WGRT Local News

01/02/2026

Winter fun is easy to find across the Blue Water Area as local parks open their hills, trails, and ice rinks for the season. Families are heading to sledding spots like Columbus, Goodells, East China, Marysville City, and Lincoln parks. Port Huron also offers outdoor skating at McMorran Place Plaza and Palmer Park. Many locations provide lighted areas and free equipment. Park conditions depend on weather, always check conditions first — and remember snowboarding is not allowed.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Winter fun is easy to find across the Blue Water Area as local parks open their hills, trails, and ice rinks for the season. Families are heading to sledding spots like Columbus, Goodells, East China, Marysville City, and Lincoln parks. Port Huron also offers outdoor skating at McMorran Place Plaza

01/02/2026

Horse owners in St. Clair County should stay alert after a 13-year-old gelding tested positive for strangles just before Christmas. The horse showed signs like fever, runny nose, and fast breathing starting mid-December. He is now quarantined at home to stop the spread. Strangles is a very contagious bacterial infection that passes easily between horses through contact or shared items. Local barns are reminded to quarantine new arrivals, clean equipment thoroughly, and watch for early symptoms to protect their herds during the holiday season. Most horses recover fully.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Horse owners in St. Clair County should stay alert after a 13-year-old gelding tested positive for strangles just before Christmas. The horse showed signs like fever, runny nose, and fast breathing starting mid-December. He is now quarantined at home to stop the spread. Strangles is a very contagiou...

01/02/2026

Sarnia residents will see their city property taxes rise by about 3.95 percent this new year, adding roughly $42 more per $100,000 of home value. City council approved a $196 million budget to cover rising costs for basics like water, roads, and sewers while fixing old infrastructure. They’re spending $65 million on repairs, including flood-preventing sewer work and road fixes, but delayed a new police station to keep the tax hike lower. Final tax bills depend on county and school board decisions later this year.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Sarnia residents will see their city property taxes rise by about 3.95 percent this new year, adding roughly $42 more per $100,000 of home value. City council approved a $196 million budget to cover rising costs for basics like water, roads, and sewers while fixing old infrastructure. They’re spen...

12/31/2025

On December 22nd in Fremont Township near Marlette, a 59-year-old local woman crashed her Jeep Cherokee while trying to avoid a slow-moving tractor on Todd Road. As dusk fell, she couldn’t gauge the distance to the tractor’s flashing lights and swerved off the road to miss it. Her vehicle crossed a ditch, jumped a driveway, and landed in a nearby yard. She suffered possible injuries and was taken to McLaren Port Huron hospital. Alcohol wasn’t involved, and the Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office continues investigating.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

On December 22nd in Fremont Township near Marlette, a 59-year-old local woman crashed her Jeep Cherokee while trying to avoid a slow-moving tractor on Todd Road. As dusk fell, she couldn’t gauge the distance to the tractor’s flashing lights and swerved off the road to miss it. Her vehicle crosse...

12/31/2025

Authorities in St. Clair County need your help finding a local man who’s gone missing under worrying circumstances. Forty-eight-year-old Donald Haynes from Fort Gratiot walked away from his home on December 5th without his car, wallet, or phone—and no one’s heard from him since. He’s a white man with dark brown or black hair, brown eyes, and a dark beard that’s starting to gray. If you’ve seen Donald around the Port Huron area or have any tips, call St. Clair County Central Dispatch right away at 810-985-8115.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Authorities in St. Clair County need your help finding a local man who’s gone missing under worrying circumstances. Forty-eight-year-old Donald Haynes from Fort Gratiot walked away from his home on December 5th without his car, wallet, or phone—and no one’s heard from him since. He’s a white...

12/31/2025

Port Huron hockey fans are in for a treat at McMorran Arena this season. New owner Ken Andrews has transformed Port Huron Prowlers games into an NHL-like spectacle. Players burst onto the ice through roaring flamethrowers with epic videos projected right onto the surface. Giant screens deliver live action, instant replays, stats, and crowd shots just like on TV. A bigger team store too. Plus, a real thunderous goal horn shakes the building. The Prowlers take on the Indiana Sentinels Friday evening.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Port Huron hockey fans are in for a treat at McMorran Arena this season. New owner Ken Andrews has transformed Port Huron Prowlers games into an NHL-like spectacle. Players burst onto the ice through roaring flamethrowers with epic videos projected right onto the surface. Giant screens deliver live....

