Have you ever wondered who is responsible for keeping those high power electrical lines in working order? ITC Holdings based in Novi, is the nation’s largest independent electricity transmission company, and the company is responsible for the lines in most of the lower part of Michigan. At the end of September, ITC conducted an aerial patrol of lines in the St. Clair County area, which was originally scheduled for this week.

The patrols were completed by a helicopter flying at low levels over power lines and towers. The company reassures residents that there is no need to be alarmed over the flights. They looked for damaged or worn equipment, including steel towers, wood poles, and wires.  ITC also monitors the naturally occurring hazards from overgrown plants and trees during the patrols. If an issue is found, ITC’s maintenance team is informed to properly address the problem. ITC is responsible for 8,700 miles of transmission lines in the lower part of Michigan.  The semi-annual inspections throughout the state are slated for completion by October 18th.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The new Ocean Breeze restaurant on Gratiot Boulevard in Marysville will open its doors to the public today. It was first announced at the end of August that new owners, Chris Cubi and his wife Spresa, would be remodeling the building and opening the new eatery. Cubi says he has been fishing in Port Huron for the past 39 years and always drove through Marysville. Having previously owned Starlight in Detroit, he saw the space was for sale and decided, along with his wife, to open the new business. Ocean Breeze will be open 7-3, daily, and offer a variety of foods with a focus on freshness. Chris and Spresa said they plan to offer lots of fruits, salads, crepes, and spinach pies along with a wide variety of other foods like pasta, breakfast foods and more. The restaurant, which formerly housed Sero’s, has been completely remodeled including new kitchen equipment, seating and decor. The Cubi’s, of Shelby Township, said they are very excited to open the restaurant, and will at the restaurant most days greeting customers.  According to the Cubis, the restaurant is not connected to the Ocean Breeze that had previously been open in Shelby Township.

Friends of the St. Clair River is moving from the Blue Water River Walk to a new home in Marine City.  The environmental advocacy group, which has been at the River Walk for the past two-and-a-half years is moving to the Marine City Chamber of Commerce building at 480 S. Water St. in Marine City. The building, currently, features a wrap showing fish species native to Michigan and the Great Lakes, but it dates back to the industrial era of shipping and railroads, at one time being a part of the Grand Trunk elevator in the 1920’s. Local philanthropist Dr. James C. Acheson donated the building to the Community Foundation in 2010 which, in 2017, gave use of the building to the Friends of the St. Clair River. The Foundation, now, plans to take down the building this fall. Sheri Faust, Friends of the St. Clair River President said the group is “excited about this move putting [them] closer to the goal of establishing Michigan’s Thumb Coast’s first watershed center.” Faust said the shed will be coming down to “make room for more wildlife habitat.” To celebrate the move, the group will host an open house from 4:30-7:00 p.m. next Thursday October 17. For more information on the open house, find the Friends of the St. Clair River on Facebook.

It’s Monday, which means a new round of road construction to be on the lookout for around the area. Beginning in northern St. Clair County, in Greenwood Township,  Kilgore Road between Lohr and Yale will be closed for bridge replacement until further notice while Yale Road between Brown and Duce will have intermittent lane closures for crack-sealing throughout the week. To the southwest in Riley Township, Bordman Road west of Memphis will have intermittent lane closures for crack-sealing this week while Wales Center Road between Morriss and Lapeer in Wales Township will be closed until the end of the month for bridge replacement. At the southern end of the county,  in China Township, Recor Road between King and M-29 will be closed for a paving project that is expected to be completed just before Thanksgiving. Finally in Cottrellville Township, Starville Road between Marine City Highway and Plank will have intermittent lane closures this week while Starville between Shea and Angling will be closed until November 15. 

By now, you may have heard the term “REAL ID” and how you will need one to travel. That deadline is now, less than a year away. TSA is stressing two important points: REAL ID enforcement will begin on October 1, 2020, and you must have a REAL ID-compliant form of identification or another form of acceptable ID (like a passport) in order to board a flight. If TSA cannot verify your identity, you will not be permitted to enter the airport security checkpoint and will not be allowed to fly. In spite of this fast-approaching enforcement date, it’s estimated that only 27% of U.S. citizens currently have a state-issued identification that meets the REAL ID requirements. According to the Michigan Secretary of State, in order to obtain a compliant license, you’ll need to bring a valid U.S. passport or certified birth certificate with a raised seal or stamp to any Secretary of State office. Other documents verifying legal presence are accepted. There is no extra cost to apply when renewing your driver’s license or ID, but if you apply outside of your normal renewal time, a duplicate card fee will be charged.

The Blue Water Robotics Alliance will be getting a new venue to hone their robotics skills. A 6,000 square foot building on Petit Street in Port Huron is being provided by P.J. Wallbank Springs, Inc. In the new space set to open next week, 10 area teams will use the space to collaborate and become more competitive with Metro Detroit area teams. 

The Blue Water Robotics Alliance includes all of St. Clair County’s school districts. The effort to have one centralized location where all of the teams could get together to practice and collaborate was spearheaded by Dan Kiehler of Memphis High School and Steven Tenniswood of St. Clair High School. The field within the structure cost over $23,000. Funds for that field were provided through the work of the Eastern Michigan Manufacturing Association (EMMA), the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County (EDA), Blue Meets Green, and the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. An open house and name reveal will take place on October 8th at the Petit Street location.