Sarnia Police Board Chair Kelly Ash is defending the board’s strict silence over the suspension of Police Chief Derek Davis, asking residents for patience while legal rules restrict official updates. Chief Davis remains on paid leave following a workplace harassment complaint, alongside a separate criminal investigation into his private consulting activities and hiring decisions. With Deputy Chief Ron Hansen also suspended, former Toronto official Mike Federico has stepped in as interim chief to maintain local public safety.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Officials from both the US and Canada are warning people to avoid this Sunday’s unsanctioned Port Huron Float Down along the swift St. Clair River, citing severe safety hazards ranging from hypothermia in sixty-degree waters to accidental drownings. Emergency responders caution that fast-moving currents, heavy alcohol consumption, and a widespread lack of life jackets create dangerous rescue conditions. To prevent catastrophic accidents and vessel collisions, authorities are shutting down all commercial boat traffic along the river from noon until 6 p.m.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Port Huron drivers need to plan for major summer traffic delays and stay alert as critical infrastructure work closes a key local route. Starting today, August 13th, crews will shut down the intersection of 10th Street and Lapeer Avenue for road reconstruction and utility upgrades. Nearby 10th Street between Lapeer and Water Street also closes through Ssturday for paving. Signed detours will redirect traffic, business access will stay open, and work should finish by September.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Parents in St. Clair County can protect their young children from hidden learning barriers by booking free health screenings at the health department on Fort Street in Port Huron. Staff will conduct vision and hearing checks from August 25th through September 10th, while the Smiles on Wheels program provides free oral care on select dates between August 27th and September 3rd. Families entering preschool or kindergarten in the Fall can reserve their spot online or call extension 1474 to help their kids start the school year ready to succeed.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

A thirty-one-year-old father faces eleven criminal counts, including involuntary manslaughter, after a devastating drunk-driving crash killed his five-year-old daughter. Prosecutors say Austin Thorpe was driving southbound on Highway M-53 in Bruce Township last Thanksgiving when he crossed the center lane and smashed head-on into an oncoming vehicle. Authorities report his two young children were not properly secured inside the car, leaving his toddler injured and his daughter fatally wounded. Thorpe will be formally arraigned in Macomb County Circuit Court on August twenty-fourth.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

A rapid K-9 tracking effort led to the arrest of a fleeing domestic assault suspect Sunday afternoon in Vassar. Police arrived shortly before 2:30 p.m. after a woman reported an assault that blinded her in one eye. When the suspect ran out the back, Tuscola County deputies and a Caro Post State Trooper deployed K-9 Belo, who tracked the man to a nearby backyard shed where he was safely arrested and jailed on third-offense charges. The suspect is now lodged at the Tuscola County Jail.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet