If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, the American Indian Communities Leadership Council will be presenting a cultural experience for the community at the American Indian Festival at Algonac High School. The festival will have representatives from the Leadership Council who will be raising awareness of the traditions of the Indian culture from screenings to traditional food tastings and outreach. The festival will also feature powwow dancing, American Indian crafts, and a food sale that attendees can participate in. The event will be held from 12 to 4 pm. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. For more information, you can visit Algonac American Indian Festival on Facebook.

The Next Step program was established four years ago to help qualifying young adults in St. Clair County with an identified disability develop independence and work skills. The program, offered through St. Clair County RESA, is now set to replace the Transition Program, formerly operated by the Virtual Learning Academy of St. Clair County. Next STEP which stands for Student Transition Experience Program, will relocate to classrooms on the campus of St. Clair County Community College. Deana Tuczek, RESA’s Director of Special Education, said, “Next STEP will focus on developing employability, community involvement, and independent living skills for the students.” The current transition program has been at RESA’s TEC building through a contract with the Virtual Learning Academy of St. Clair County and expects to enroll around 30 students when classes resume this fall at SC4.

In honor of Earth Day, Monday, the Friends of the St. Clair River held an International celebration. Under the shadow of the Blue Water Bridge, Canadians met in Point Edward and stateside, Americas met at the International Flag Plaza in Port Huron. With the celebration of Earth Day by billions across the world, the two groups decided to make a human-chain that promotes creating awareness among people about the vulnerability and status of the Earth’s water resources. The family-friendly event lasted 22-minutes and had a brief discussion about Earth Day and water. A friendly wave was shared by both groups from both sides of the bridge to show that the communities are united with passion and concern for the St. Clair River and its watersheds.

Gas prices in Michigan have been similar to the weather the last few weeks: quite unstable. AAA reports that “today’s national average is $2.84, which is a penny more than last Monday, but 23 cents more expensive than last month.” Locally in St. Clair and Sanilac County, gas prices are averaging $2.85 for a gallon of unleaded fuel, but some areas throughout the region are seeing prices as high as $2.99 per gallon. We have said it before and we’ll say it again. Gas prices are like the weather, bound to change, so it just may be a good time to fuel up before another big spike.

Dry, windy spring weather has put much of the Lower Peninsula at high risk for wildfires this week, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Areas of concern include southeast Michigan to the top of the Thumb. Fortunately yesterday’s rainy conditions are expected to help ease concerns. The DNR is warning residents in more than 15 counties to take extra precautions to prevent accidental fires. Wait to burn yard debris,use all-terrain vehicles, lawn mowers or other outdoor machinery until later in the evening. In very dry conditions, heat from even a lawnmower or the exhaust pipe of an ATV can ignite dry grass. To find out if it’s safe to burn, get a free burn permit online at Michigan dot gov slash Burn Permit or contact your local municipality.