local news

USCIS to Celebrate Independence Day by Hosting Naturalization Ceremonies

Washington — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is celebrating the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our great country by hosting naturalization ceremonies across the United States from July 1 through July 7.

Despite the pandemic, USCIS continues to welcome new citizens, demonstrating American resiliency and the importance of our independence.

USCIS began to conduct limited naturalization ceremonies in May and began to fully resume ceremonies in early June, after temporarily pausing in-person services to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The ceremonies have been shorter to limit exposure to those in attendance, incorporating social distancing and other safety precautions that protect the health and safety of applicants and USCIS staff.

USCIS has naturalized approximately 64,500 new citizens over the past month and anticipates completing nearly all postponed administrative naturalization ceremonies by the end of July.

Two Arrested in Port Huron Drug Bust

Port Huron, MI —Two men were arrested by the St. Clair County Drug Task Force Tuesday night after a traffic stop on a vehicle with no license plate in the city of Port Huron.

Members of the DTF executed the traffic stop in the area of River Centre Drive and 10th Street shortly after 7:00 p.m. on June 30th.  In making contact with the vehicle’s occupants, it was learned that the driver was a 29 year old man from Peck, who was a convicted felon and had a suspended driver’s license.  The passenger was a 35 year old man from Kimball Township.

During the investigation, a search was conducted on the suspects and the vehicle.  During the search, the DTF located and seized two loaded and stolen semiautomatic pistols, approximately $1000 worth of fentanyl, $300 worth of crystal methamphetamine and about $1400 in cash.

The two men are currently lodged at the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center.  They are expected to face charges including possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, possession of stolen property, possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon, concealed weapons violation, driving with a suspended license and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

Bluewater Area COVID-19 Update for July 3, 2020

St. Clair County, MI — Lambton County, Ontario

Cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases as of July 2nd, 2020 at  10:00 AM are as follows:

  • State of Michigan: 64,132   confirmed cases; 6,198 deaths
  • St. Clair County: 496 confirmed cases; 49 deaths
  • Ontario: 35,068  confirmed cases;  2,672 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton: 285 confirmed cases; 25 deaths

St. Clair County currently has 50 active cases of the virus, and 1% of hospital beds in the county are being used for COVID-19 patients.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy for Health Dr. Joneigh Khaldun is urging residents not to avoid seeking help in a medical emergency.

Data from Michigan EMS agencies from March 15 to May 23rd, compared to the same period in 2019, show a 43.3% increase in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and out-of-hospital deaths increased 62%.

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported emergency depart­ment visits declined by 42% during the early months of the pandemic with a 23% decrease in emergency visits for heart attacks and a 20% decrease for stroke in the 10 weeks following the declaration of a national emergency due to COVID-19.

“Medical emergencies have not gone away during the pandemic and Michigan EMS providers are standing by to help Michiganders safely get the lifesaving help they need,” said Jack Fisher, MAAS president and executive director of Medic 1 Ambulance in Berrien County. “Every minute counts in a medical emergency, and we hope this alarming trend of people avoiding care and dying needlessly doesn’t continue.”

“It is incredibly important that people not delay care, especially if they are having concerning symptoms like chest pain, difficulty breathing or dizziness,” Khaldun said.

There has been no increase in cases of COVID-19 cases or deaths in Sarnia since our last report. The outbreak declared at Bluewater Health is now over and there is only one active outbreak at Afton Place in Sarnia.

The City of Sarnia’s ability to reopen, maintain, and provide Parks & Recreation services and programs has been affected by the COVID-19 Mitigation Strategy. Although green spaces and sports fields are open for limited use, pools, day camps, and bookings for sports fields are not available for the month of July.

Regular city recycling and waste collection started back up on July 1st, and the City wants to remind residents that all personal protective equipment  such as gloves and masks, and personal hygiene and sanitary products including wipes and tissues, should be thrown away in the trash and not in the blue recycling bins.

*** It is important to note that WGRT is continuing to report confirmed cases from each area, not total cases which are a combination of confirmed and probable cases. We have chosen to approach the data this way to simplify our reports and to create uniformity in the numbers we are reporting for each region, St.Clair County, Lambton County, Michigan, and Ontario.

Please continue to rely on reputable sources for information on COVID-19:

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Police Looking for Person of Interest in Grayfox Homicide

Port Huron, MI — The Port Huron Police Department along with the St. Clair County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the victim of the homicide on the Grayfox (a former Navy vessel) which was discovered on June 23, 2020. The victim has been identified as William Michael Orlow, a 44 year old male Port Huron resident. 

They are looking for a person of interest, Reginald Cu-Nu Grasty, who was a caretaker on the vessel. Last known contact with him was in January 2020. Reginald is homeless and has lived in Port Huron, but is believed to be in the Detroit area. 

Person of interest: Reginald Cu-Nu Grasty, date of birth: 10/10/1977 Description: black male, 5-10, 190 lbs., black hair, brown eyes 

If you have knowledge of this crime, call the Port Huron Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit at (810) 984-5383. Anonymous tips can be received through the CAPTURE Hotline at (810) 987-6688, emailed through www.porthuronpolice.org, or texted by downloading the Port Huron PD app on apple or android devices. Texts can also be received by texting the keyword CAPTURE and their message/tip to 847411.

Two Arrested in Port Huron Twp. Drug Bust

Port Huron Twp., MI — Two Port Huron men are lodged at the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center after being arrested by the St. Clair County Drug Task Force on June 29th.

According to St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon, the DTF conducted an investigation into the sales of narcotics in the Port Huron area.  That investigation led to members of the Drug Task Force making contact with subjects inside a vehicle at the 40th Street Pond in Port Huron Township at about 8:30 Monday night.  The driver of the vehicle had a valid parole absconder warrant.

As a result of the investigation and a search of the suspect’s vehicle, nearly $1000 worth of methamphetamine was seized, along with analogue drugs, heroin, a .22 semiautomatic handgun, drug paraphernalia, and more than $2500 in cash.

The arrestees, ages 29 and 22, are expected to be arraigned today on charges including possession of methamphetamine, possession of analogues, possession of heroin, felon in possession of a firearm and parole violation.

PTM Corp GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award

PTM Corporation Receives GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award

Fair Haven, MI –General Motors Corporation grants an award to suppliers that meet and exceed its rigorous quality performance standards. PTM Corporation, a metal stamping plant in Fair Haven, MI, secured the GM Suppliers Quality Excellence Award for 2019.

The production facility at PTM Corporation passed an audit by GM that included a comprehensive quality assessment covering all facets of production. GM requires defect-free parts, on-time product delivery, and reaching quality standards above its minimum requirements.

Donna Russell-Kuhr, President, CEO and Co-Owner of PTM, said, “It makes me extremely proud for PTM to receive the GM 2019 Quality Excellence Award. This is a direct reflection of the wonderfully diversified and talented associates we employ who live our PTM Code Item #1 “Deliver exceptional performance and peace of mind to our customers.”

PTM has produced millions of metal stampings for its clients since 1972. They specialize in detail part design, prototype, tool build, and high-volume production.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand