Local News

Monday afternoon at approximately 3 p.m., Sanilac Central Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call of a one-car Personal Injury Accident that occurred in Flynn Township. Officers determined that a 34-year-old female was traveling southbound on Maple Valley Road north of West Peck Road in a 2014 Buick Encore when a horse that had gotten loose, ran in front of her vehicle. The woman was unable to avoid the collision with the horse resulting in the animal striking the front-center of the vehicle. The driver was treated on scene and transported by Marlette EMS to Lapeer McLaren Regional Hospital. She was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, and the front airbag deployed. It was determined that the horse had been tied up outside of the Yoder General Store, had broken free, and ran into the roadway into traffic. Due to injuries from the accident, the horse had to be put down.

The Back to School Backpack Giveaway is a community-supported program originally organized by the Community Foundation’s Women’s Initiative to help children from low-income families have a successful start to school. The program provides free backpacks full of school supplies to at-risk children in St. Clair County with the focus on pre-school, elementary, and middle school children. With school just a few weeks away, the annual giveaway is taking place at several locations around the county.

Today, packs will be passed out in Yale and Port Huron, and this Friday there will be another giveaway in Capac. Children must be present to pick out their new backpack and proof of St. Clair County residency is required. All backpacks are filled with school supplies for elementary and middle school children. Pre-school backpacks contain a reading book, activity book, and crayons, and Blue Water Community Action reminds residents that the quantity is limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Visit bwcaa.org to donate or find more information. 

The storied battle over a sanitary sewer system in Worth Township is entering another stage. In an August 1st letter, homeowners and businesses were told that the municipal sanitary sewer system is available for connection. The letter, according to the Worth Township Board, serves as a notice of availability to property owners in the mandatory municipal sanitary sewer district as directed by the Michigan Supreme Court. Property owners must now fill out an application and pay a $100 permit fee to the township to initiate a hook-up. Excavation and construction of installing a waste pipe from the home or business to the public sanitary sewer lead at the edge of the road is an additional private expense. The Township also explained in the letter that property owners can make arrangements with a licensed and insured plumber or builder that is registered with Worth Township. The township notes in the letter that filling out an application and paying the permit fee does not constitute initiating a hook-up. Property owners will be contacted when their application is approved.

There is some change happening at the Port Huron Police Department. After 26 years of dedicated service to the citizens of Port Huron, Detective Malissa Martin retired on August 8th. Detective Martin joined the Port Huron Police Department on October 21st, 1993 and held several different positions at the department, including Community Services Officer. She was promoted to detective in 2005 and worked as an investigator until her retirement. She specialized in criminal sexual conduct and child abuse and neglect investigations. 

In other news at the Port Huron Police Department, they are welcoming a new officer. Joshua Schaad, was sworn this past Monday and will begin his training immediately. He graduated from the University of Toledo and then the police academy at Oakland Community College. Officer Schaad is originally from Waterford, Ohio, but recently moved to Ft. Gratiot. He is 24 years old, and this is his first law enforcement job. He has wanted to be a police officer since he was a young child, and he is looking forward to making a positive difference in our community.

An essay-writing workshop sponsored by St. Clair County RESA’s Blue Water College Access Network drew dozens of local high school students to the RESA Conference Center and Administration Building last week. Instructors from RESA and several county schools offered ideas on what college admission offices are looking for in student essays. They also critiqued student work and encouraged students on ways to put their best foot forward.

According to St. Clair County RESA, the Blue Water Middle College Access Network is committed to helping students and their families prepare for college or other opportunities after high school. Established in 2008 as KnowHow2GO, the BWCAN is St. Clair County’s Local College Access Network. Comprised of community leaders, the group is committed to building a college-going culture and to increase college readiness, participation, and completion rates within the Blue Water Area. Collectively, BWCAN has helped over 30,000 local students find their path to post-secondary education and increased the number of students attending college after high school.

Michigan has the most registered boaters of any state in the U.S., and that should come as no surprise given the amount of water that surrounds the state.  That same water is also fun to experience in a smaller boat, which often is not required to be registered. Kayaks, blow-up floats, inner-tubes, and other such watercraft often carry no registration which, the Coast Guard is saying can sometimes cause problems if an unattended vessel is found. 

A representative from the U.S. Coast Guard station in Port Huron reports that “unoccupied watercraft are a common occurrence.” He went on to say, “When one of these small vessels are reported or found by the Coast Guard, the agency has to run search patterns to look for someone who may be in trouble.”  If no one is found, the Coast Guard attempts to locate the vessel’s owner. In many cases, these situations require many agencies, typically spending many hours to clear these types of calls. In turn, this places a strain on valuable resources that may be needed elsewhere. When the Coast Guard reunites a lost vessel with its owner, property stickers are given to the owner to put on the vessel.  To avoid this problem, the Coast Guard is asking residents to write a name and phone number on personal watercraft like kayaks, canoes, tubes, or whatever floats residents around our waterways.