St. Clair County

Kelly Secures Nomination for Michigan Supreme Court

The race for the open seats in the Michigan Supreme Court will include a local name this year. Mary Kelly has secured the nomination for candidacy as a Supreme Court Justice.

The nomination was made by Retired Chief Justice Bob Young during the recent Michigan Republican Convention. The Convention was held virtually at the end of August with the nomination made by video. Young endorsed Kelly as a “rule of law” judge.

Kelly served for over three decades as Prosecuting Attorney in St. Clair County. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and Detroit College of Law.

Two seats on the Court will be up for grabs in 2021. Incumbent Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack is running to retain her seat, while another seat will be vacated by Justice Stephen Markman, who has aged out of the court.

Brock Swartzle, a Court of Appeals Judge, was also nominated at the Republican Convention. Swartzle and Kelly will face off against incumbent McCormack, Democrat Elizabeth Welch, and candidates from other parties for the two vacant seats.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Traffic Stop in Kimball Ends with Meth Bust

Kimball Twp., MI — A traffic stop on I-69 near Wadhams Road in Kimball Township on September 4th ended with a methamphetamine bust.

According to St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon, members of the St. Clair County Drug Task Force pulled over a vehicle on eastbound I-69 shortly after 2:30 a.m.  After talking with the driver of the vehicle, it was determined that he was in possession of crystal methamphetamine.  The Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit was called to the scene and K-9 Faust alerted deputies about more narcotics being inside the vehicle.

Members of the DTF conducted a search of the vehicle, where they located and seized about $7,000 worth of crystal meth, along with psilocybin mushrooms, analog pills and cash.

The suspect, a 40 year old Flint man, was arrested and lodged at the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center.  He is expected to face charges including possession with intent to deliver crystal methamphetamine, possession psilocybin mushrooms, possession of analogs and being a habitual offender.

The Michigan State Police also assisted at the scene of the traffic stop.

Registration Open for SC4 Late Start Fall Classes

Port Huron, MI — Registration is open for late-start fall semester classes at St. Clair County Community College. Seats are still available in 12-week classes starting the week of Sept. 21st and 8-week classes starting the week of October. 19th. Classes are available at the Port Huron campus and online.

Late-start classes allow students to earn credits at a faster pace. Class topics include biology, business, English, history, math, political science, psychology, sociology and more.

Current students can register for classes online in the SC4 Portal, and new students can start their SC4 journey by visiting sc4.edu and applying for admission.

Registration services are available at SC4’s One-Stop Student Services Center located in the Dr. James C. Acheson Welcome Center on the corner of Erie Street and Glenwood Avenue on the Port Huron Campus.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

YMCA of the Blue Water Area Opens September 14th

Port Huron, MI — Owners of gyms and fitness centers in the state were finally given the green light to open their businesses on September 9th, and the  YMCA of the Blue Water Area is preparing to open its doors on September 14th.

The Y may look different due to safety measures being enforced throughout the building, and the reopening will come in phases. The YMCA team will make decisions regularly on the services being offered with guidance from local health officials and the state government.

Those who have placed their memberships on hold are encouraged to contact Member Relations Coordinator Laurie Irwin to restart their memberships for opening day.

The YMCA offers many different membership levels for individuals, youth, seniors, and families, and you can begin a new membership anytime.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Blue Water Area COVID-19 Update September 4, 2020

St. Clair County, MI — Lambton County, Ontario

Cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases as of September 4, 2020 at  9:00 AM are as follows:

  • State of Michigan: 104,395 confirmed cases; 6,519 deaths
  • St. Clair County: 810 confirmed cases; 52 deaths
  • Ontario: 42,686 confirmed cases;  2,812 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton: 340 confirmed cases; 25 deaths

St. Clair County currently has 57 active cases of the virus, and 2% of hospital beds in the county are being used for COVID-19 patients.

Governor Whitmer signed executive orders yesterday extending the State of Emergency until October 1st. She also named September 9th as the reopening date for gyms, pools, and sports practices and competitions.  All re-openings are subject to strict precautionary measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Lambton County currently has 2 active cases, and the county hasn’t had a COVID-19 related hospital admissions since May.

The City of Sarnia asks for help from the community regarding disposing of personal protective equipment. Masks, gloves, paper towels, tissues, wipes, and plastic bags belong in the garbage, not in the blue box.

 

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

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Animal Control Accepts Over 80 Dogs from Kenockee Twp. Resident

An investigation into a citizen complaint led to the surrender of over 80 dogs in Kenockee Twp. this week. St. Clair County Animal Control (SCCAC) Officers began investigating the situation, and the owner willingly surrendered the animals.

The staff at SCCAC have placed the dogs in shelters so they can receive medical assessments and appropriate care. The public will be notified when the animals are available for adoption.

According to Melissa Miller, the new Director of of SCCAC, “Dogs are required to have adequate shelter and protection from the elements, access to clean water and food.”

St. Clair County Animal Control will provide and update on the situation upon the conclusion of the investigation.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand