Local News

Yesterday there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but many local residents noticed an ongoing haze throughout the day. Well, according to the National Weather Service, that’s unfortunately due to Canadian wildfire smoke covering most of Michigan. Wildfires burning in Alberta, Canada have destroyed more than 700,000 acres of land and forced more than 11,000 people to evacuate. Fortunately, the fires seem to be past the worst and only one, as of yesterday, was listed “out of control.” There are many fires still burning in the area, but they are currently “under control” or “being held.” The fires were at their worst in June. The National Weather Service said the hazy smoke should subside by early Tuesday.

The annual float down in the St. Clair River is something that some residents look forward to every year.  Something that area residents don’t look forward to is garbage left behind by participants and the on-lookers on shore.   The Friends of the St. Clair River is launching a special campaign this year in an attempt to lessen, if not eliminate, the amount of garbage the yearly event leaves behind.  The campaign is, “A Fun River is a Clean River”. The group wants to send a positive message to the thousands to keep it clean while having fun.

On their Facebook page, The Friends of the St. Clair River states, “If you’ve been to Float Down, you know the St. Clair River, its shoreline, and beaches are left in a dismal, litter-filled condition.” The group is looking for a passionate team who wants to help them develop a marketing and outreach campaign and help the day of the event to keep it clean. Float Down is Sunday, August 18 at 1:00 p.m. at Lighthouse Beach in Port Huron.  Those interested in this effort can visit the Friends of the St. Clair River Facebook page.

Nationwide, just 30% of EMTs, 13% of law enforcement, and only 3.5% of fire professionals are women. These statistics are what birthed the idea of Camp Fury, an immersive experience where girls are inspired to change those statistics as they work side-by-side with female mentors and role models who have helped shatter the glass ceiling in those fields.

Last week, the Arizona based program graduated its first Michigan class right here in St. Clair County. Teenage girls ages 14-18 worked alongside men and women of Michigan’s public safety services (including local municipalities like Port Huron and Marysville police and fire). This program was led by Border Patrol (Customs and Border Protection) in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan (GSSEM) to give participants experience in the fields of public safety, including how to operate a firehose, forcible entry, perform CPR, first aid and more. At the end of the week, the new skills were put to the test through a series of simulated scenarios that culminated in graduation. 

 The Blue Water Reading Council is an organization of educators and other community members dedicated to promoting literacy in the area, and, according to St. Clair County RESA, the organization is about to turn over about 2 dozen ‘little red libraries’ to their adoptive homes throughout St. Clair County. Vicki Les, RESA English consultant, said the libraries were built by students in the Construction Trades program at TEC using materials purchased by the council.

The libraries’ new homes include schools, community agencies, and private businesses. The reading council will “seed” each library with books with the idea that anyone can take a book, or add a book, at their convenience. In addition to this project, the Reading Council offers training opportunities to educators, cooperates on literacy issues with other local organizations, and helps provide books and reading materials to local schools and students.

Wadhams Road between Griswold Road and I-69 in Kimball Township will be closed to traffic starting on July 15th to reconstruct the railroad track crossing, according to the St. Clair County Road Commission. Crews will work weekends to accommodate a timely completion, but the closure is expected to last 14 consecutive days. During the closure of Wadhams Road, access will be allowed from Griswold Road or I-69 up to the railroad tracks. The posted detour will be Lapeer Road, Allen Road, and Ravenswood Road. Upon completion of the railroad track construction, Wadhams Road between Ravenswood and I-69 will have periodic lane closures, but these closures will be temporary allowing all traffic through the construction zone. Local residents are encouraged to plan ahead for delays due to construction

Fort Gratiot Township is now accepting applications for Supervisor as the position became vacant effective July 4th with the resignation of former township supervisor Jorja Baldwin. At this time, the Fort Gratiot Board of Trustees is requesting all interested parties who reside within Fort Gratiot to submit a letter of interest and/or a resume to the Fort Gratiot Township Clerk no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10. 

Once all applicants are verified to meet the residence eligibility requirements, introductions of candidates are anticipated to occur on Friday, July 12 at a special meeting. The Fort Gratiot Board of Trustees must fill the position, and the individual must take the oath of office on or before August 18 or a special election will be triggered. The current term of office ends at 12:00 p.m. on November 20, 2020. It was announced at the end of June that former Supervisor Jorja Baldwin would be leaving the position to take an open seat on the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners where she took oath last week. For more information on the open position, visit fortgratiot.us