Heading West on I-69? Expect Delays as $54.5 Million Road Rebuild Begins

Commuters and travelers driving on I-69 in Lapeer County will be encountering construction starting April 18th. A seven-mile stretch of the interstate will be getting rebuilt and the Five Lakes Rest Area will be completely replaced.

The project has a $54.5 million price tag and is part of the Rebuilding Michigan program. Michigan Department of Transportation Director Paul C. Ajegba said, “This investment will greatly improve an important east/west corridor supporting commuters and commercial traffic.”

According to MDOT, drivers should expect lane closures and traffic shifts over the next two years. The estimated end date is October of 2023.

The project will start with the rebuilding of westbound I-69. Traffic will be maintained on I-69 throughout the project. 

Several ramps will be closed during the first phase of construction, including southbound M-24 to eastbound I-69, westbound I-69 to M-24, westbound I-69 to Wilder Road, Wilder Road to westbound I-69, and Lake Pleasant Road to westbound I-69.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

PHS, City Recreation Collaborate for Ks for Kids Fun Run June 9th

If you need a goal for getting into shape for summer, how about training for the Ks for Kids Fun Run? The annual race is in a new location with a new partnership. The Superhero theme race will be held on June 9.

The race is a fundraiser for the Port Huron Schools Endowment Fund and is being held with cooperation from the City of Port Huron Parks and Recreation Department. The race will honor local heroes and participants are invited to dress as their favorite superheroes.

The race will be held at 6:00 p.m. on June 9th, launching and ending at Pine Grove Park in downtown Port Huron. The route goes along the St. Clair River. Awards will be handed out to the top three running times in each age group. There is also a prize for the best costume.

Organizer Kim Dooley said, “The partnership with the Port Huron City Parks & Recreation Dept. gives us an opportunity to have a more centralized location in our district for the run. We hope it’s a big family event and a celebration of the beginning of summer.”

For more information about the race, please go to: https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/PortHuron/KsForKidsFunRun

Construction Coming to M-24 in Lapeer

Starting Monday, April 18, 2022, drivers in Lapeer, Michigan should expect lane closures and traffic shifts as crews begin to rebuild the roadway on M-24.

This two-year project will start off with crews expected to rebuild westbound I-69 first. During this time, all traffic will be maintained on eastbound I-69. The following ramps will be closed during this phase of work:

  • Southbound M-24 to eastbound I-69,
  • Westbound I-69 to M-24,
  • Westbound I-69 to Wilder Road,
  • Wilder Road to westbound I-69, and
  • Lake Pleasant Road to westbound I-69.

Westbound traffic will be switched back to the westbound side of the freeway at the end of the construction season. In spring 2023, work will begin to rebuild eastbound I-69, with additional traffic restrictions in place.

Submitted by the State of Michigan

Drug Task Force Conducts Four Raids in Less Than 48 Hours

On April 6th and 7th, the St. Clair County Drug Task Force conducted four drug raids in the city of Port Huron. The raids resulted in several arrests and officers seized weapons, drug packaging materials, and multiple illegal drugs.

The first raid was around 11 AM on April 6th in the 1500 block of Lapeer Road. Officers executed a search warrant and arrested a 33 year old Port Huron man. He faces drug possession and distribution charges along with resisting arrest, maintaining a drug house, and being a habitual offender.

The second raid happened shortly after 8 PM in the 2000 block of Moak Street. A 36 year old Port Huron man was arrested in that raid and faces charges related to the possession of meth, cocaine, and a firearm, along with maintaining a drug house.

The raids on April 7th occurred in the early evening. One was at the 3100 block of Electric Avenue and involved the arrest of a 22 year old man and a 17 year old male, both from Port Huron. The second was in the 1700 block of 11th Street where two residents of Port Huron, a 45 year old woman and a 38 year old man were arrested.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Roe v. Wade Uncertainty Prompts Pre-emptive Lawsuits

Michigan’s Governor and Attorney General, along with Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union, are taking pre-emptive legal action to protect unrestricted abortion rights in response to the possibility of the U. S. Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion.

Planned Parenthood, the nation’s biggest abortion provider, is suing Attorney General Dana Nessel to prevent enforcement of a 1931 Michigan Law that bans abortion. They have targeted other states with similar suits.

Nessel says she won’t enforce the 1931 law anyway. In fact, she is part of a multi-state lawsuit to try to restore federal funding for providers such as Planned Parenthood.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has asked the Michigan Supreme Court to settle the issue as to whether the 1931 law will go into effect if Roe is overturned. Whitmer said she would “fight like hell” to maintain abortion rights.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Prowlers Sign on for Another Five Years at McMorran

Port Huron will be the home of the Prowlers for at least five more years. The Federal Prospects Hockey League team has renewed their lease at McMorran Place in Downtown Port Huron until 2027.

In a statement on their website, the organization thanked the fans and said they are “ecstatic” to continue their relationship with McMorran. The Prowlers have been the home team in Port Huron since 2016.

Owner Barry Soskin described the team as “Bringing a Championship to the city in our first season, setting milestones and breaking professional hockey records for wins and winning streaks in our third year.”

He also said, “The arena is in the center of an expanding downtown, and we are excited to be a part of that growth.”

Regular season games conclude this weekend with Port Huron businessman and former Port Huron Beacons hockey player, Casey Harris, making an appearance on the ice on Saturday when the Prowlers take on the Columbus River Dragons.

The Prowlers have clinched a playoff spot with league playoffs starting immediately after the regular season.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland