Beginning this week, there may be some changes in your drive as the St. Clair County Road Commission will start on and continue working on projects throughout the area. In Casco Township there will be intermittent lane closures on County Line Road between Gratiot and Springborn for crack sealing. Meanwhile in Grant Township, the Fisher Road Bridge over the Black River is closed for bridge replacement and is estimated to reopen May 8. In Port Huron Township there will be road closures due to the construction of a new water main and roadway work this week. For more on road work throughout the county and updates, you can visit the St. Clair County Road Commission’s Facebook page.

In honor of Earth Day April 22, the St. Clair County Smoke-Free Community Team is raising awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco. Cigarette butts are the most discarded product on Earth, making up more than one-third of all litter collected. Cigarette waste releases toxic chemicals, such as arsenic and lead, into the environment and is harmful to children and animals when consumed. Members of the Smoke Free Community Team will be at the 17th Annual Earth Fair to educate on the environmental impacts of tobacco use and provide resources for quitting. Earth Fair will be held on Friday, April 26 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm and Saturday, April 27 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm at Goodells County Park. For more on the Earth Day Fair you can visit EarthDayFair.com.

Volunteers in St. Clair have been working diligently to plan a redesign and build of the popular Imagination Station playground on Carney Drive. After several months of planning and fundraising, the group now has set dates for construction expected to take place September 10-15. The planning process has involved community input, design days for kids and several volunteer committee meetings. The original playground was built in 1994 and according to Committee Director Matt Alley, has been well loved. “So we are trying to take this entire Imagination Station process and put it into the scope of what needs to be done for the next generation of children in the area to take advantage of the Imagination Station for decades to come.” If you are interested in being part of the project, the planning committee says there is still a great need. You can visit their Facebook page Imagination Station Rebuild for all the details.

The Port Huron Beautification Commission has announced a community planting day coming up next month. Each spring,the City of Port Huron Beautification Commission plants flowers
throughout downtown Port Huron, city parks, and community gardens. There are approximately
20 community wide flowerbeds, that according to beautification commissioner Alphonso Amos.
“…help with reforestation efforts, but also create a beautiful natural collage of colorful flowers
and plants.” Individuals, families, and community groups are invited to help plant flowers and
greens throughout the city of Port Huron. The community planting day will be held on Saturday,
May, 19 at 9 a.m. in front of the St. Clair County Courthouse. All ages are invited and
encouraged to volunteer and take part in the community-wide planting experience. For more
information on the Community Planting Day visit port huron dot.org/plantday.

Fort Gratiot will be seeing a new restaurant in place of the now closed Ruby Tuesday in front of Birchwood Mall.  According to Kristy Jones Fort Gratiot Township Community Development Coordinator, the current building will be demolished and a new structure will be the home of a Culver’s, well-known for their ButterBurgers, cheese curds and custard ice cream.  Jones stated that discussion concerning a Culver’s location began about three year ago, and when Ruby Tuesday closed nation-wide, that opened an available site with infrastructure in place.  It will be a while yet, as a site plan needs to be submitted and the demolition needs to take place.  Jones said the current building would not serve efficiently for Culver’s needs, the way the restaurant is set up and Culver’s offers a drive thru.   The first Culver’s was opened in 1984 in Wisconsin, and the menu offers along with the burgers, fish and chicken sandwiches, salads and home-style meals.

The Michigan Senate on Thursday adopted a resolution introduced by Sen. Dan Lauwers honoring lineworkers for the critical work they do constructing and maintaining America’s energy infrastructure.   Senate Resolution 37 recognizes April 18, 2019, as Lineworker Appreciation Day.  “There are over 115,000 highly trained and skilled lineworkers in the United States, servicing 9 million miles of wire,” said Lauwers, R-Brockway Township. “It is important for our state to recognize and express our appreciation to these brave and dedicated men and women who put their lives at risk to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of power to our communities.”  SR 37 acknowledges the lineworker profession has existed for as long as electricity has been a standard part of modern living, and that these men and women work under dangerous conditions, often in and around roadways.  “Lineworkers are often the first responders during catastrophic events, making sure the scene is safe and working around the clock to restore power after a storm emergency,” Lauwers said. “The Michigan Legislature has passed several public acts to require drivers to drive safely in work zones and provide penalties for those who do not respect these work zones.  “It is my hope that Lineworker Appreciation Day will raise awareness of the importance of these vital members of our community and the need for us all to make their job as safe as we can.”