Construction will begin on a 1.5 mile stretch of M-25 from Hancock Street in Port Huron to M-136 in Fort Gratiot Township on April 4, 2022. The project is part of Governor Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan Plan.

Whitmer said, “We are continuing to fix the damn roads across Michigan to keep drivers safe and save them time and money. Since I took office, Michigan has repaired, rebuilt, or replaced over 13,000 lane miles of road and over 900 bridges, supporting nearly 82,000 jobs. I am proud of our record progress to fix our roads and bridges with the right mix and materials, so they stay fixed. The projects we’re kicking off next week will add to that total and support even more good-paying jobs in these communities.”

The improvements coming to M-25 will include repairs to the bridge that goes over the Black River canal along with paving, guardrail replacements, and drainage improvements. Cost of the project is $5.8 million and the work is expected to be complete in August 2022.

While work is in progress, traffic should be able to pass through the area as normal expect for a detour for southbound M-25 left turns onto Holland Avenue during bridge work. A detour will be posted at that time.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Organizers are preparing for this year’s Sturgeon Festival, and a limited amount of tickets are now available for the live sturgeon encounter aboard the Huron Lady II on June 4th.

Friends of the St. Clair River (Friends) will be celebrating their 15th anniversary at this year’s Blue Water Sturgeon Festival, the organization’s largest annual fundraiser to support its local conservation and education programs.

Tickets are available for the Huron Lady Sturgeon Cruise, an event designed to connect the community with the scientists who study Lake Sturgeon under the Blue Water Bridges. Tickets for the cruise are available for $30 <HERE>.

Along with the cruise, there will will also be sturgeon Festival events at Lighthouse park on June 4th from 10 AM until 3 PM. Admission is free, and there will be many activities available for visitors to learn about Lake Sturgeon.

Sheri Faust, Friends President, said “Sturgeon have been around for 136 million years, but in the last century they’ve nearly been wiped out. Numerous federal and state partners invested $4.3 million to construct three fish spawning reefs in the St. Clair River to study environmental cues to spawning and mortality.”

For more information visit http://www.sturgeonfestival.com/.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has identified cases of avian flu in the state’s wild bird population.

Cases of avian flu have been confirmed n free-ranging Canada geese and tundra swans in St. Clair County, snowy owls from Macomb County, and in a mute swan from Monroe County.

The birds identified with the flu in St. Clair County were collected at St. Clair Flats State Wildlife Area and sent to labs at Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s lab in Ames, Iowa.

Avian influenza is low risk to humans, so the danger lies in transmission to other bird species, including domestic poultry.

Multiple agencies will work together to monitor the spread of avian influenza and monitor the health of poultry, livestock, wildlife, and residents in Michigan.

If you notice the death of three or more free-ranging bird in your yard, report it to the DNR through the Eyes in the Field website <HERE> or by calling 517-336-5030.

If you notice illness or multiple deaths in your domestic poultry, contact MDARD at 800-292-3939.

The Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs launched four new websites this week in an effort to improve access to information for its users.

They split their past website into four new sites to simplify what each site offers and make it easier for people to find the information they need. The Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, Michigan Veterans Homes, and Michigan Youth Challenge Academy now all have their own sites.

• Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs: www.michigan.gov/DMVA
• Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency: www.michigan.gov/MVAA
• Michigan Veterans Homes: www.michigan.gov/MVH
• Michigan Youth Challenge Academy: www.michigan.gov/MYCA

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said, “Our websites provide valuable information and services to our service members, employees, stakeholders and the communities we serve. That is why it was imperative that we remove and prevent barriers to accessibility while improving site navigation to key services so that all visitors will have a positive experience when interacting with our websites.”

The sites are more streamlined so users can find information based on key services available from each department and they are more mobile-friendly. They will also help veterans and their dependents connect with a Veteran Service Officer in their area so they can get one-on-one help accessing their benefits.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand