Port Huron, 5:55 PM – According to Port Huron Fire Department Chief Corey Nicholson, Port Huron Fire Department and Auto-Aid departments (Port Huron Township, Marysville, and Fort Gratiot) responded to CityFlats Hotel in Port Huron for multiple reports of smoke from the building this afternoon.

Nicholson said, “A working fire was found in the rooftop elevator hoist room. Standpipe operations were established from an aerial waterway and an interior stairwell standpipe.” A standpipe is a system of water pipes built inside of multi-story buildings. They work like fire hydrants by allowing firefighters to connect to their water supply for fire suppression.

“The fire was extinguished with multiple handlines and overhaul is currently being conducted,” said Nicholson in a press release. He also said that no injuries were reported and the fire is still under investigation.

The Port Huron Police Department helped evacuate people from the building, and Tri-Hospital EMS responded to the situation to stand-by in case of injuries.

Reporting for WGRT- Jessie Wiegand

Port Huron, MI – Multiple area fire departments have responded to an active fire at CityFlats Hotel in downtown Port Huron. Port Huron, Ft. Gratiot, and Marysville fire fighters are on the scene and working to contain the situation.

We are actively monitoring the situation and will update as we receive information from officials.

Mike Henry, a Port Huron watercolor artist, will be this year’s featured artist at Art on the River.

Art on the River is a weekend-long art and music festival at Port Huron’s Kiefer Park. This year’s event will start on Friday, June 10th and run through Sunday, June 12th. Hours are from 3-9 PM Friday, 10 AM – 11 PM Saturday, and 10 AM – 4 PM on Sunday.

Henry will be creating an exclusive piece of art during the event, and he specializes in watermedia landscapes.

Henry started painting 18 years ago and hopes to become a stronger painter every year. A press release from Art on the River expressed Henry’s desire to communicate his love of light through inspiration, composition, value, and color.

To learn more about Art on the River, visit www.artontheriverph.com

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

The St. Clair County Library System is hosting a virtual presentation and Q&A session with award-winning author, Mary Doria Russell. Russell is the author of The Women of the Copper Country, a story about the mining community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in 1913.

Russell said she wanted to write a fictionalized account of the historical events that happened when a copper strike affected the mining industry and communities in Michigan’s Keewenaw Peninsula. The story’s protagonist is 25-year-old Annie Clements, based on the real-life story of Big Annie.

“Here was a 25-year-old woman who is central to a strike against the most powerful company in the most dangerous industry of her time. A child of despised immigrants. A housewife with a simple education in a time when women couldn’t vote and weren’t supposed to take part in public life. Somehow, she mobilized 10,000 miners and kept everyone going, day after day, month after month. So my task was to tell readers: What makes a woman like Annie Clements?” said Russell.

To register for the event, visit the library’s website <HERE>.

*CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story had an error in the book title.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Beginning April 1, 2022, all Port Huron Museum sites will have free admission for all visitors for one year. This includes the Fort Gratiot Light Station, Thomas Edison Depot Museum, HURON Lightship, and the Carnegie Museum.

Free admission to the museum sites is being funded by a $50,000 grant from the City of Port Huron and several corporate sponsors. The goal is to encourage museum attendance and improve tourism experiences in the region.

Andrew Kercher, Community Engagement Manager at Port Huron Museums, said, “This is the largest single shake-up to the Museum’s admission prices in decades! We are very proud to be able to offer this unprecedented access to the area’s shared cultural heritage. Not only will this be a boon for locals, the free admission will attract visitors and dollars from outside the Blue Water Area.
When someone visits the Lighthouse or Edison Depot from a place like Flint or Detroit or even further, they eat at our area restaurants, shop our downtown stores and stay at local hotels. This is a historic win for Port Huron!”

While admission to museum sites will be free of charge, there are small charges for guided tours of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse and the special children’s exhibit, Discovery City, at the Carnegie Museum. However, Discovery City has a grant funded opportunity for Bridge Card holders who can receive free admission for their children.

Learn more at PortHuronMuseums.com

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand