Local News Archives

The high water level of Lake Michigan has wiped out Lincoln Township Beach. The township has had to close the park off completely, as the beach has been washed away along with a good chunk of the

Some of the funding cut from the popular Pure Michigan advertising campaign is being restored in Governor Whitmer’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2021. State Budget Director Chris Kolb made a brief mention of it at the

Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott is up for the award of 2019 National Sheriff of the Year. That honor will be handed out by the National Sheriff’s Association at its winter conference in Tampa, Florida this

Renovations are complete on the Hanson Theatre on the Lake Michigan College campus in Benton Harbor. LMC will host a rededication ceremony next weekend at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 16 to celebrate. The Hanson Family Foundation

Benton Harbor Area Schools is ending some of its service contracts with Berrien RESA. RESA has handled facilities and operations, accounts payable, and payroll for the district since 2014. At a Tuesday meeting, Benton Harbor Area Schools

Lake Michigan College will hold a FAFSA Assistance Night this month. LMC staff will be available to answer questions and help students apply for financial aid. Students of all ages who plan to attend college in the

Consumers Energy is now taking entries in its second annual Put Your Town on the Map competition. Spokesperson Brian Wheeler tells WSJM News the Consumers Energy Foundation is putting up $50,000 to be awarded to three small

The search for a new superintendent at Berrien RESA has been narrowed down to two. The RESA Board of Education says it will interview the candidates next week. They are Berrien RESA Assistant Superintendent Eric Hoppstock and

From the Associated Press — Allies of Governor Gretchen Whitmer have launched $750,000 in TV ads to support her plan to borrow $3.5 billion to roughly double construction spending on state-owned roads and bridges over five years.

The call is going out again this week for southwest Michigan residents to become Partners in Hope with our radio stations and St. Jude Children’s Hospital. From 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 97.5 Y-Country

With the final results of the Iowa Democratic caucuses from Monday still not official, the Michigan Secretary of State’s office says the same sort of problems can’t happen in the Great Lakes State. Communications director Jake Rollow

The Bridgman case featured on the TV show “In Pursuit with John Walsh” has resulted in the capture of 53-year-old fugitive William Stanson in Mexico. Michigan State Police say Stanson was arrested yesterday and has already been

From the Associated Press — Michigan State University officials say its performing arts center has removed a gift shop display featuring dolls depicting prominent black figures that were hanging from a tree-like rack. School spokeswoman Emily Gerkin

Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education President Joseph Taylor has fired back against statements made by former Trustee Patricia Rush in her resignation letter. In her letter dated January 14, Rush said she was stepping down

The organizers of a new anti-climate change lobbying group in St. Joseph are hoping to strike a chord with residents and attract a robust membership. On Saturday, the first advocacy training event was held for the Citizens’

From the Associated Press — An immigrant who worked for the Roman Catholic Church in Kalamazoo has been sentenced to 33  months in federal prison for stealing fees from other immigrants. The government says Monica Mazei concealed

The Berrien County Health Department is working to assure local residents that it’s on top of the unfolding situation with novel coronavirus, and that there is no need to worry. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News as

Spectrum Health Lakeland has a new staff member, but this one is a little different. Hiro is a two-year-old German shepherd from Slovakia who is the second K9 working at the hospital. He’s paired with handler Chris

While Michigan’s economy is improving, a new report finds the state could be doing more to help its residents who are living paycheck to paycheck. Holden Weisman, the associate director of policy at Prosperity Now, says Michigan’s

The city of South Haven is looking at some expensive repairs that need to be addressed soon due to erosion from, and high water levels on, Lake Michigan. The city council heard several reports this week, and

From the Associated Press — Democrats are putting Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on the national stage Tuesday to rebut President Donald Trump’s State of the Union message. By elevating a fresh face and casting an election-year spotlight

The Benton Harbor City Commission has approved a tax abatement for a developer seeking to turn the building at the corner of Riverview Drive and Empire Avenue into an events center. The action at a Monday meeting

A citizens lobbying group to advocate for policies to reduce climate change has been formed in St. Joseph. Citizens’ Climate Lobby officially opened its St. Joe chapter on Saturday. CCL volunteers lobby Congress in support of the

The Pokagon Fund has announced the hiring of its new director. Dan Petersen started on Monday. The 38-year-old Petersen was previously the president of EightCAP, Incorporated, a community action agency in Ionia County. WSJM News asked him

Michigan State University advertising and public relations professors give the win for Super Bowl 54 ads to Cool Ranch Doritos. Robert Kolt leads the critique among his MSU peers every year. “We had a lot of good

A Niles manufacturing company is celebrating the completion of an 85,000 square foot expansion. Niles Steel Tank has added that space for Alloy Works, which makes stainless steel products for several industries including hydronics, chemical and petrochemical,

Trial will start in October for former Stamp Farms owner Michael Stamp. MLive reports he has withdrawn his guilty plea from April 2019 to charges of conspiracy to commit crop insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit bank