St. Clair County

Frontier Communications Commits to Improving Internet Service, Speed

Rural areas don’t always have a lot of options when it comes to internet service, and when the service that is available is unreliable, consumers get angry.

In response to complaints, action has been taken against Frontier Communications to address advertised service speeds. An agreement has been reached with the filing of an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance.

The Federal Trade Commission initiated a lawsuit, which was joined by the State of Michigan, against Frontier. The lawsuit alleged that Frontier did not provide the speeds it promised and charged for more expensive and higher speed service than what was actually provided.

While the case was proceeding in federal court, Michigan and Frontier came to an agreement. The agreement includes Frontier making a $15 million commitment to improve its infrastructure in Michigan over the next four years.

Frontier has also provided $20,000 to settle complaints from consumers who complained through the Department of Attorney General or the Better Business Bureau. Along with the investments, Frontier committed to improved marketing and choices for customers.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Salon PiZazz Closing Its Doors

Correction 4/5/22 @ 11:12 AM: An earlier version of this story said that Salon PiZazz owner, Kelly Strilcov, will be retiring, which is not correct. Kelly Strilcov issued a statement saying she is “absolutely not retiring”. I apologize for the misunderstanding. – Jessie Wiegand

Salon PiZazz, a downtown Port Huron hair salon, is closing its doors after almost 20 years in business. The salon’s stylists will be transitioning to other local salons.

The salon had been awaiting a move while the owner of its building, Harrison Investment Properties, has been renovating the entire block. In a press release, Strilcov said the “renovations are taking significantly longer than initially projected, resulting in the decision by both parties to permanently close the doors of Salon PiZazz by the end of April.”

Harrison Investment Properties is the owner of the entire block on Quay Street which includes Wings Etc. They originally planned for Salon PiZazz to relocate from their storefront on the northwest corner of the building to a space overlooking the Black River.

Kelly Strilcov said closing the salon is bittersweet. “The daily behind the scenes responsibilities of ownership have never been my strong suit. Not having those will be a relief. However, what’s being lost brings much sadness.”

Strilcov will continue to coordinate Mannequins Making a Difference, the artistic hair, makeup, and modeling competition for charity that takes place during Blue Water Fest.

“With Salon PiZazz closing, the annual fundraiser will now provide opportunities for other area salon teams and stylists to design a mannequin to showcase their own talents and to Make a Difference for one of our local nonprofits,” said Strilcov.

To find out where Salon PiZazz’s stylists transition to, check salonpizazz.com or the Salon PiZazz Facebook page.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

New Law Gives Local Road Authorities Power to Make Construction Zones Safer

With road construction season underway, a new bill has been signed into law to protect the construction workers who are making Michigan’s roads and bridges safer.

House Bill 5286 was signed into law last week. The bill gives the Michigan Department of Transportation, county road commissions, or local road authorities the authority to implement traffic control measures. They are also able to use a digital message board to display the reduced speed limit required to protect safety.

The bill’s sponsor, State Representative Mark Huizinga, a Republican from Walker, said, “Having drivers reduce their speed when workers are present can decrease the likelihood of a tragic accident, but sometimes drivers don’t see the road crews until they are too close. By allowing for these modified signs, we can inform drivers about the presence of workers so they can follow the law and protect lives.” 

Construction labor unions are endorsing the bill, saying that it will help improve worker safety as the state works to rebuild its infrastructure.  

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Friends of the St. Clair River, Thumb Land Conservancy Win Grants from Bioregion Reparation Fund

The Port Huron-based Bioregion Reparation Fund is funding two projects in St. Clair County. Grants are going to the Thumb Land Conservancy and the Friends of the St Clair River.

The Bioregion Reparation Fund is managed by the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. Founded in 2018, the fund was started by the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix, whose goal is to respond to issues of justice, peace, and integrity of creation.  Port Huron’s Full Circle Eco-House of Prayer is operated by local Sisters Veronica Blake and Conception Gonzalez, who are part of the international congregation.

Sister Veronica Blake said, “We partnered with the Community Foundation of St. Clair County to manage our fund to help continue the legacy of this important work of raising awareness for the beauty of Earth and its present crises.”

One grant will go toward the construction of a kiosk at the Bidwell Sanctuary in Burtchville where the Thumb Land Conservancy is preserving the rare, ancient beach ridge ecosystem. The other grant will be used to support a summer intern with the Friends of the St. Clair River.

More information can be found at WGRT.com.

For more information, call Full Circle at 810-364-3326 or visit www.fullcircleretreat.org.

To learn how to make a donation to Bioregion Reparation Fund, visit www.fullcircleretreat.org/bioregion-reparation-fund.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

MI New Favorite Snack Competition Looking for the Next Big Thing in the Snacks

Everyone loves snack foods like chips, pretzels, candy, and more. The next big thing in snacks could be right here in Michigan.

The MI New Favorite Snack Competition has begun the search for Michigan’s next great snack food. The top prize is $30,000 and a distribution contract with All-Star Services, a Port Huron-based company that supplies workplace vending throughout the state.

The second-place prize is $15,000 and the third-place prize is $5,000. The entry period has begun and goes until August 1st. The finalists will compete for the top prizes on September 17th.

To qualify, entrants must have appropriate licensing and insurance and be headquartered in Michigan. The makers of the snack foods must be a small business with no more than ten employees at the time of entry and have the product packaged for consumer purchase.

The registration for MI New Favorite Snack is hosted by the Blue Water Chamber of Commerce and is supported by the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 Challenger Center has All-Star Lineup for April 30 Launch

The St. Clair County Community College Challenger Center is gearing up for the public launch of the facility. The founding chair, June Scobee Rodgers, Ph.D., will be featured at the April 30th kick-off.

Rodgers is the widow of Challenger Space Shuttle Commander Dick Scobee. The Center was founded in 1986 in the aftermath of the Challenger disaster.

Rodgers will be joined by former NASA astronauts Robert Curbeam, senior vice president of space capture at Maxar Technologies, and Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, earth scientist at Geosyntec Consultants, LCC.  

Dr. Deborah Snyder, president of St. Clair County Community College, said, “We are thrilled to welcome June, Robert and Dottie to campus for this event, which honors the legacy of the Challenger crew and opens the door to new and exciting immersive STEM education and engagement opportunities for Michigan and Ontario residents.”

The Challenger Center offers unique learning and team-building opportunities for students, educators, corporations, and community residents. A link can be found at WGRT.com.

To register for the April 30 event, visit challenger.sc4.edu/launch-event/. For more information and to book a Lunar Quest mission, visit challenger.sc4.edu

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland