Back-to-school season is here across St. Clair and Sanilac counties, with students returning on staggered dates from mid-August through early September. Blue Water Middle College kicks off first today, while most Sanilac County schools start next Monday. Anchor Bay and Yale open the next day, and many St. Clair County schools, including Port Huron, Marysville, and East China, begin September 2nd. Several districts are easing in with half days, giving families time to adjust. Parents are urged to review orientation schedules, supply lists, and bus routes ahead of the first day.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

A Huron County jury found 77-year-old Russell Alexander Kopah of Pigeon guilty of fourth-degree child abuse for putting floor cleaner in a three-year-old’s mouth and on the face at the Bad Axe Walmart last July. The jury cleared him of threatening the eyewitness. Video and testimony showed the act in the store’s photo department, witnessed by a Walmart employee who called police. Kopah denied the abuse but admitted threatening the witness outside the store. He faces up to a year in jail, with sentencing set for late October. He remains free on bond.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

The Oil Museum of Canada in Oil Springs is hosting the Wheels & Wells Car Show on Saturday, August 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., blending Lambton County’s oil history with classic cars. Car registration starts at 9:30 a.m. by donation, with a $10 suggestion, while spectators get in free. The event will feature museum displays linking oil to the rise of automobiles, trivia with prizes, food and drinks, a 50/50 draw, and awards for show cars at 2 p.m. It runs rain or shine.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Police across Michigan are stepping up patrols for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign now through Sept. 1st. The crackdown targets impaired drivers ahead of the busy Labor Day weekend, a period linked to higher crash and fatality rates. In recent years, nearly half of Michigan’s Labor Day driver deaths involved alcohol or drugs. State and local agencies urge residents to plan sober rides, warning that officers will arrest anyone they believe is impaired, regardless of blood alcohol level.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet