’s headlights and four-way flashers were found on when law enforcement arrived at the scene.  The driver of the Jeep is believed to have been on his way home from work, and alcohol or distracted driving is not believed to have been a cause of the crash.  An additional interview of the 45-year-old driver of the Jeep is expected to take place.

Youth have had the opportunity to enjoy 4-H Camp for decades.  It has always been tons of fun with games, water recreation, skits, and lots & lots of other kids to laugh with. It remains an important developmental opportunity for our area youth. Skills such as social, change management, and handling new situations – important skills we use to navigate our way through life, are part of the camp experience, as are new activities and learning surrounding the outdoors; and working on creativity through crafting and drama will all be part of this year’s camp. Campers will have access to older teen counselors and adults who role model leadership skills. Most importantly, the environment is very safe for them to try new things with lots of support.  Thumb Area 4-H Camp will be held Monday, July 1 through Wednesday, July 3, 2019, at Camp Cavell in Lexington located 25 miles north of Port Huron on Lake Huron. Registration applications for youth to attend Thumb Area 4-H Camp are available online at www.msue.stclaircounty.org   Youth MUST be ages 9 to 14 on or before January 1, 2019, in order to attend.  Cost is $135 for 4-H members and $155 for non 4-H youth.  Youth do not need to be 4-H members in order to participate in this awesome event.  Deadline to register for Thumb Area 4-H Camp is Friday, May 31, 2019.  For more information please contact Lori Warchuck, 4-H Program Coordinator at (810) 989-6935  or  lwarchuck@stclaircounty.org

Calling all Music in the Park friends!  Organizers say The Lexington Arts Council is looking for you.  If you would like to help the Lexington Arts Council at any of the Friday night Music in the Park concerts, you are invited to the Volunteer Picnic, Tuesday June 4^th at 6:00 p.m.  Bring a friend to the picnic at the Patrick Tierney Park and enjoy the culinary delights provided by Wimpy. Sign up for one of the many opportunities to contribute to the fun concerts helping at the concession stand, selling 50 / 50 tickets,  set up or tear down.   Anyone interested in helping this summer is invited to the picnic as the Lexington Arts Council kicks off the summer of 2019.

The annual two-week Click it or Ticket campaign is underway  and deputies from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office will be stepping up seat belt enforcement as a way to increase seat belt use, save lives and reduce injuries.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 10,076 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2017 in the United States.  Of males killed in crashes, 51 percent were unrestrained and 39 percent of females were not buckled up.  Young adults 18-34 who were killed in crashes in 2017, more than half were unrestrained, the highest of any age group.  “We will be working with our law enforcement partners to ensure the message gets out about the importance of buckling up,” said St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon.  “It’s the law, but most important is that buckling up is the easiest thing to do to limit injury or to save your life in a crash.”  In Michigan, seat belt use was at 93.4 percent in 2018, which is higher than the national average seat belt use rate of 89.6 percent.  Law enforcement agencies are taking a no excuse approach to seat belt enforcement, writing tickets both day and night.  In Michigan, the penalty for a seat belt violation is $65 plus associated local fees.  The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning is coordinating the effort, which runs through June 2nd.  It is supported by directed federal traffic safety funds.