Local News

Summer is beginning to really heat up around our area, and a sure sign of summer is Sand Fest which begins tomorrow and runs until Sunday at the Fort Gratiot Light Station.  The 7th annual event presented by the Friends of the Fort Gratiot Light goes from 10 am to 8 pm Friday and Saturday and 10-4 pm on Sunday. Over the weekend, Sandfest will host Michigan’s first and only Master sculpting and advanced amateur competition. 

Live music performances go throughout the day with the last group starting their musical set at 6 pm both Friday and Saturday. There will be a variety of activities each day including sand sculpting lessons, quick-sand speed sculpting, and a hands-on kids zone.  Competitions will happen throughout the event, and amateurs can register to compete all day Friday and for a short time on Saturday beginning at 9 AM. The park is already open to the public so curious on-lookers can watch Master Sand Sculptors create the Welcome Sculpture.  Check out bluewatersandfest.com for more information.

We haven’t seen a lot of rain in the past few days, but that doesn’t mean the danger has subsided for St. Clair County residents that live downriver. Justin Westmiller, Director of St. Clair County Homeland Security and Emergency Management said yesterday, he understands “there has been a lot of talk about boat wakes in the county affecting waterfront property due to our flooding and high water situation. We have reached a critical point.”  He went on further to say that the water table in the southern part of St. Clair County has reached the surface and the ground is completely saturated.

County drains are also completely full and spilling over. Westmiller said going forward, “the water has the potential to come up a couple more inches this month. So, everyone needs to focus their property protection actions on the dwelling and less on the sea wall.” He also informed reporters that there is no state or Federal funding available. However, if you do hold FEMA flood insurance and are impacted by damage, you should contact your provider. Westmiller’s office is continuing to monitor the situation daily, and it certainly has their full attention.  

At approximately 7:30 Tuesday evening, police officers were dispatched to Birchwood mall after reports of an armed robbery at Kay Jewelers. According to the St. Clair County Sheriff’s office, while officers were enroute, Central Dispatch told deputies the suspects had run out of the mall and had gotten into a red Chevrolet Impala. The suspects left the mall at a high rate of speed southbound on 24th Avenue. Deputies began searching for the vehicle, along with officers from the Port Huron Police Department and troopers from Michigan State Police at which time a Port Huron Police Unit located the vehicle in the area of Gratiot Avenue and Hancock Street in the city of Port Huron.

The suspects refused to stop and a short chase ensued. The vehicle finally stopped in the area of Riverside Drive and I-94 when three of the four suspects got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. Two of them were captured almost immediately, along with a suspect that had remained in the vehicle. The fourth suspect was caught a short time later, a short distance away. The suspects, three 17-year-olds and a 19-year-old all from Detroit. They are lodged at the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center, where they will await arraignment on robbery and other charges.

Farmers in southeast Michigan may be getting some help soon.  Rep. Joe Bellino said today that a plan to help farmers whose crops were delayed or damaged by this spring’s record-setting rain has been signed into law.  The plan provides $15 million to help private lenders provide low-interest loans to qualified farmers. The state does not provide the loans, so there is no financial risk or liability to the state with this program. 

Representative Bellino of Monroe said, “This spring’s wet weather devastated crops for farmers in southeast Michigan and many other parts of the state.” Michigan had very few days suitable for fieldwork this spring. This year was the wettest 12-month period on record.  Only 63 percent of corn seeds and 43 percent of soybean seeds were planted as of June 12th. The deadline for full coverage of crop insurance was June 5th for corn and June 15th for soybeans. As a result, many farmers will be facing financial trouble as this crop season continues.  

All traffic is open, and work is completed on Dove Road between Range Road and Michigan Road in Port Huron Township.  Work will continue on 32nd Street north of Dove Road until July 19th, but traffic will be allowed access to 32nd Street during construction with only minor delays expected. Work included rubblization of the existing concrete, overlaying the concrete with asphalt, partially paving the shoulder, ditch cleanout, and restoration. 

High-Speed internet is not just a casual subject for Michiganders anymore. Former Governor Rick Snyder visited St. Clair County last year to address initiatives at the state level affecting rural areas like some found in our area. Now, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced the opening of applications for the Connecting Michigan Communities (CMIC) grant program to increase broadband in underserved areas of Michigan.

Some of our more rural areas in Michigan and certainly some in St. Clair and Sanilac counties have limited access to high-speed internet. Governor Whitmer said, “Access to high-speed internet is a must to compete in today’s society.” The Department of Technology, Management, and Budget is now accepting applications for the CMIC grant program. It is offering $20 million in grants to internet service providers that are willing to expand access in underserved parts of the state.