Local News

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.

A St. Clair County Sheriff’s Deputy has become the first law enforcement officer in St. Clair County to be awarded full accreditation as a traffic accident reconstructionist.  Russ Nowiski, who works in the Commercial Motor Vehicle Unit, recently passed a very intensive test, conducted by the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction. Just being able to qualify to take the test requires a stringent background check, which includes a review of past accident reconstruction, licenses, permits and other certifications in crash reconstruction and much more.

According to its website, ACTAR is the only international accrediting body for traffic collision reconstruction. Sheriff Tim Donnellon said his office is “very proud of Russ’s accomplishment. Not only is he the first to attain this certification in St. Clair County, he is one of only 20 ACTAR certified investigators in the entire state of Michigan.” Over the course of his career, Deputy Nowiski has developed an advanced knowledge of the theory of how and why a crash occurred.

There’s a big court case coming up tomorrow at U.S. District Courthouse in Port Huron. A Christian student group will ask a federal court on Wednesday to rule that public universities must treat religious student groups equally with other campus groups. According to Beckett, a non-profit, public-interest legal and educational institute that focuses on protecting the free expression of all faiths, “in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship v. Wayne State University, InterVarsity had its 75-year-old student organization status suddenly revoked by Wayne State University because the Christian student group asks its leaders to embrace its faith. But other student groups—such as political and ideological groups, fraternities and sororities, and even the Quidditch Club—are allowed to select leaders and members based on the groups’ mission or purpose.” The case is set for 2:00 July 10 in Port Huron.