12/31/2025

Drivers in northern Michigan were urged to slow down while crossing the Mackinac Bridge on Monday as dangerous winter weather moved through the Straits. Strong winds and blowing snow reduced visibility to near zero, making the five-mile bridge invisible on all live traffic cameras. The conditions were tied to a powerful winter storm that dropped heavy snow across the Upper Peninsula. Officials warned roads were slick and advised drivers to keep speeds at or below 20 miles per hour as crews closely monitored conditions.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Drivers in northern Michigan were urged to slow down while crossing the Mackinac Bridge on Monday as dangerous winter weather moved through the Straits. Strong winds and blowing snow reduced visibility to near zero, making the five-mile bridge invisible on all live traffic cameras. The conditions we...

12/31/2025

Residents in Port Huron and the Blue Water Area can shake off the cold this winter with a lineup of free and family-friendly events starting in January. The International Silver Stick youth hockey tournament brings teams from the U.S. and Canada over three exciting weekends. St. Clair hosts its Icy Bazaar with massive ice carvings, fireworks, live music, and a brand-new drone show. Downtown Port Huron’s Chilly Fest features ice sculptures, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a fun chili cook-off. The fun wraps up in March with SC4’s free STEM Fest.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Residents in Port Huron and the Blue Water Area can shake off the cold this winter with a lineup of free and family-friendly events starting in January. The International Silver Stick youth hockey tournament brings teams from the U.S. and Canada over three exciting weekends. St. Clair hosts its Icy

12/30/2025

The Blue Water Area is mourning the loss of longtime coach and educator Len Perkins, whose impact stretched across generations of local athletes. Perkins coached for more than 50 years, including 20 seasons leading Anchor Bay baseball and guiding Algonac softball to its first state semifinal. Known for building character beyond the scoreboard, Perkins also mentored future coaches, including his son, Port Huron football coach Dan Perkins. Len died December 18th at age 86, leaving behind a legacy in local sports.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

The Blue Water Area is mourning the loss of longtime coach and educator Len Perkins, whose impact stretched across generations of local athletes. Perkins coached for more than 50 years, including 20 seasons leading Anchor Bay baseball and guiding Algonac softball to its first state semifinal. Known....

12/30/2025

St. Clair County Community College freshman Kyrieona Carter is turning heads in women’s basketball. The Skippers’ standout forward earned MCCAA Eastern Conference Player of the Week after back-to-back double-doubles, scoring 20 points with 21 rebounds against Edison State and 16 points with 23 rebounds versus Owens. Carter also averaged three blocks per game, powering SC4 to a 2-0 week. Fans can see her in action at home Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

St. Clair County Community College freshman Kyrieona Carter is turning heads in women’s basketball. The Skippers’ standout forward earned MCCAA Eastern Conference Player of the Week after back-to-back double-doubles, scoring 20 points with 21 rebounds against Edison State and 16 points with 23 r...

12/30/2025

The Water Tower Sports Pub in Lexington is up for sale at $329,000, offering a 4,732-square-foot space at the corner of M-25 and Huron Bay Boulevard. Open since ’13, the pub is known locally for its pizzas and 24-tap beer system. The sale includes the business and equipment, but not the liquor license or inventory. The building received a new roof four year ago, and the pub remains open while searching for a buyer, leaving its future in the town uncertain.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

The Water Tower Sports Pub in Lexington is up for sale at $329,000, offering a 4,732-square-foot space at the corner of M-25 and Huron Bay Boulevard. Open since ’13, the pub is known locally for its pizzas and 24-tap beer system. The sale includes the business and equipment, but not

12/30/2025

A U.S. District Court has set key deadlines in the civil lawsuit over Joshua Conant’s death outside Port Huron’s Roche Bar over two years ago. The schedule requires witness and evidence lists by April, expert witness filings by May and June, and completion of fact and expert discovery by July and September. Mediation for a potential settlement begins mid-September, with motions on expert testimony or summary judgment due by October. Conant’s death, caused by restraint-related cardiac arrest, led to the Joshua Conant Ordinance requiring bar security training.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet